Good advice

There are hundreds of thousands of websites about writing. A large percentage of these are selling something or looking for newbies who'll work for pennies. So when I come across a link that is actually useful, instead of just bookmarking it, I plan to post it here as well.

I've been reading Matthew Stibbe's Bad Language, a blog where he posts excellent writing advice. His post "How to be a freelance journalist" is especially worth a look. Good advice for beginners, but also helpful to more experienced writers.

21 days updated

Well, I can't say that I really followed the path I set out for myself exactly or that I have changed my habits in any significant way. However, I did send out a successful pitch right after posting and set to work on a new radio documentary, so I think I can say I fulfilled my overall goal of getting some work and furthering my career.

Just 21 days

I read that it takes 21 days to change a habit, so I'm going to give this little bit of folk wisdom a try. For the next twenty one days, I'm going to try the following:

*Get up early and get to work right away. I know I'm most productive in the early hours, and I don't think it's an accident that I sleep through them most days.

*Get 5-7 solid queries out per week.

*Get 20-25 hours of writing in per week. This could be 3 hours per day, or 4 hrs x 5 days a week. If I can do that, then I can up it to full time hours within a month.

Want to join me and end our procrastination together? I'm starting first thing tomorrow. ;)