11 Ways to Stay Positive As a New Freelance Writer

Youve finally decided freelance writing is what you want to do. No more working at your 9-5 job that has no relation to your skills and expertise. No. You want to write. You want to make a living writing, but something is holding you back. Youre wondering if this is really REAL and if its really WORTH it. And those feelings suddenly make you less confident of becoming a freelance writer. Want to know something? I have been in your shoes more times than I can count. Staying Positive As a Freelance Writer Ive had a writer say my writing is the equivalent to junk food – writing that doesnt sustain you. Ive had a client rip my writing apart and ask for a complete re-write. And Ive felt I turned in my best work, only to have a client say nothing and just give me another project. This all happened in my first year as a freelance writer – but I never gave up. You might be in a different position. Maybe you havent landed your first freelance writing job yet. Maybe you are at the pitching stage, and you are losing hope. Ive been there also, and I know if you stick at it just a bit longer, youll succeed.  Here are 11 ways you can remain positive in your first year as a freelance writer! 1. Believe in Yourself This might be hard if your freelance writing niche is something you have no experience with it. This is what I did. I first thought my niches were parenting and health – two topics I know a lot about. But, as I researched more about freelance writing, I learned I loved marketing. I was very new to marketing when I first started, but I declared that as my freelance writing niche. I believed in myself. I believed I could easily find more about the topic on Google or YouTube. If a client gave me a difficult topic, I had the confidence in saying that I was not the right writer for them. One thing you need to remember as a freelance writer is that clients see you as the expert. You are the expert finance writer, or you are the expert tech writer. You are the expert in online writing, copywriting techniques, up-to-date industry knowledge and more. But, what if you are a brand new freelance writer? What if you dont know all of that? Thats okay. You are a great writer and researcher (all writers are readers and researchers). Have the confidence to say you are the expert writer! 2. Be Honest With Yourself Are you cut out to be a freelance writer? Its hard when you  doubt your ability to pitch or even write. Doubt plagues you every day! To help you overcome your doubt, you need to be honest with yourself and ask these questions: Is writing enjoyable enough that I can write about the same topics as my full-time job (or side hustle)? Am I able to deliver the right type of content to my new clients? Can I work alone? How will I handle rejection from a freelance writing job? How will I handle tough or difficult clients? Can I handle all the business side like accounting and invoicing? Will my creativity wane if writing is my job and not just for fun anymore? As a freelance writer, youll be in charge of a lot of tasks and wear many hats for sure. Make sure you understand your role as a solopreneur and what that entails. 3. Practice Writing You need to practice writing every day as a way to improve your writing quality and skill. Its not enough to write tweets every day; you need to write blog posts, guest posts, emails and samples! Doing this one task every day will quickly improve your writing skill. I own and manage several blogs, and I try to write a blog post daily, but its not that consistent. So, try to do what you can with your busy schedule! 4. Write Out Your Goals Having goals as a freelance writer is important to help you succeed to the next level. When you write your goals, you give them a voice, and they suddenly become real. Make sure to read your goals daily to give you motivation. My initial goal when I started freelance writing was to land at least one freelance writing job within four months. I felt this goal was highly obtainable and easy. I didnt want to make my goal too big or not relevant for me at that time (like making $5,000 from freelance writing by the winter). So, if you find yourself down in the dumps about freelance writing, go back to your goals and focus on them! From there you can create a plan around your goals! 5. Have a Mantra One thing I did when I first started out was to have a mantra to help me boost my confidence as a freelance writer. For me, a mantra is a positive saying about YOU that helps you identify your strengths. So, my mantra when I first started was – no one can write like me. I had to prove to myself that MY WRITING was worth it and I did that by telling myself exactly that!!! To help you, here are some mantras that you can adopt when you arent feeling that confident about freelance writing. All businesses need blogs, and all blogs need writers Clients value my writing My writing makes my clients job easier 6. There Are Other Freelance Writers To Help You Youre not the only one doing this as a side hustle or as a full-time gig. There are other freelance writers in the same position as you. By connecting with them, you form a tribe and a support network to help you when times are slow, or you need a pep talk. To find your tribe of writers you can look to Pinterest or Facebook groups too! 7. Create a Rant Group On another vein, you can round up other freelance writers and have a rant group. Use this group to blow off steam or talk ill about your current gig or anything that is making you frustrated. I have a freelance writer friend IRL that I meet up a few times a year. We go to Starbucks and dish out our latest gripes or successes or just gossip about life! Its a great time to connect and talk to someone that is doing the same thing as me. 8. Find a Freelance Writer Buddy If being in a Facebook group is too intimidating or overwhelming, why not seek out another new freelance writer? You can contact them via email or on social media. When I first started out, I contacted several new freelance writers and asked them various questions. You can lean on this buddy, have them review and critique your writing and if youre lucky, get gigs off of them! 9. Change Your Mindset For many of you, the primary emotion youre probably feeling is fear. Fear of failing or fear of putting yourself out there for nothing. Instead of being stopped by fear, try walking into fear. Allow yourself to have that fear and then walk past it. It may seem uncomfortable in the beginning, but over time, it becomes second nature. Treat every rejection as a blessing. Obviously, THOSE clients werent compatible, and because they rejected me, they opened the doors to better clients. When you change your mindset, you become more successful! 10. Challenge Yourself If you have a hard time changing your mindset, why not challenge yourself instead? Give yourself a deadline for projects and tasks as a freelance writer. For example, give yourself two weeks to pitch 10x a day. Or give yourself by the end of the day to write a sample blog post. By setting a firm deadline, youll be more productive and willing to take action! 11. Know that Youre Worth It Knowing that you want to write for a living means you enjoy writing, others have told you that your writing is good and it comes easy to you. If you find that writing is a challenge, that you dont have a firm grasp of the English language or the thought of writing a 5,000 word article is daunting, then maybe freelance writing isnt for you. Ive always loved and enjoyed writing. In high school, I wrote poetry and short stories. In college, I loved researching for my term papers and essays. Naturally, freelance writing sounded like a great gig to me! So know that youre worth it as a writer! If All Else Fails Well, if after doing all these things to stay positive doesnt work, then fake it until you make it! I did this, and it proved well. If a job ad asks for three years of freelance writing, I made sure that I mentioned that I do have three years.of writing 🙂 Im not lying! Okay! Over to you – what do you do to remain positive as a new freelance writer?

