I could be spending a day in the office catching up on invoicing, or be on the phone lining up new interviews. I maybe on the road, travelling to meet someone who may eventually help with or provide a story. Or I may be at an event, in a hotel, on a plane; the list goes on.
Sure, there are downsides. It’s usually all or nothing, too much work or no work, and even in today’s consumer-hungry world of magazines, websites, books and brochures, many seem to expect professional writers to craft their words for peanuts.
But I’m at my best when I realise the world is my lobster when I wake in the morning. What shall I write about today? What interests me? What grabs my eye?
That’s where Twitter has revolutionised the way I work. Recently, a picture and posting caught my attention, so I retweeted it and started an online conversation with that person.
Before five minutes had passed, a fully-formed idea for an article had entered my mind and before half an hour had passed, I’d pitched the idea to one of the country’s biggest glossy magazines. By the end of the day, I’d been commissioned to write the article and was starting research and planning my travel to the other end of the country.
That’s why a freelance writer’s life is an interesting one. Write about what interests you and go out there and meet interesting people. The world’s full of ‘em.