Things for writers to do when stressed out

We all have days when we are extremely overburdened with work and so stressed out thinking of ideas and combining words into sentences for our writing projects, not to mention dealing with difficult clients, that sometimes we really need to get away from it all. And we are not even talking about getting rid of writers block.

What I usually do in situations like this is to:

1. Surf the internet - reading up and catching up on our industry is a good way to de-stress and at the same time learn new things.

2. Online shopping - as long as you practice some self-control, I guess it is a good way to 'pamper' yourself with some stuffs that you have always wanted. That's what I call shopping therapy!

3. Be young again - what's more mind-numbing than some fun video games? The Nintendo Wii of course! Getting into some action-packed game could be a great stress reliever, just don't overdo it and forget everything. The great part about this is that you can download a variety of games with just a click of the mouse and yes, the games are pretty affordable too so it won't burn a hole in your pocket at all.

4. Read a book - as writers, it is always a good excuse to pick up a book and spend hours lost in it because we are actually 'working' by reading. It is all in a day's 'research', doncha think so?

5. Go for a massage and spa treatment - that is the ultimate pampering solution to de-stress and get all those tension and knotts in your shoulders to dissolve and go away.

6. Do a spot of yoga - why not grab your yoga gear and head on to somewhere peaceful and quiet for a great yoga workout to relax the body, mind and soul? Yoga has been known to help you maintain your agility, reduce stress and yes, even help you lose weight.

7. Blog - I know it may sound weird to be blogging in order to get away from all your writing stress but we writers tend to feel better after getting it all out through words and what better way than to blog? When blogging, you do not need to worry about deadlines, clients' needs or anything like that. It is just purely therapeutic to let it all go!

So, there you are. The 7 things I do when stressed out. If all else fail, I guess, you will be in need of the ultimate de-stress solution of all time:

Go for a holiday!

How to write a press release

As a journalist, I come across a lot of press releases to process on a daily basis and I noticed quite a lot of these releases are, well, too full of fluff. I have recently written press releases for a buyer as a freelance writer and with years of experience of choosing press releases to use, I could safely say I know roughly what most newspapers want in a press release.

However, instead of listing down what should be included in a press release, I will list down all the no-nos which I feel makes the press release less attractive to a newspaper editor / journalist.

DO NOT:

1. Start with a sensationalized headline with no substantial backing to it - this will only serve to alienate the editor/ journalist looking through it as he/she will definitely feel cheated and annoyed that they have wasted valuable time reading through a release which does not live up to its claims as per the headline.

2. Use too much purple prose and flowery language - if you read the daily newspapers, the news are all about facts in good simple English. Nothing too complicated and definitely no flowery words fit for a poet. So, stick to the format and use good simple English, the journalist/editor will thank you for not complicating the whole press release with unwanted flowery words.

3. Write as if you are writing a marketing piece - a press release may be used to market your product / business but please, do not write the press release as if you are selling your product / business to the newspaper. It will certainly put off the journalist / editor and the press release will end up in the bin. Do it subtly by merging it into the whole storyline.

4. Assume that the newspaper know about the industry you are writing about - it is always wise to add your company background at the end of the press release and pepper the whole press release with facts about the industry you are writing about. This will save the journalist / editor time from having to do thorough research on the industry before using the press release. It is true that they will still check out the facts you presented but at least your efforts in putting in the facts will put you in a better light with them.

5. write a thesis - a press release is suppose to present facts and news of an event / product / business and not a whole book about it. So, keep it to the point and as brief as possible but make sure all the facts are there such as the who, what, where, why, when and how.

6. make any grammatical / spelling errors - though newspapers do not expect press releases written in perfect English, it is always good to ensure your press release is clean and clear of mistakes. It will only endear the journalist / editor to you.

7. write a press release on a non-newsy event - many people make the mistake of sending a press release just for the sake of sending one so they make up topics to write just to promote their business/ product. Many journalists/ editors can see right through them and these often end up in the bin too. So, make sure when you do send a press release, it is about an event that may interest others, or a new product that may interest the readers or even a discovery that may interest people. Do remember, the newspapers or magazines have readers and their articles target their readers. So ask yourself objectively, as a reader, if you are interested to know about this event / product you are writing about in your press release.

These are but the main few no-nos. There are actually more but I guess these few should suffice. Writing a press release is not that difficult. You just need to be more targeted and careful.

Getting rid writers' block

I have been sitting on my incomplete manuscripts for quite a while due to several reasons, the main of which, is this huge invisible barrier stopping me from going near the manuscripts.

When I say manuscripts I literally meant several books in the making. All of it is fiction and not in the same genre. I have a romance book written midway although the plot lines are complete, a horror/fantasy in its first few chapters with half complete plot lines and finally a satire/women's fiction in its first few chapters with a complete plot line.

Now, with three completely different books, it is quite difficult to complete any one of it without worrying about the others. Thus, this barrier came up. Also the worry of not being able to fulfill the demands of the characters, not able to find the time to fill out the plots, do more research, stress at work, lack of time and various more petty issues, had me freezing up and my ideas drying out.

Arrggghhhh...it is not easy getting rid writers block.

It is indeed distressing and frustrating to be staring at the screen and rereading the first few chapters and not be able to continue with it. So to overcome this self-induced writer's block, I came up with several methods which worked for me.