How to Write a Sample Scholarship Essay For Your Research Or Project

How to Write a Sample Scholarship Essay For Your Research Or ProjectThere are many types of sample essays that you can use to help you write your own, but what if the sample essay is not the field of study you are interested in? In these instances, you may want to turn to writing samples instead.These essay samples can be a great tool in helping you decide on the field of study that you wish to focus on. An example of a sample scholarship essay is 'The White Man's Burden: A Study of Slavery in New England' by Edward M. Wilbre, an African American professor. This is a personal essay and looks at how and why slavery affected those who were either slaves or those who worked for them.Another type of essay for a field of study is 'Colonial Landscapes: Landscapes of Colonial America' by Marilyn J. Taylor. This essay is written from the point of view of an English Professor. It explains the impact that England had on the developing colonies, and the way in which English Colonists shaped the lives of Native Americans. The essay concludes with the reader in a more enlightened state of mind.If you are writing a personal essay on your interests, you should also make sure that the essay is one that will hold an interest for the reader. If it is not, then it is likely that they will get bored easily and quit on the assignment before even starting.Be sure that the essay that you use is on a topic that is relevant to the field that you are studying. Essays on sports, for example, are not going to hold much weight when it comes to the study of sports. You should also make sure that you write your essay on a topic that will interest the reader.If you are teaching, then you will want to make sure that your personal essay is focused on teaching methods and strategies. This is especially true if the school you are working for has a very specific grading system. If your students have an aversion to the word 'grading,' then this is not the essay for them.Keep in mind that your essay should be able to tie into a basic theme that will appeal to both the reader and yourself. You do not want to keep it too complicated. In order to get the right theme, you want to make sure that your essay draws from some of the common themes that are usually used in college essays.For all the reasons mentioned above, it is advisable to use a sample scholarship essay for your research or project. If you do not find any of the samples available online, there are books and manuals available to help you write your own personal essay on a topic you are interested in.

