Freelance Writing: Simple Tips on Complicated TopicsWriters’ Forum or How to Survive in the Internet Desert

• Tweet

• Tweet

Although freelance writing has a great number of obvious advantages, the lack of communication with colleagues is a fly in the ointment. On one hand, online writers save plenty of time, avoiding chats and gossips in front of the coffee machine, which are characteristic of classic office routine. On the other hand, they have no opportunities to receive a piece of advice from more experienced professionals. A writer’s forum can be a perfect solution to this problem.

The basics of writers’ forums

The so-called writers’ workshops or forums can serve as good substitutes for the talks in front of a coffee machine. Furthermore, forums are even better in certain aspects. Here are only a few convincing arguments:

• All forums are voluntary. You choose when to visit them, so you can visit them only when you need to. By contrast, you can never escape polite talks about weather and other nonsense when one of your colleagues has a severe condition of the talkative syndrome.
• All forums are informative. Most people come to forums to exchange valuable (!!) experience, impressions and information. Fortunately, on forums nobody comes just to ask: “Do you know who s/he has been with in the bar last night?”
• All forums are easy-to-read. By contrast to multi-volume reference books, writing forums use simple and sometimes emotional language. Even though you should be careful and follow only the best of writers’ advice, hints from experienced freelancers are usually tested by practice and time. This is why the information from forums can be worth its weight in gold.

Writers’ forum: helpful hints

To get the maximum from forums and avoid trouble, you should follow these simple rules:

1. If you like the information from a certain forum, you should spend a couple of minutes and register to it. Some information may be viewed only by registered users.
2. Before you ask a question or start a discussion, you should look through the list of existing topics. In this way, you might find the answer even without having to ask your question – and without having to wait for someone to answer!
3. Respect your colleagues. Even if you disagree with somebody, you should find polite words to express your counterarguments. Make certain you do not hurt somebody’s feelings and always explain why you disagree.
4. If you decide to answer somebody’s question, try to use only the most reliable information and sound persuasive. You can even include external links to relevant websites to support your claims.
5. Choose an interesting picture and signature to demonstrate your uniqueness and creative thinking. These are your main chances to produce a positive impression on the rest of forum visitors.

You are welcome to use this survival kit to find your way in the Internet desert. Digging through information on forums, you can find some gems, get help in need or lend a helping hand to others. It is easy. Just give it a try.