Days you don't feel like writing.

You ever had one of those unproductive days? I did...These past couple days have been really bad for me. Between a loss in work and personal things, writing hasn't been at the front of my mind like it should. There are ways to combat the lack of enthusiasm. Here's what I've been doing to get back in the writing mood.

Write a book.

I have been working on a short story for sometime. I find that when I write a little more of the book, I inspire myself to keep the momentum going. The best part about writing a book is that I can write whatever I want to. In other words, I'm not required to write about a certain subject or make the story go in a certain way. I can change the whole plot of my story as much as I want.

Take a short break.

Take a break for a day or two. No one in the real working world wants to work 7 days a week--neither should you. Give yourself that weekend break; even if it is on a Tuesday. You should be staying active when you are taking a break. You can go for a walk, grab something to eat or watch a movie. Your mind needs that time to refresh and think about other things.

Read something.

This is a good way to inspire yourself to write. I find that when I read other's writings, I feel inspired to create something of an equal caliber. So many ideas float around in my head when I'm reading that it is hard to narrow my focus down and commit to write about one idea. I tend to read a lot of guides about how to improve my writing, how to create websites, blogging ideas, how to market myself as a freelancer, and the list goes on.

Play a game

Not necessarily a video game, but any game that can stipulate your mind. Playing a game will give your mind the break it needs from writing, and it will also prevent you from getting burned out. I like to play games like online chess, speed typing, and various puzzle games.

Writing can be hard, especially if you do it for a living. There is always a chance to get burned out in this profession. It is important to be able to recognize when you are getting burned out, and do things to help you relax from a busy day.

Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it.  ~Hannah Arendt

Freelance writing video tips.

Here are some freelance writing tips to help you with your work. Each video is made with a different author. I hope some of these videos help you in some way.

Associated Content.review

Associated content was one of the first sites I ever started working for after I decided to become a freelance writer. I signed up for the site a couple years ago along with Hubpages when I started writing as a hobby. Well, after I started to get serious about writing for a living, I remembered signing up for an account on the site. I decided some time ago to revisit it and see it has something to offer.

Upfront payments with Associated Content.

One of the best things about the site is that it offers a gracious upfront payment system. However, after the panda update with Google, Associated Content seems to not pay as much for upfront payment. It has been said that the site to a hard hit for Google rankings. It is true that the quality of an article does not need to be superb to be accepted on the site. Therefore, there is a lot of substandard content on the site. I'm assuming that because of this, Associated Content cannot pay as much for upfront payments as they used to. Upfront

The importance of knowing basic SEO

Photo credit: matt.searles

If you are a freelance writer it is because you love to write. Does that sound difficult? It shouldn't. Unfortunately, it is more complicated than that. If you are writing to make money, then you need to understand the business side of writing. If you want paying gigs, you need to know how to market yourself, but all the marketing in the world won't help you with jobs that involve SEO.

What is SEO?

That's the big question isn't it? You are probably wondering what SEO is and why it is so important. Well, like I said before, if you want clients, you are going to need to know SEO. SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization," and really, there's no other way to describe it. When an article is SEO'd (Yeah, I know that might not sound right) clients will want it. Clients understand how the web works. What good is an article, no

Why should you become a Freelancer?

Photo credit: Boetter

There is a stigma around the word "Freelance". When people hear that word, an emotion is going to ignite in their core-being. If you are a freelancer, you know what I'm talking about. You can almost feel what they are going to say--how they are going to respond. Their eyes light up with excitement or their mouths shrug to disdain.

How can such a simple answer to the question, "What do you do for a living?" inspire so many different emotions? Why do people react so differently? Surely, if someone asked you what you did for a living and you told them you were a doctor, there would be no disdain, there would be no shrugging and there would be no looking for the nearest exit.

With so many mixed emotions associated with freelancing, people ask, why should I become one? I have a few good reasons why.

Review of Seed.com From AOL networks.

Photo credit: Peter Kaminski

I don't know too much about this site's history, but I recently heard from a forum member that seed underwent changes to their system. I don't know if this meant new management, writers, or available content; however, I have an account with them, and I submitted content.

Seed actually looks like a great site for freelance writers; however, there is one problem. There is not a lot of available assignments to choose from. I've only been with this site for a week, but I only found one article that I was qualified to submit. Almost all of the available topics seem to be about working or interviewing for different companies--such as Google, Yahoo, Bank of America, Cisco, etc.

I found one article that I felt qualified to claim, and go figure, it was an article about what life is like being unemployed. Of course, I don't consider myself unemployed since I am a freelance writer. Many different companies, websites, and clients have W-9 tax forms from me--I'm probably the least unemployed person in this world.

Review on Microworkers.com

Photo credit: Wools

In my effort to always be searching for more freelancing work, I have stumbled across a site called microworkers.

Microworkers is a site that allows you to perform easy, miniscule tasks for small compensation. These tasks can be anywhere from liking a facebook page to signing up on dating sites. I have seen tasks for High PR blog owners to post links on their blogs, and those usually pay more than the average $0.30.

There are many reasons why clients need these small jobs done -- such as referral sign-ups, free sponsorship products, and quick promotion of a blog or website. I question the motives of a lot of clients on microworkers because a lot of their miniscule tasks seem like they want you to do their dirty work. I personally believe in Karma, so I'm not going to participate in questionable practices for .30 cents.

Aside from some shady clients, microworkers is a great way to earn .50 cents for a few minutes work. If you work quickly, you can easily make around 7-10 dollars an hour. However, there is a catch. A lot of tasks involve you using your accounts on sites like Amazon, Craigslist, Facebook, etc. to write reviews, post ads, and sign up for offers. Not only that, signing up for some sites listed in the work can take longer than it's worth.

Cutting wordiness.

Anybody can write right? If you plan on throwing some words down on a piece of paper or a computer screen and calling it finished, you have a long way to go. Many writers like to use embellished words and fancy adjectives, but in reality, not many editors like this.

Online readers have a short attention span and they do not want to read a 1,000 word article that could have been written in 750 words. They are reading for quick information, not pleasure. People today are so accustomed to the "Novel" way of writing, and I know you know what I'm talking about--"In the dark, eerie forest, I saw what seemed to be a small glimmer of sheer hope!" Unless you are specifically writing a short fiction story for a client, you're not going to have much luck with that excerpt.

Best freelancing sites.

Ever since the new algorithm changed, the value of freelancing sites have changed. Sites like: Hubpages, Associated Content, Bright Hub, Demand Studios, E-how, and much, much more have become less effective. In fact, some of these sites have undergone changes to purge their system of mediocre articles to prevent the site from being on Google's black list. Other article farm sites like EZinearticles, daily articles, etc. have found themselves on Google's black list.

I have been searching the web and gaining the opinions of other freelancers to find out what sites are still good to work with. Here is a list of sites that I think still have potential as long as you're willing to put in some hard work.

Google's new Panda algorithm change.

Photo credit to KevinDooly

Since Google has implemented their new algorithm change code named "Panda," many articles sites have lost a substantial amount of page views. Many articles were simply keyword stuffed with no real content or original information. In fact, before the algorithm change, you could read the exact same article on hundreds of different websites. Once the algorithm change took place, high PR sites like associated constant, suit 101, squidoo, and others lost many page views. Of course, this was because a lot of articles were low quality in terms of content and grammar.