Definition and Examples of Multiple Exclamation Marks

Definition and Examples of Multiple Exclamation Marks An  exclamation point  (!)  is a mark of  punctuation  used after a word, phrase, or sentence that expresses a strong emotion. It ends emphatic statements, says English Grammar Punctuation, a reference guide. William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, in their famous Elements of Style,  say that: The exclamation mark is to be reserved for after true exclamations and commands. And Merriam-Websters Guide to Punctuation and Style  notes that the exclamation point is used to mark a forceful comment or exclamation. It is also called an  exclamation mark  or tellingly, in newspaper jargon, a  shriek. These sources and others may define it with different vocabulary, but they all agree on one thing: The exclamation point is possibly the most overused punctuation mark in the English language.  Multiple exclamation points  (or marks)- two or, often, three exclamation marks  (!!!) following a word or sentence- should be even rarer still in good writing. History The exclamation point was first used by printers at the end of the 15th century, according to  Thomas MacKellar, in his 1885 book, The American Printer: A Manual of Typography. MacKellar also noted that the punctuation meant admiration or exclamation as well as surprise, astonishment, rapture, and the like sudden emotions of the mind. The mark, itself, comes from Latin, says  Smithsonian.com: In Latin, the exclamation of joy was  io,  where the i was written above the o. And, since all their letters were written as capitals, an I with an O below it looks a lot like an exclamation point. It wasn’t until 1970 that the exclamation point had its own key on the keyboard, the Smithsonian notes, adding that before that you had to type a period, and then use the backspace to go back and stick an apostrophe above it. When executives dictated to secretaries, they would say bang to indicate the exclamation point, leading to the term  interbang,  a  nonstandard punctuation  mark in the form of a question mark superimposed on an exclamation point (sometimes appearing as ?!).  It is used to end a rhetorical question or a simultaneous question and exclamation. Some writers, then, began using  multiple exclamation points  as a logical outgrowth of the interbang and single exclamation mark to add even more emphasis to words, phrases, and sentences. Purpose The use of the exclamation point- and, even more so, multiple exclamation points- has been met with plenty of controversy and criticism. Smithsonian notes this less-than-pleased response  by F. Scott Fitzgerald to the use of multiple exclamation points: â€Å"Cut out all those exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own jokes.† Author Elmore Leonard was even more incensed by their use: â€Å"You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.† Leonard also said that use of  multiple exclamation points  is the sign of a diseased mind. Still, exclamation points do have a purpose in the English language, according to the late  Rene Jack Cappon, a longtime editor at the Associated Press and author of  The Associated Press Guide to Punctuation. Cappon said that exclamation points are certainly not subtle; instead, they act like a kettle drum, noisily calling readers attention to a given word, phrase, or sentence. Echoing the very earliest use of this punctuation mark, Cappon says you should use exclamation points to convey pain, fear, astonishment, anger, and disgust, as in: â€Å" Ouch! My toes! cries one, a bowling ball dropped on his foot. Somebody  help  me! screams a damsel in distress. Look, a real unicorn! Astonishment. Get thee behind me, Satan! Rage and disgust. Cappon notes that you rarely run into emotional outbursts like these, so you should use single or multiple exclamation points sparingly. He and other grammar and punctuation experts point out that you should generally let the words speak for themselves, set off by a simple  period,  comma, or  semicolon. Otherwise, you risk damaging your credibility by constantly yelling at your readers, similar to someone screaming fire in a crowded theater, even when there is not a hint of smoke. Rules for Using Exclamation Marks Richard Bullock, Michal Brody, and Francine Weinberg note in the The Little Seagull Handbook, a grammar, punctuation, and style guide used on many college campuses, that you should use exclamation points to express strong emotion or add emphasis to a statement or command. They give this example of when to use an exclamation point, from Susan Jane Gilmans Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress: Tales of Growing Up Groovy and Clueless, who described seeing The Rolling Stones band member Keith Richards: Keith, we shrieked as the car drove away. Keith, we love you! Encountering a member of the iconic rock band- and the shrieking that accompanied the sighting- would, indeed, call for at least one exclamation point- and perhaps more!!!- to emphasize the excitement of the moment. Another example of when to use exclamation points is illustrated in this pithy quote from Tennessee Williams in Camino Real. Make voyages! Attempt them! Theres nothing else. You can also use multiple exclamation points in  informal  or comic writing, or to express  sarcasm, as in:   I loved your last email! OMG did I LOVE it!!! The point is that the writer of the above sentences didnt really love the email. She was being  ironic, which the multiple exclamation points help to show. Additionally, David Crystal, in Making a Point: The Persnickety Story of English Punctuation, gives these examples where the  contexts  dictate when exclamation marks would be acceptable, even expected: Interjections -  Oh!Expletives -  Damn!Greetings -  Happy Xmas!!!Calls -  Johnny!Commands -  Stop!Expressions of surprise -  What a mess!!!Emphatic statements -  I want to see you now!Attention-getters -  Listen carefully!Loud speech in dialogue -  Im in the garden!Ironic comments -  He paid, for a change!  or . . .  for a change (!)Strong mental attitudes -  Hardly! he thought But there are many other instances where you should omit exclamation points, as in this example from The Little Seagull Handbook. It was so close, so low, so huge and fast, so intent on its target that I swear to you, I swear to you, I felt the vengeance and rage emanating from the plane.- Debra Fontaine, Witnessing Bill Walsh, the late copy chief for the  Washington Post, noted in The Elephants of Style: A Trunkload of Tips on the Big Issues and Gray Areas of Contemporary American English that you should omit exclamation points (and other punctuation marks) when they are, essentially, gimmicky decorations for company names. So, says Walsh, you would write Yahoo,  not Yahoo! The Associated Press Stylebook also notes that you place exclamation points within quote marks when they are part of the quoted material, as in: How wonderful! he exclaimed.Never! she shouted. But place exclamation points outside of quotation marks when they are not part of the quoted material: I hated reading Spensers Faerie Queene! And never use other punctuation marks, such as a comma, after an exclamation point: Wrong: Halt!, the corporal cried.Right: Halt! the corporal cried. So, when using exclamation points remember that less is more. Use this punctuation mark- whether it be one, two, or three exclamation points- only when the context calls for it. Otherwise, let your prose speak for themselves and save the mighty exclamation point for extreme circumstances, for heavens sake!!!

