Luv YA
Bria Quinlan at Luv YA has started a fascinating project.
She’s calling it “Paid Writer” and I just adore it. She is paying herself to write.
Dreams
How many times a day do you dream about being a paid, full-time, published author?
Don’t answer that question. If your answer is anywhere near mine, you’ll run out of fingers and toes in no time.
Actions
We WANT to be paid writers … but how often do we ACT like one?
How often do we buckle down and write as if our grocery bill depended on it? How often do we edit and revise and think to ourselves, “if I don’t make this synopsis work, I may have to drop that netflix account.”
By CONTRAST, how often do we think idly about writing before logging into the video game of the week? How often do we buy chocolates and movie tickets and treat ourselves to a relaxing few hours in front of the television while our manuscripts silently gather dust?
We tell ourselves that if it were real – if we were getting PAID to write, surely we would act differently.
Secret
The secret to getting ahead is getting started.
We will take much longer to become paid writers if we don’t start acting like paid writers.
So … why not start paying ourselves? Start being a paid writer NOW. Today. This instant.
Pay Scale
Set up a pay scale.
- $10/hr – writing/editing/revising
- $5/hr – plotting
- $50 – bonus for completing a large project
Make the scale work for YOU and keep it reasonable. Whether you’re dealing with Monopoly money or actually budgeting out real world dollars, you don’t want to go crazy. (Also, don’t think too hard on working 8 hours at a day job only to work hours AGAIN to earn the right to spend that money. This is an exercise, not necessarily a way of life.)
Track Your Progress
Use a spreadsheet (Google Docs has free spreadsheets, as does Open Office) and write down your progress. Calculate out how much money you have in your virtual piggy bank, and keep tabs on what you spend. How close are you able to keep your expenditures and your writing dollars? Do you really NEED that expensive chocolate bar? (yes!) What about those cute fingerless gloves you bought this weekend? (they were on sale for a dollar! And super warm! And the perfect color!)
Okay, how about the honey candy and the caramel sea salt cookie from the farmer’s market? (hmm.) And you want to buy the next season of House on dvd at the end of the month, don’t you? (*squirm*)
Two In One
Not only does this method make you feel like you’re earning something while writing (I can’t be the only one who sometimes feels like a hamster on a wheel) but it’ll also make you sit down and think about your purchases from the standpoint of a limited budget. (Some of you already do that last one because of economy woes. =[ )
I am a big fan of finding new ways to encourage folks to write. Try new things. Find a method that works for you. Maybe this will be it!
<3