1) Relax and start doodling (or fiddling with the keyboards - whichever medium you are using to write) - formulate words and sentences not necessarily related to you book. It could be anything, just random words. I find that this often ends up with me continuing on with my storyline.

2) Check out writer's blogs - not to get ideas but essentially to have a feel of how they deal with such situations and also to immerse yourself into the writing world. This exercise often gets me all geared up and inspired to write.

3) Stop staring at the empty screen/notebook - the words are not going to write themselves. If it is stressing you out, just walk away. Go take a short walk, have a cup of tea/coffee or just stare out of the windows to clear your mind and stress. Stress is the one main factor blocking the ideas from flowing.

4) Read a really good book by your favourite author - great works are really great inspirations and motivations.I always find myself raring to type the moment I put down a really good read.

5) Work on the plot instead - okay, so you are really coming up blank. Why not go into the basics of the story line instead? Come up with complete biodatas for the characters, give them family backgrounds, career backgrounds, likes, dislikes, places they've been, where they were born, what was their first words and complete your research on any facts in the story. At least, you are getting some work done instead of staring at an empty screen!

These are but a few tips I find quite useful for me. So, now that my block has been destroyed I have a very real problem. Which one should I complete first? I think I will work on the romance and hopefully, I will be able to get it completed and out of the way!

Writers an underpaid lot?

Yep, I would definitely think so judging from the rates I see at freelance online job boards these past weeks.

Previously, I have no idea what were the rates charged by freelance writers, especially on the net and in other countries. That is until I saw those low rates at the boards.

Imagine my shock to see rates as low as $1 to $2 for a 600 word article. That is even less than 1 cent per word. I mean, sure, it is relatively easy for us writers to come up with 600 word articles but to get paid only a buck for putting our talent to use? I don't know, it just does not seem right!

A 600-word article often takes at least 30 minutes to complete and by complete, I mean to write, edit and polished till it is ready for print. That does not even take into account the research that has to be done before the article can be written.

Okay, lets say on average, the process of researching and producing an informative yet creative article takes about 1 hour. The rate is $1 which means the hourly rate is $1. Isn't that a bit too low for even minimum wage?

Even at best effort, a speedy writer can research and complete an article within 30 minutes, that would mean, the writer is being paid a $2 per hour rate.

Writing is not only a skill. It is an art, an expression of self, a way to paint a better picture and most of all, a professional trait. So, why the low rates? Sure, sure, I've been told this is what is called the open market system where the market price is often controlled by the demand and supply, etc.

Still, I find it extremely ridiculous to be paid pittance for our creativity. Can you imagine an artist selling his paintings for $1 or $2?

Just like painters, our written work are our masterpieces. Our work should not be traded as if it is worth nothing more than pocket change.

A tribute to my mom

Not one inclined to pink, frilly stuff or swooning spells, I could say my mom is as tough as a bull terrier. I will always remember my mom's 'butter won't melt in my mouth' demeanor when faced with a difficult situation or her open-minded attitude to everything in life.
My mom had three main passions and those were books, pets and jewellery.
A bookworm through and through, my mom must have a book in hand whenever she goes to the toilet or before bedtime. She was such a voracious reader that she reads almost anything and everything she could get her hands on, from memoirs to thrillers to romance.
It is her influence that has me addicted to books and it is her relentless support in my budding interest in writing during my teenage years that has spurred me on to never give up my dream of becoming a full-time writer.
Then of course there are her pets. Oh my mom is an animal lover through and through who believed in saving as many strays as she could. In all of my life, my mom always had a pet or three staying with her, be it cats or dogs or even white pet rats! Just before she passed away, she had a total of 15 cats and four dogs with her, all rescued from starvation and abandonement. Fortunately, her husband, my stepfather, shared her passion too and loved each and every animal under their care.
I remember visiting them years ago and was treated to this wonderful touching scene of cats and dogs squeezing themselves into bed together with my mom and stepdad at night. It was a picture perfect moment. Priceless actually considering the dogs and cats get along with each other like one big happy family. Even the grouchy, high-pitched, noisy chihuahua which barks and growls at everyone and every moving thing other than my mom does not mind squeezing with other cats and dogs.
Even after all these years, when I think of my mom, it is this very image that comes to mind. She and her loving husband and their menagerie of pets.
It has been two years now since my mom's passing and I still misses her every day. Often I would absentmindedly compose an email to send her and then realised that she is no longer there to make my stepdad print out the email for her because she wouldn't touch the new fangled electronic thing called a computer with a barge pole. Regrets for words unspoken will always be there as I was never given a chance to say goodbye, to see her for the last time, to tell her that I loved her. She never even get to meet her first grandchild as she passed away when I was nine months pregnant.
Barely a year after her passing, my dear sweet stepdad joined her in the afterlife. My stepdad's grief over her passing was so deep that he never recovered from it and I honestly believe that he died of a broken heart.
I would like to think that they are finally reunited now after the brief separation.
So for this Mothers' Day, I would like to tell all daughters and sons out there to at least tell their mothers that they love them before it was too late. I never did get a chance to say these three simple words to my mom before she died and I am certain she is probably keeping an eye on me and my family from wherever she is now.
My mom, she will always be the queen in my heart. It is also in honour of her memory that I am using her name, Nani, as part of my pseudonym in my writing life.