. Enjoy and please share your thoughts!

I am a self-employed freelance writer and if you have ever worked for yourself (or worked at a demanding job), you can probably related to the sentiment that stress from work is one of the biggest factors that can cripple your mind and body.

As much as being your own boss is fun and it can give you the tremendous freedom, it can also be extremely demanding and emotionally stressful. You end up wearing many hats in your company: marketing, HR, the IT person, customer relations and CEO. If I stopped working, so will my business. All pressure is on me.

As the day starts, my brain races through the list of tasks that “must” be fulfilled during the next 10-12 hours. Sometimes, I’d get so distracted that I would completely ignore what my partner just said. Sometimes, I would rush through a whole day and not remember what I ate for breakfast. [Read More].

Photo by Angelo González.

If you are aware of NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming), you have heard these words before. There is no failure, only feedback. This is something I thoroughly believe in from my personal experiences and from listening to those of others.

Failure & Writing: Personal Experience

Most of you who are a regular here know how I switched careers from being a software engineer to a full-time writer. The most wonderful thing about this whole transition is that I never thought of it until a month before I dived into writing full-time. Some would feel this was a sudden, unforeseen move–may be even unplanned.

However, I like to call it well-planted in my subconscious long beforehand–a passion. It was just a matter of the right time when my conscious mind would accept and cooperate.

Yet, all is not always merry. Since I have embarked into writing, I have had several experiences. Some bitter-sweet, some exceptional and some neutral. It’s the bitter-sweet ones I am interested in exploring with this post today.

Rejections are Still Sweet

Needless to say, I have had my own share of rejections. But do writing rejections really equal failure?

If you notice, I don’t describe any of my experiences as plain bitter. Even if they were not as uplifting, they were interesting somehow. They had (and continue to have) the sweetness factor. There lies the mentality of embracing your rejections and accepting them not as bitter but as bitter-sweet. And it makes a massive difference in how you move forward.

If you’re a writer, you will have your own set of raving readers. At the same time, you will have people who are not exactly your greatest fans. Every single writer goes through this: be it Stephen King or Mark Twain.

The point? Rejections are a part of our life–failure is not. The key lies in understanding that when you get rejected, you aren’t failing. You are just being provided a feedback by a reader of what they felt about your writing at that particular point in time.

So the best we can do is to thank the reader for their graciousness. Why? Because they took the time to give you feedback. Even if they didn’t say a word, their response said a lot. In the field of writing which thrives on how the readers (consumers of business) receive it, it is extremely important for writers to understand that even a rejection is a feedback and extract the right information from it.

The Impermanence of a Feedback

Recently, something happened which opened my eyes and made me tweak my perception of things. There was this gig I was really interested in. Though it was in a different niche and required a different writing style, I was up for it. I made contact with the person concerned and they promptly replied back that this was not the style they were looking for.

However, I continued to follow up the “rejection” by telling them what I had done in past and that they can always shoot me an email when they need me. While I expected this to be the end of conversation, the person came to closely know of my other writing I had done and offered me a new gig which was not their immediate priority and but a soon-to-be one.

In short, they saw I cared for my work and their feedback about me changed–from bitter-sweet to sweet.

Conclusions

Imagine what would have happened if I acted like a thumb-sucker and stopped marketing my skills with a bland “Thank you” email? I would never get the unadvertised gig. What this means is, even if you feel like you’re being turned down, it is not end of the road. It is a two-way fork–which extends on sides and just appears like a dead-end of failure.

So before anything, accept the fact that you are a human and you cannot please everyone on the planet. You can however, gain useful insights from each and every encounter you have with your readers. That information, be it in the form of disliking your work or its rejection, is gold. You learn.

Take feedback to heart but don’t consider it as a failure. Because there is none.

How do you cope with bitter-sweet feedback? Was there a time when you considered feedback as failure? Tell us your story in the comments.

Photo by Angelo González via flickr.

Have you ever been in a position when you didn’t know what to do next? As a writer, has there been a time when you thought that this was the end of your writing career?

Ever thought why do writers fail? Why is it that we hear endless stream of stories where writers confess they have failed in their mission be it writing a fiction book, promoting a non-fiction blog, creating a new website or marketing their copywriting services?

If you can relate to that feeling, keep on reading.

Reason Why Writers Fail

The answer to this question is surprisingly very simple. So much so that it may startle you. Writers fail because they give up.

Once you give up, there is no chance of a survival. You have surrendered–it’s a finished story. Therefore, the very first thing that a writer must keep in mind, and I am trying and learning this myself with each passing day, is to never give up.

The Multi-tasking Face of Writing

In the present-day scenario, if you are a writer, you are also your own HR team, Chief Marketing Officer, Creative Director, Financial advisor, Product Developer and the Admin personnel. Won’t you agree?

For example, who markets you when you’v written a shiny new piece on your blog? Who hears you out when you have complains about the late nights in the business? Who brings out a creative solution to a problem? Who manages the finances?

