Bog standard.

Posted: February 6th, 2012 | No Comments »

Admit it: some of you have a sneaking suspicion that the life of a writer might be somewhat exciting, bohemian…maybe even glamorous.

I’m afraid I’m about to dispel the myth!

It’s midnight and I’m sat on the bog brainstorming my latest project. Bed head, checked jammies, the sound of snoring reverberating around the darkened house. Glamorous you say?

Unfortunately the rest of the house is out of bounds. We’re visiting my family in Aberdeen and every room is occupied apart from the kitchen, whose door needs a good dose of WD40. So the bathroom it is. Hey, when inspiration calls, you gotta accept the charges!

Luckily I have stashed a spare notepad and pen in my weekend bag so I’m good to go.

The point I’m making is that, as a freelance writer you are never off the clock.

In fact I cannot stress enough how important it is for any writer — professional or aspiring — to be prepared to start work at any given time of the day (or night!). Whether you’re working on a punchy tagline, an entire ad concept or even the plot of your latest novel, you literally never know when your brain is going to hit upon just the right combination of words. And how mad will you be if you have no way to write it down and your perfect words float away in the breeze like a dandelion head, never to be recaptured?

The best advice I can give you in relation to this is to carry a notepad and pen at all times. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth repeating. Your handbag, your bedside table, the baby’s change bag; make sure you always have access to paper, your laptop, your phone, anything that will allow you to record that killer punchline or blog idea whenever inspiration strikes.

To prove my point, my last article for The Vegan Woman was bashed out while sitting outside the local pool waiting for my son to finish his swimming lesson. If I hadn’t had a notepad stashed in with the towels, goggles and shampoo, the idea for that particular piece may have been lost in the wilderness of my subconscious forever more!

Likewise, had I not remembered to leave my notepad next to the bed in my Mum’s spare bedroom, the bones of this latest project could have turned to dust.

Luckily, the copy for this particular client is shaping up to be more than just ‘bog standard’.

Sorry, couldn’t resist.