International Monetary Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Monetary Relations - Essay Example This will be centralized in one country hence policy setting as well as decision making can be improved on funds management. Execution is however, not personalized. Amongst the problems experienced, is currency risk when the value of exchange rates is not monitored. The treasurer and CFOs of the MNCs need to understand fully how to organize, report and integrate business operations for efficiency in resource use. Globally, it has been seen that idling of cash of up to $80 billion is a loss to the economy. Such a huge cash flow not invested for 3 months is non-beneficial and in turn loses value. Effective global treasury is aimed at managing such funds seldom producing economic benefits. Other aspects to be considered include the reporting systems in use, managing cash flow and working capital, and strengthening governance. The analysis shows that MNCs are making detrimental decisions if errors are made. One example reveals a loss in the value of foreign exchange when a North American company erroneously paid the wrong employee in the wrong country. A reversal of the transaction saw the company lose part of its money. Spreadsheets programs predispose the MNCs to inaccurate reporting. This can cause hedging of funds, to invest or to borrow where conditions do not depict so. The effect is higher if the actions are taken across border and the foreign exchange as well international market investments are at the core for MNCs. The open currency system that is mostly applied worldwide saw the North America Company lose its value for money. Government interventions are needed in order to globalize the treasurer to curb such effects. The foreign exchange can be abolished and investment made by MNCs be it currency forwards or currency futures or currency options will be easily managed through one currency system. Inaccuracy in cash forecasting is stated at 80% by treasurers. This is detriment to the economy since funds are not effectively managed and poor decision in cur rency derivatives can be made. Managing working capital is a key element in business operations. However, the managers in the MNCs find themselves in a predicament where working capital is held in regions where the MNCs are not established. A look at parity and forecasting for the MNCs would reveal that the interest parity rates as well as the purchasing power rates are not considered in achieving the fundamental goal- cash optimization. The inflation rates rising in some countries are not considered in this case. The purchasing power of products or service so created by the MNCs may be so low leading unprofitable endevours in some developing countries. Inaccuracy in cash flow reporting leads to improper forecasting and poor investment strategies. Financial risk should be critically assessed considering gains and losses that can arise in global business operations. The global treasury can assist in streamlining the decision making process if implemented effectively. MNCs are faced w ith currency exchange management in different countries. The liquidity of their operations in the near future can be analysed by measuring the currency exposure. The transaction exposure can be obtained by assessing values of foreign suppliers and consumers, subsidiary and affiliated companies in relation to liquidity of the MNCs. The cash flows and overall working capital can be monitored to show the operational exposure for the MNCs. The