YOU.

So, let’s face it. Being a writer in the 21st century is like being a multi-preneur. You have to play multiple roles and you have to juggle between them. You are your best friend and you are your best advisor. So stick to. . . yourself!

It is Easy to Lose Hope

As you can see, after facing the plethora of roles a writer has to play, it is but human to just let it all go and relieve ourselves from the burdens of taking things further. But that’s where you must oppose you. That’s where you have to stop yourself from giving up.

Empathise with yourself, pamper or coax yourself. But don’t think of giving up.

Writing Is Like Trekking

A good analogy is that of trekking. Once you decide to keep going on the upward spiral trail, you will soon discover that you’ve reached the summit–a peak. You can sit back and relax, enjoying the view from the top.

This top, however, is one of the many tops you can conquer. So after sipping on that Orange juice, revive and get back on the trail.

Have you ever seen a trekker expect a simple trail? What a good trekker expects, rather, is a path full of ups and downs and spirals, and a constant need to readjust. As a writer, it’s best to emulate that trekker who expects trouble but outshines.

–

How do you keep from giving up as a writer? Got tips to share with us?

Photo by bortescristian via Flickr.

Hello folks,

Lately, I have been working on a high-quality and high-traffic blog which is in the niche of (wait for it. . . my personal favourite) productivity, personal development, working better and efficiently and managing things quicker. The old owners are handing over the site to us and we aim the content featured to be more organic, fresh and inspiring than it already is (check it out here).

The idea is to build an even stronger community where real people would come for real awesomeness.

Since the website is undergoing a complete overhaul under my management, I share this with you first and seek out to you for help. If you’re a reader at Of Parchments & Inks, I am sure you will hold an interest (even if a mild one) in the topics I am going to mention.

Exercise your writing-muscles

So. You’re a writer. But are you a passionate writer?

If you love and/or have some prior experience in topics like below-mentioned or if you’re an early (and brilliant) writer looking for exposure, you should definitely reach out! We’d love to see you onboard.

Topics:

• Life improvement tips
• Personal development
• Business tips
• Life hacking
• Communication skills
• Software reviews
• Creativity
• Leadership
• Money management

Here’s what I am looking for specifically:

• 700-1000+ words article
• Clear
• Concise
• To the point–not long-winded or verbose
• Clear formatting: headings, bullet points, and lists
• Interesting
• Useful
• Helpful
• Comprehensive

Similar sites, similar topics:

If you’re a sucker for the following websites but never got a chance to be featured on them, now is the chance to flash your supreme skills:

• zenhabits.net
• dumblittleman.com
• lifehacker.com
• webworkerdaily.com
• lifehack.org
• freelanceswitch.com
• 43folders.com

 What’s in it for you?

• You showcase your writing on a website that has 250,000 monthly page-views
• You talk to 12,200+ RSS subscribers directly
• You get featured on a quality website with PR6 – Google page rank
• You get a permanent link from the site to anywhere you want

Don’t care about the numbers? How about this?

• You express your thoughts and share your passion with real, like-minded and enthusiastic audience

Still with me? Interested? Please get in touch and we can take it from there. Vrooooom . . .!

Thank you all for your entries. Speak soon.

P.S. Please note that you’re welcome to talk with me on this, but I cannot guarantee you the publication. Don’t take it personally. It’s just that I am not the only one involved–there’s a team. Good luck!

Photo by anotherphotographer at Flickr

A while back, some of you asked me about my ghost-writing projects and how I was able to bag them.

I have been thinking to do a post on it but was not sure if it a post was the best way to help every one who visited this blog.

The next best choice for me was an ebook. An ebook format, I thought, would be easily downloadable and readable. What’s more, how and when you read an ebook is completely up to your discretion.

So, a day before today, I started to write a 13 page-ebook. I believe that in the material, I have covered my exact mind-set which went into getting ghost-writing projects.

I also believe the tips mentioned in this ebook are applicable to all types of writing and not limited to ghost-writing only.

The ebook is titled Ghost-Writing Secrets: Uncovered – How I Won a 3-Book Ghost-Writing Contract in Just 5 Months.

What This Ebook Will (Un)Cover for You

• How I Got Started in this field
  
• What is Ghost-Writing and What Does it Take
  
• The Three Shining Saviours of Writing
  
• Seven Things No One Told You About (Ghost) Writing
  
• Parting Words and About

I plan to keep adding to it in future and make the download process simpler. As I progress on my path, so it will. I may also give away more freebies like these in future. For now, I am offering this one to team up with my free critiquing service.

A note about the critiquing service: Only subscribers are now entitled to the free critique service.

How to Get Your Free (Ghost) Writing Ebook

• Go to the home page of OfParchments&Inks.
• Click “Free Ebook” link at the top.
• Fill up the form. Please put in the correct email address. A space for commenting is provided for you to enter whatever you’d like to tell me.
• Check the little box “YES I Want My Free Ebook!”. You should see a tick mark in the box. If you do not check it, the ebook won’t be delivered to you.
• Click Submit.

