pims asked: Do you have a writing routine? A magic trick that gives you the motivation to write?

I don’t! I need one desperately, though. Usually, I’m pretty prompt with deadlines for clients. I like getting contract work done ahead of time, and it’s pretty easy to stay on top of that as long as I don’t have issues setting up interviews or accessing research. It’s much harder for me to motivate myself to work on side projects, like my book proposal, in part because the payoff isn’t immediate, but also because the size of the project is really intimidating and hard to wrap my head around. A commissioned article has an easily identifiable beginning, middle, and end, and I know all the steps required to turn in a well-researched, readable piece. It’s not so simple when dealing with tens of thousands of words and concepts that are hard enough for me to organize in my head.

I’ve been trying to work more on personal projects lately, but I don’t want to let my blog and series about freelancing fall by the wayside. Definitely keep sending in writing-related q’s and I’ll try to have them answered in future conversations with other freelancers!

More burning questions? Ask Lena Chen.