Gender Reassignment Surgey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gender Reassignment Surgey - Essay Example The first one is that newborns may be born with sex deformities and must then be assigned to either the male or the female sex at the earliest possible time (Encyclopedia of Surgery, 4). The second reason is that some men or women may believe that they were physically born of a sex different from their mental and emotional make-up. This belief is powerful enough to trigger their desire to have the surgery (Encyclopedia of Surgery, 4). Some considerations for the surgery affect the sex change and often dictate its progress. Many of these surgeries are being performed in the US and are estimated to number about 100 to 500 on an annual basis (Encyclopedia of Surgery, 6). The conversion from male to female involves the removal of the penis, the reshaping of the tissue to make them appear more female, and the construction of a vagina; the vagina is often constructed through skin grafting and through an isolated loop of the intestine (Encyclopedia of Surgery, 7). Female hormones are taken by the patient in order to reshape the contours of the body and stimulate breast enlargement. The other side of the coin – female to male sex change – has not had as much success as male to female sex change, primarily because of the difficulty in creating a functioning penis from the small clitoral tissue in the female genitalia (Devor, p. 51). Penis construction is often carried out after a year from the primary surgery to remove the female organs. The breasts are also modified in order to give them a more masculine appearance. Before sex change operations are carried out, patients are often asked to undergo an in-depth psychological counseling in order to determine what their intentions are and whether or not they are prepared to meet the consequences and the implications of their choice. It is after all an irreversible procedure; therefore, the patient must not have any second thoughts or doubts about the surgery (Encyclopedia of Surgery, 15). It

Reaction Paper- Asian and Global Crisis Essay Example for Free

Reaction Paper- Asian and Global Crisis Essay Reaction Paper Asian and Global Crisis During the Asian and Global Crisis many of the criticisms are against accounting and accountants. In my further readings, I’ve read that during the Asian Crisis in 1997, where affected countries suffered severe setbacks in their economies and where development stagnated, the accountancy profession, including its standards, policies and levels of information disclosures, had played a role in the start of the crisis, and perhaps had even worsened it. Moreover, I’ve also read that during both crises, the Asian Crisis and Global Crisis in 2008, insufficient clarity in what was being measured, the wrong things being measured or things being measured inappropriately, lack of standards, inadequate transparency and poor ethical conduct, in short, poor corporate governance is the main breadth and depth of the crises. As a future accountant, what will I do after all the doubts and criticisms against the profession? In my opinion, sufficient clarity on what to measure, measuring things appropriately, following the applicable standards, adequate transparency and good ethical conduct are the things that I should carry out. It should be clarified in the accountant on what is the thing that he/she should measure. If I’m the accountant I should be knowledgeable on the nature and I should have understood necessary facts about the account when doing measurement or on examining the reasonableness of the measurement method used by the management. In addition, in measuring risks like financial risk, I should use a valid and reliable risk measurement technique because the information that I’ll be giving will be the basis for the management’s decision-making. If I have measured the things incorrectly or a wrong technique has been used, it could be misleading to the decision-making of the management and may cause chaos in the future to the company. In an accounting perspective, applicable generally accepted accounting standards should be used in the accounts of the financials of the company. Strict compliance should be observed so that transactions are properly recorded, summarized, classified and accounted for. Adequate disclosures should also be done. In the auditing perspective, as an auditor, auditing the company should be in accordance with the applicable generally accepted auditing standards. The auditor should be independent so that the opinion will be unbiased. I would like to emphasize that in compliance with the generally accepted auditing standards, the auditor should always take into consideration if the company provided adequate disclosures. Disclosure on significant matters is really important for the users who don’t have enough information regarding the matter will be informed. However, I have read in an article that there is also a lack of standards that also caused the hitch on crises. Regarding the lack of standards, I think it is already in the hands of the appropriate groups with authorities. Accountants need to refocus the structuring of financial transactions so that they comply with generally accepted accounting principles and that the economic substance of financial transactions is communicated. More accountability and ethical awareness needs to be instilled in the individuals who deceitfully structure financial transactions. Regulatory bodies need to ensure more transparency by closing loopholes and better enforcement of accounting standards. Audit committees, need to be sure that a company is communicating the true economic reality of the financial transactions and financial position of the business entity. Off-balance-sheet financing is one of the most significant ways, among others, that the user of financial statements can be misled. It is time for regulatory bodies to eliminate overly rules-based standards, clearly state the economic objective of each standard, and require firms to disclose the economic motivations for the accounting practices they adopt. While making judgment accountants need to be cautious and prudent. Accounting transactions and other events are sometimes uncertain but in order to be relevant it should be reported in time. Accountants have to make estimates requiring judgment to counter the uncertainty. Prudence is a key accounting principle which makes sure that assets and income are not overstated and liabilities and expenses are not understated. The bottom-line for all of these is to have good corporate governance. As defined by Robert M. Bushman, corporate governance structures serve: 1) to ensure that minority shareholders receive reliable information about the value of firms and that a company’s managers and large shareholders do not cheat them out of the value of their investments, and 2) to motivate managers to maximize firm value instead of pursuing personal objectives. I believe that all of the things I have mentioned are some of the keys that can help me as a future accountant in dealing the reality and to get out of all the doubts against the accounting profession.