I will personally send you the ebook in a few hours at the email address you have provided.

I hope you will like the ideas presented in the ebook. If you have any feedback or comments for me, please send them in via the Contact form.

Enjoy!

Photo by goXunuReviews at PhotoRee.com

You are better off than you know.

Photo by PTGreg at PhotoRee.com


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Folks, enjoy today’s guest post by Sujatha Umakanthan, or ‘Su’ as I call her.

“I write lustily and humorously. It isn’t calculated; it’s the way I think. I’ve invented a writing style that expresses who I am.”

What is your writing style? Do you use a mantra for blogging? Please share your experiences with us in the comments.

Sujatha was born in Pondicherry, a lovely coastal town in the south-east part of India.  A french colony in the past, this town still boasts of old French architecture and an international community, called Auroville.  She moved to Australia, 12 years ago, and has been living in Brisbane since then with her hubby two lovely kids, aged 7 and 4.  When she’s not writing, Sujatha manages projects in her firm. Blog: A Slice of my Life.

Photo by olishaw at PhotoRee.com

This is going to be a quick post. I have a couple of news to share. In the past few days, lots of interesting things have happened and I’ve been meaning to share them with you all. Better late than never, yes? So serving you up with a piece of my life in this fresh entry.

Update # 1: New resident editor at . . .
Renowned Personal Development website, ThinkSimpleNow.com (TSN).
I am sure many of you are already our readers at TSN. Tina, the founder, is simply super-awesome and doesn’t need an introduction, in my opinion. We’re now accepting guest-posts so get a taste of TSN and rush in with your shining entries.

Read more about yours truly on TSN here.

Update # 2: Got Published in . . .
VERITAS, an Aussie Conscious-living and Esoteric Health magazine.
I recently got published in VERITAS’ February/March edition (featuring Jon Gabriel). My article is titled “Five Ways to Pep-Up Your Vibes”. It’s a short and sweet piece which I remember to have written in 30 minutes flat. I will try and post a scanned copy for you all real soon, but for now this is it. And if you’re a reader of the magazine, you can find me on page 67.

Lastly, I’d like to thank you all for all the massive support you’ve been providing me with. Love you all!

Happy Writing!

I go through mood swings. One moment I am super-chatty and the next, I am lost. I check out and lose myself where I was first taken a couple years back. “It’s a beautiful and intimate place but I cannot describe it in words,” I would have said if you asked me a year before. But I am a writer. And it is my worth to express in words.

It is true that our time is short. So short that we don’t even know when it might end. Do you ever have that nudge to call your granny who will be 80 the next month? Follow the nudge. Do you ever have the urge to express your love toward the old guy in rags with the sign “Help Needed”? Fulfil it. Do you ever feel like dancing like there’s no tomorrow? Do it. Do you hear a still, small voice which is begging to be penned down? Well, you know what I am going to say: Write it.

Far too many times, we let our ego, our fears, our self-esteem come in the way of what should have been. We defy synchronicities, we ignore hints, we flee from relationships that seem tough. All this for what?

For a moment of gratification. Of peace. Of winning. Of liberation.

But what we fail to realise is that all that gratification, all that happiness is momentary; it is superficial.

Do you miss someone bad but will not quite dial that darn number? Ask yourself this: What if this person is gone tomorrow? What if you are gone tomorrow? Gone so faraway that even if you want to, you cannot dial that darn number. Tomorrow, they will have simply moved on in life or moved away from it. It’s harsh.

What about writing that first piece of essay? The first draft of novel? Takes too much work, you say. Takes too many efforts. Well, that’s what your ego thinks. Your ego is just an avatar which you chose to cover up your naked soul with in this lifetime. It is not you.

But listen to that still, small voice within. What does it say? It is the real you and it is very much OK with the so-called struggle of writing or any other endeavour in life. Don’t wait too long for the voice may also move on someday.

I tell this from personal experience. I learnt the hard way–our time is too short. It cannot wait. I recite Jason Mraz here:

There’s no need to complicate

Cause our time is short

This is our fate . . .

So don’t wait for it to slip away; make that contact, write that letter, express in words, yell and dance and go wild. If that voice is telling you to, you better be doing it. There is no better reason–this is your inner calling.

Once you do, you will know that beautiful, intimate place I spoke of. It’s a meeting of energies. A synergy. Perhaps you already know it. If so, see you there, fellow-traveller.

What do you think? Ever lost something in the clutter of ego?

Photo by Hector Milla at PhotoRee.com.

P.S. I have explored a different style of writing in this post. It is more personal, more intimate and sprouts from my stream of consciousness which I rarely share with anyone, normally. But this time, I had to listen to that voice, you know, and here I am.

Some will deem the simplest and truest answer to this question plain rude. No blogger wants to hear it–be it a beginner or a pro.

Photo by factoryjoe at PhotoRee.com.