Tuesday, July 26, 2011

5 Items Every Freelance Writer Needs

There are certain items that every freelance writer needs to be successful, and while I could go on and on about the necessary items, here are five that I think are important and/or little mentioned.

Item 1: Computer
How can you write online without a computer? This one is pretty commonsense, but your computer will be your biggest tool as a freelance writer. A desktop and a laptop both work equally well. It is just a matter of preference.

Item 2: Document Composer With Spell-check
Microsoft Word isn't your only option. I use Open Office, my preferred document composer. The biggest thing is that you need a spell-checker. Wordpad and Notepad both fail in this department. Spell-checking is sometimes more crucial than the actual writing.

Item 3: Notebook and Binder

This sort of go together, because you can kind of use one or the other. A binder, I think, works perfectly fine with some loose leaf paper. You can use it to jot down article ideas, keep a freelance writing journal (see here please and here), print out copies of your articles and research, and more. Having this will keep you much more organized, and that seems to be a crucial aspect that gets overlooked. The more organized you are, the easier the writing will be.

Item 4: Work Space
This is one of the most important things a freelance writer needs. You need somewhere to work. Even if you just clear off a table in one corner of the room and set up your computer there. It should be your work space. Don't use that space for surfing the web, talking on the phone, paying bills, or whatever. Use it only to freelance, and keep the space clean.

Item 5: Office Supplies
Highlighters, pens, pencils, Post-Its, erasers, etc., all make it easy to edit, write down ideas, and more. Keep a handy supply of them nearby and ready for use.

For the extended list, click on the title or click right here.

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