The Existence Of God Essay -- essays research papers

The Existence of God   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The existence of a God has for generations been the topic of fierce debate. This most usually occurring between members of the religious society and, everybody else. As a matter of fact the religious world itself has not always been able to agree on God. This has resulted in many a holy man to take up the fight for his deity through the realm of words. Many theories have been proposed, and all think that theirs proves beyond a doubt on whether or not God exists. To write this paper I read four of those theories by assorted men of the cloth, who all attempt to make the argument for a God in the Christian sense.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first of the theories I looked at was that of St.Anslem of Canterbury. He supplies the ontological argument for the existence of God. The ontological argument states that by understanding the nature of God himself, we come to realize he exists. He explains this argument by first defining what God is. Anslem says that God is a being than which nothing greater can be conceived to exist, that it can not even be considered not to exist. In short, the fact that said being can not be considered not to exist, would thereby make it greater than any that could be considered not to exist. This would in all reality be the secret to God's omnipotence in Anlsem's eyes. Another point that he stresses is that just be understanding the concept of what a God is, you are proving his existence. This is because if you understand who God is, you can also accept his existence, and therefore cannot conceive that he does not exist. Therefore making him that which nothing greater can be conceived of, and which cannot be conceived not to exist which we have already defined as God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second argument for a God comes from St. Tomas Aquinas, who argues for the cosmological point of view. The cosmological argument states that all things in this universe have a cause, and since these causes cannot go on for ever there must be a first cause, i.e. God. He argues that there are five ways to argue for the existence of God, the first is the argument from motion. This states that everything in this world has certain potentials for motion. It also states that for these potentials to be met another object n motion must set off said potential. That object in turn would have ... ...ad and the point would be moot.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So by looking at these paths Pascal decided to look at the risks of each wager. In the first you get infinite rewards from only one life of believing. Plus he felt that you also probably had a fulfilling and enjoyable life too. So the first, can be looked at as a win win situation in which you risked very little, and won much. The second and fourth possibilities did not really concern Pascal much because by thinking of it in terms of odds, neither seemed probable, and again wouldn't matter anyhow because you would no longer exist. The third possibility however, in which you could end up in hell, seemed to help persuade Pascal into believing in a God. He felt that for the amount you had to lose in this situation, no intelligent human would take the risk. So in conclusion, Pascal came to believe that believing in a God was a safe bet, in that it had the least risk with the highest returns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As for myself, after reading these papers I find myself tending to side with Pascal the most. I don't think that a little insurance could hurt, because until there is proof otherwise none of us really know.