Blog post on Google+'s Hangout feature

Emlyn Chand of Novel Publicity has just written a blog post on utilising Google+'s Hangout feature, which is fundamentally video chat but with some new twists. To read the article, click here

Guest Post on Getting Published at Novel Publicity

Novel Publicity have featured my guest blog on publishing advice. Click the link below to view it and leave a comment if you feel the need.

http://www.novelpublicity.com/2011/06/advice-on-getting-published/

Holidaying As a Freelancer

Today I read a post at Freelance Folder about taking a vacation as a freelancer. It got me thinking and left me somewhat perplexed, because one of the benefits - and sheer joys - of being a freelancer is the freedom it offers. As an independent worker, especially for those of us whose office is wherever we set our laptop, we are not shackled by a 9-5 routine nor a particular location.

Currently I'm reading a book called Twitchhiker, about a freelancer writer who used Twitter to travel from the northeast of England to New Zealand, and he wrote articles on the various flights and wherever he found a bed for the night. This is, to me, the beauty of being a freelancer. We can find ourselves in a board meeting at a magazine or we can work in our underwear in bed if we choose. Alternatively, we can travel each and every day and work in whatever capacity we can. In short: there are no restrictions. As for myself, I've been staying in America since January and will be returning to the UK later this month - with a wife-to-be, a lot of ideas and memories and, most important to this piece, much work completed. Had I been employed by a specific person or company it would have been impossible for me to be away from home for six months, but as a freelancer (or rather, self-employed writer) that luxury is afforded to me.

So the question of holidays as a freelancer is one I hadn't really asked before. Certainly I've wondered about managing taking a dedicated holiday with no work whatsoever, and the main concern is there is no income while we are not working, but on the other hand travelling to the other side of the world needn't detach us from work. Whether we wake up early, type while the other half has a snooze, or knock out a few articles before bed, we can holiday and work. Now to some working while on holiday defeats the purpose of a holiday, but for me, I enjoy my work to the point that I am quite happy to write while away, because writing is a creative process that does not weigh me down like sitting in an office all day. Rather, the unfamiliar sights and sounds before me can spark fresh ideas and motivation.

However, for those who do want a dedicated holiday with no work, it's as easy as telling clients you're going away for a while. I've done this numerous times and it has never been a problem, so long as money can be saved up beforehand. This is, of course, the biggest obstacle. But in response to that, my attitude is decent spending money can be raised by just working a few hours a week.

The joy of being a freelancer is having it permit you to live life on your own terms - your own scenery, your own schedule. It's much more than having a regular job but in your own home.

If you want to write, go to the language pool

In Stephen King's book Lisey's Story the main character's husband is a deceased famous writer, and in his books, lectures and every day conversation he mentions the language pool, 'where we all go to drink and cast our nets'. It's not immediately clear what this means, but as the book progresses it makes sense and King is nice enough to include a statement at the end that explains the phrase. In short, the language pool is the collected words and phrases we isolate from stories, articles, song lyrics, poetry and so on, to utilise at a later date.

I have mentioned before the importance of reading for anyone who wants to write - either for leisure or professionally - and the idea of the language pool takes that one step further. Not encouraging plagiarism, what it does encourage is taking inspiration from wherever we find it and not being afraid to use it if it will enhance our own work - and, of course, if you do use something verbatim then a full citation will keep you out of trouble and help others find the original work, which benefits the original author and their potential new fan(s).

The language pool is, to me, for each time you read a book and find a dazzling phrase that just makes you wish you could write like that. While we may have been taught to always be entirely creative and never borrow from someone else, the language pool reminds us that it is perfectly okay to do this, for nothing is 100% unique. What is unique is the stories and ideas, and these must remain so, but the language is no more unique than a song's notes - the order, construction and overall creativity behind each can be entirely your own, but just as an A chord in one song is the same as an A chord in another song, words are also shared in any piece of literature you come across. And by putting favourite words and phrases in the pool, when you cast your net you will remove something that was inspired by someone else but will become entirely your own, either through context, placement or by making a new phrase from new words. Imagine buying a set of Lego and adding to it some Lego bricks from a friend's collection; each time you put your hand in you will take out new pieces, some are yours, some are theirs, but you will not remove the deluxe bungalow they worked hard to create the day before, just as by putting the 12 musical notes in a hat and taking a lucky dip will not yield your favourite song.

Be creative, but take inspriation also. Devour literature and store new words and resonating phrases in your personal pool.

Whether you want to write or not, we all have a language pool - just don't be afraid to visit it.