When I first started freelancing full time, it was just me, my 14-year-old cat, the ticking clock, and the occasional phone interview during the day. In other words, very little human interaction and some very welcome silence.
And for a while, that was just fine with me. I’ve always been a bit of a lone wolf. And having grown up as an only child, I’ve never minded my alone time. In fact, sometimes my family and my closest friends argue that I seem to enjoy my alone time a little too much. So for the first few months of freelancing, I …read more

As I watched President Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremony yesterday, I started reflecting on fresh starts, new chapters, and what will be happening in my life in a couple of weeks. I, too, will be starting a new job.
About a month ago, I mentioned here on The Golden Pencil that a client of mine had recommended me to the regional chamber of commerce. They were looking to hire a communications and marketing person to do some work for their economic development arm. But what began as a conversation about some independent contracting work, ended with an offer to join them full …read more

Have you ever hammered nails into a board with a banana?
Me neither. But yesterday, a Minnesota news station demonstrated that cold weather has certain unlikely advantages. Apparently, when the mercury drops to -13 or below, a banana will freeze so solid that you can use it to hammer nails into a board.
By now, you’re probably thinking—what on earth does this have to do with freelance writing?
Well, sometimes climate changes bring unexpected advantages—whether the changes are weather-related or economic. All the rules change when the temperature hits subzero temperatures—even bubbles freeze. And in an economic downturn, all the rules change too. …read more

Good Monday morning readers!

Today, I’m shining the spotlight on Michelle Goodman, author of My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire, and The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube.
Michelle also writes a weekly career column for ABCNews.com and blogs at Nine to Thrive for The Seattle Times. Her articles and essays about alternative careers, personal finance, and human mating rituals have been published by CNN.com, Salon, BUST, Bitch, The Bark, Yahoo! HotJobs, AOL.com, and other media outlets. Michelle also writes a blog about the freelance …read more

I live in a $1.68 million mansion. I drive a 2008 BMW with heated seats. And even though you might not recognize my name, I’m actually very famous. Thanks to my freelance writing career, I am richer than Donald Trump, Steve Jobs, and Warren Buffett combined.
Believe me?
I’m making this up, course. I’m not famous, or rich. I do not live in a mansion. I drive a 3-year-old Ford Taurus with unheated seats. And I live in humble but comfortable quarters in a town you’ve probably never heard of in mid-Michigan where you can practically hear the corn growing and the …read more

A couple months ago, one of my friends and former newspaper editors told me that she might be facing a buyout decision at the end of the year. At the time, I had no advice to offer—I left the newspaper industry in 1999, and I never had to face such a gut-wrenching decision.
But after our e-mail exchange, I couldn’t stop thinking about my former editor and all the other friends of mine who are still working as full-time staffers in the newspaper and publishing industries. Every day, Newspaper Deathwatch and other sources continue to report more troubling news about layoffs, …read more

Before I start basting the turkey, making the stuffing, and baking the pumpkin pie, I thought I’d pause before the holiday rush to count my blessings.
I’m a firm believer in the idea that you get more of what you focus on. So if I’m enjoying any kind of abundance in my life, I think it’s important for me to acknowledge those things and show some gratitude. Not just at Thanksgiving, but the other 364 days of the year, too. I’ve noticed something else about gratitude too—when I’m counting my blessings, I have a rosier outlook on life. All the more …read more

“… the Chinese word for “crisis” is “danger plus opportunity.”
Washington Post, June, 17, 1940
Read the headlines or watch the news on any given day, and chances are, you’ll hear about more layoffs, bailouts, bankruptcies, company closings, and credit crunches than ever before. With a steady diet of this news, it can be difficult to keep your attitude from sinking as low as the latest stock market plunge.
As I mentioned in my first post, it is a very interesting time to be a freelancer.
But I also think it’s a time of great opportunity—if you adopt the right attitude and take the …read more