Why, How, and What for Content Calendars
On December 22, 2017 by Lauren ElkinsA content calendar has become a must-have for me and my blogging because my freelance writing business has grown. I used to post on my blogs willy-nilly. I lacked consistency and I lacked themes. I’ve learned that these matter if I am going to stay consistent with this blog. Why bother on my personal brand
Defining a content creation game plan
On September 20, 2017 by Lauren ElkinsI have been inconsistent with posting blog content on my own website. I have legitimate reasons that include two small kids demanding of my time, a house that needs a little cleaning, paying customers with writing deadlines and expectations, and a weekly soccer league. I mean, isn’t it obvious that the soccer league takes precedence
6 Project Management tools for writing
On June 11, 2017 by Lauren Elkins“…prepare yourself—holistically, mentally and spiritually—to take on a project that exists entirely in your head.” Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain and A Sudden Light. The above quote comes from praise Stein gave about a book on writing and I loved what he said there at the end. Writing is working on
How I use pinterest to come up with blog post ideas
On June 3, 2017 by Lauren ElkinsYou’re casually scanning through one of your favorite websites, jumping from article title to title when, bam! That article. That looks interesting. That could be a blog post on your site. But, you don’t have the time to sit down and write immediately. You don’t even have the time to read through the article right
How to rock at good content writing – tips from this freelance writer to you!
On February 22, 2017 by Lauren ElkinsMy first consistent job as a freelance writer was churning out social media content. I had never done this before, but I had been doing a lot of networking, created this website to serve as my resume, and picked up free or small paying articles to generate a modest portfolio. Thanks to a connection and
24 writing prompts to get you going on your memoir
On February 5, 2017 by Lauren ElkinsI meet with my writers’ group once a month; we share our writing, critique each other, laugh, eat, and love being together. We schedule and coordinate our monthly gatherings using a Facebook group where I’ve been dubbed honorary President. (It’s because I have computer skillz, yo.) For each month, I include some random writing prompts
How to overcome the curse of knowledge in your writing
On January 7, 2017 by Lauren ElkinsWe are plagued with information imbalances. Have you ever tried explaining a grammar concept to a non-writing friend and it just doesn’t stick? “Passive sentences start with the BE-VERBS. It’s the be-verbs!” “Bee verbs?” Confusion. “You should have used lay, not lie.” “All I did was put my purse down, geez.” When we know something,
Sweet Christmas gifts for the writer in your life!
On December 7, 2016 by Lauren ElkinsHooray for the holidays and finding just the perfect gift for that writer in your life whom you love so much. Here are some sweet gifts you can get them because that incredible, antique typewriter is crazy expensive and who can find one of those at a pawn shop anyway?! A sweet typewriter t-shirt: What
Creating an invoice as a freelance writer
On November 23, 2016 by Lauren ElkinsOnce I’ve finished some good, hard freelance work, it’s always satisfying to get to the final step: sending in the invoice. I’ve heard that for some, this step can be intimidating, but it shouldn’t be because you’ve already done these things: Agreed on your pay rate Kept track of your hours Your final work has
Three rad writing posts I read today
On November 16, 2016 by Lauren ElkinsShould writers blog? This post is nearly a year old so in the internet world, that’s ancient, yo. The two reasons why you should NOT blog were a good reminder of my lack of commitment. I promise, I am going to improve! I’m going to write the three reasons I SHOULD blog on a piece of