One of the things about me is that I am quite a proactive girl, when it comes to writing and in my life in general. It is something that I have always had good feedback from in my old jobs and also friends.
I enjoy writing very much, but one of my best qualities is, that I research, plan, write and get my work published on sites and to time.
What is my background?
My background may have helped, as I worked for a large company and communication, planning and time management was an important part of my job. I worked in clinical trials and supported data and project managers. I not only had to communicate with all my peers, but also the countries that were involved in the studies I worked on. This could be up to 15 countries. We of course shared work out, but I may have to look after 4 countries myself and email, have teleconferences and write documents so that the personnel working on our studies could perform their jobs. I had timelines for everything and yes even email. I worked to the main project timelines, but the rest I had to sit down and work how, how I would deliver the areas I was responsible for. I was measured against these at the end of the year to see if I had to achieved my targets.
It was all part of my working life. I enjoyed my job as it was in medicine and I have always loved human biology and all things about well being. I not only learned about how trials were run, but about different diseases, how they effect our bodies and how medicines can either heal or relieve symptoms and pain. I was proud to work in an organisation that wanted to help make peoples life’s better and I was part of that.
What exactly do I do, and How can it help me?
Quitting your job and traveling around the world is great, but you will still need to use those good old time management and project management skills. Working on websites or writing articles, will still be a job as such and meeting deadlines is still a big part of this. If you want your site, or your work to be read and seen by others, you have to include this in your plans.
Its easy when you know how. I had to learn from scratch how to use word, excel and power point when all my colleagues knew already how to use these. I didn’t know much about writing newsletters, but I worked with a more experienced colleague that did. Nearly all the things I have learned have been because of the fantastic people I work with and the things that they have taught me. I will admit that I do struggle sometimes and think I will never get the hang of things, but I ask for help and don’t give up and use the support that is offered.
My Top Tips To Help You
You may be thinking by now, well that is great Ann, you are a very dedicated person and have lots of passion, but I just can’t get motivated sometimes and my mind drifts to other more exciting things, family and other jobs.
Here is a list of Q and A’s to help you.
1. What will I write about?
I always look at the site I am working for and what other people have written. This gives you an idea of the kind of things that are popular or what people write about. If there is something that you would like to write about but can’t find anything similar, then contact the site owner and they will let you know if they feel it would fit, or possibly write a few articles and if you get good feedback, maybe make it a regular slot.
2. Where do ideas come from?
You may already be traveling, which means you could keep a daily diary with you and then write up an article when you get wifi access. If you are or are not traveling then the things that surround you can make a good article. Everyday when we get up and go out the door there is a world out there full of ideas. The secret is to really open your eyes and ears. Be more aware of and notice what is written on billboards, books, cars, vans or simply things people say or songs. These will prompt a thought or idea that once explored can lead to an article.
3. I can’t find the time to write?
I think we sometimes look at what we do each day, but perhaps don’t actually consider the amount of time we spend on things and where the time actually goes to. Your best bet is to look at your week and one day at a time. Dedicate half a day to go through your jobs, tasks, leisure, shopping and then add times to this. When you have finished have a look at where you spend most of your time. Then think about maybe grouping things together or perhaps moving an activity to another day. Once you have a clearer picture it is far easier then to allocate an hour, a day, etc to your writing.
4. Are there any timelines I need to be aware of?
Some sites like this one and ArtisanHQ have a newsletter which goes out each week. It always good to know when this is. The reason being is that you can then plan in your writing to ensure that there are new articles each week that will be sent out to your viewers. Keeping a captive audience is good and makes sure that they stay on your site and don’t drift to other peoples.
5. Why do I want to write?
You may find that writing is like a hobby and a way of relaxing and quite therapeutic. You might want to take it further and start writing on other sites and see how you get on. Many people start writing for others with the aim of writing for themselves and then to make a living out of it.
6. Can I ask for feedback?
Asking for feedback is a great way to determine, if what you write is coming across well. This feedback can either be from the people you work with, or from your viewers. You will probably have email addresses for people, so every now and again, drop people a mail to get feedback or ask for other things that they may like to see.
7. How many articles should I write?
I would aim for one a week. If you work in a team and everyone works to this principle it ensures that there is always some new material and that the work load is shared. There may be times when you go blank and have writers block. If this happens let your friends that you work with know this.
These are a just a few areas that you can explore and use to help you with your writing and blogging. It’s all about finding what works for you and then putting it into practice. So give it a whirl and see how you get on and if anyone has any comments they would like to share or tips please feel free to write them on this article.