Play Around at the Right Time
Here’s a snippet I found on Cinematics Happenings Under Development (courtesy of 101 Reasons to Stop Writing):
Stop writing screenplays and start freelancing for fancy mags like Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, and Sister 2 Sister. Sure, your wacky torture porn/family drama spec script is collecting dust (“It’s basically Hostel meets Something To Talk About. Wait….where are you going?!?!”), but if you can find a good real-life geopolitical or current human interest story and can get these publications to give you space enough for 5000 or so words on it, you’re probably a lot closer to getting your foot in the door these days.
Somewhere in the humor lies a very valid point for a freelancer or contract worker: output that doesn’t earn can be useless. Many of us fall into the trap of working on our personal creative projects, while neglecting the income-generating tasks that are literally the lifeblood of a freelance career. In the case of writer mentioned in the above, instead of making money contributing articles to magazines, he wastes his time writing screenplays that have no clear benefit.
There’s of course nothing wrong with creating projects just for the sake of experimentation. And your focus shouldn’t be based on short-term benefits alone. But these activities shouldn’t cut into your living—don’t procrastinate that project due tomorrow so that you can see if two colors complement each other or if a certain way of writing makes sense.
In short, playing around is a crucial step to improving yourself as a freelancer. But remember that your primary goal as a freelancer is to make a living of your passion.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Ways to Work Faster
0 opinions for Play Around at the Right Time
No one has left a comment yet. You know what this means, right? You could be first!
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: