Should you edit as you write? It’s a question every writer must ask, and there is no set answer. It truly is a personal preference — you should do what works best for you.
Juggle Multiple Freelance Writing Projects Without Going Crazy
Ever have multiple freelance writing projects at the same time, all with tight deadlines? Here’s how to get them all done on time and still do a great job. How to Handle Multiple Freelance Writing Projects As some of you know, I’m a moderator in Carol Tice’s Freelance Writers Den. (Highly recommended: read my review […]
How Online Overload Harms Your Writing Career
As a writer and a human being, productivity and happiness are top priorities for me, and I was already aware of the negative effects of the Internet on my own cognitive processes and ability to feel fully alive when I read The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains several years ago. But The Shallows crystallized […]
The Best Freelance Writing Locations
We freelance writers can write in a variety of locations. However, we must pay attention to which locations give us the greatest productivity. I find that I’m happiest, and I get the most done on my freelance writing projects, when I vary my location. My Freelance Writing Locations Home Office I often spend the mornings […]
24 Logical Fallacies That Hurt Your Writing Career and Your Life
Most of us fall prey to logical fallacies, usually many times a day. However, clear thinking and analysis is crucial for making sense of all that affects us in our writing careers, our personal relationships, our interactions with our political system, and our daily decisions, large and small. This infographic clearly and succinctly lays out […]
Create Time Blocks to Do the Small-But-Important Things
As a writer you need to write: that’s usually the most important activity for your career. But there are also many other important things that support your writing, and there are many important things that you need to for the rest of your life to flow smoothly. We’ve talked about scheduling time for doing your […]
How Deep Work Makes You A Better and More Productive Writer
Applying “deep work” principles allows freelance writers and nonfiction authors to get more high-quality work done in less time, and that’s what we’re all about here at Productive Writers. So What Is Deep Work? Cal Newport’s highly successful (and highly recommended) book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World came out in […]
7 Easy Ways to Stop Automatic Negative Thought Cycles
Most of us occasionally — or more than occasionally — fall prey to automatic negative thought cycles: periods (more than a few seconds) of generating unproductive negative thoughts that tend to loop and build on each other, leading to an agitated and unproductive mental state. These automatic negative thought cycles create havoc with both your […]
7 Myths of High Productivity
We all want to be more productive in our freelance writing businesses. Increased productivity — of the right type — leads to increased income and increased satisfaction from our work. That’s why I’m happy to share this excellent infographic from Quill.com. It does a great job laying out seven important myths of higher productivity and […]
13 Top Techniques For Achieving Your Goals
It’s not so hard to set good goals. What’s hard is actually following through on what you need to do to make those goals reality. But there are important techniques to keep you on track so you can achieve your goals… 1. Review Your Goals Daily It’s very important that you review your goals every […]
Get More Writing Done By Simplifying Your Life
Freelance writers’ lives are usually quite busy. But busy with what? Often we are busy doing things that don’t matter, or actually detract from our lives. And that’s why we should practice simplicity. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of […]
