For the aspiring writer who has, for years, looked for opportunities to foster their creative writing side and improve their skills, freelance writing offers the best opportunity. Many individuals engage in some form of writing throughout the work day, whether it is through simple messaging between colleagues, friends and family, or writing reports and memos for a superior. Building on writing experiences and exploring new opportunities through freelance writing to become an even better writer is something that can be accomplished as a writer by taking advantage of different opportunities.

An effective freelance writer is one who not only writes fluently on a subject matter that they are well versed in, but also takes chances to step outside their comfort zone and write about topics that are unfamiliar. An effective writer also learns how to master time management and create works that are on point with the topic being written, well researched and make a compelling point. Finally, an effective freelance writer uses every writing opportunity as a way to improve their writing skill and learn a little more about the world around them. In order to become more effective as a freelance writer, learn how to make the opportunity one that is not only financially beneficial but also one that fulfills an inner desire to write and excel at writing.

Approaching Freelance Opportunities  
A writer, when starting out, should look for writing assignments that match their area of knowledge and expertise. A person with a background in sports should write about sports while a person with an extensive business background would benefit from writing articles about different business topics. Matching the writer’s expertise with assignments that they are knowledgeable in will help build confidence for the writer and establish an attitude of success when approaching topics that are less familiar to the writer.

Budgeting time to Write About Topics that are Unfamiliar  
Once a writer has gained confidence in their writing by accepting assignments within their area of expertise, a move needs to be made to accepting writing opportunities that are on topics less familiar. A writer should not be intimidated by writing assignments that are outside their expertise. Learning to budget time is necessary to properly research an article, gather source cites and learn more about the topic.

A simple approach to writing on topics unfamiliar to the writer should entail finding news articles on the topic as a primary source. A quick read should result in enough information to create an outline from which to write from. If a newer writer takes 20 to 30 minutes to write 500 words on a topic they are familiar with, adding 30 to 45 minutes to the process should provide ample time to properly research the topic, devise an approach and complete the assignment.

Content Runner currently offers a variety of topics to challenge Writers . These can include anything from roof replacement to fun adventures in Cabo San Lucas. While these assignments can be tricky, they pose a great opportunity for Writers to broaden their skills and make themselves marketable to a variety of Users. The more experience a Writer has in different niches and styles, the more likely they are to take advantage of the many writing assignments and projects that Content Runner has to offer.

Set Writing Goals with Specific, Measurable, and Achievable Targets  
The goal of every freelance writer should be to learn from every writing assignment. Whether acquiring new knowledge from writing on unfamiliar topics or improving writing skills, it is important for a writer to define what it is they seek from the freelance experience in terms of goals that are specific, can be measured and reached. These goals should be captured in a manner similar to a personal development business plan and tracked by the writer, reviewed periodically to determine the progress made and steps needed to be taken to achieve success.

All goals established by the writer should have completion dates assigned and milestones established toward meeting the goal. For example, a writer looking to improve their article turnover rate (the amount of time from when an assignment is taken to when it is completed) should establish a goal in terms of hours or days, measure their current turnover rate and establish steps that will help improve their rate over a time. Those steps may be along the lines of setting aside time for research, completing a first draft within a defined period of time, checking their work and completing a percentage of assignments within the desired time-frame. Taking a deliberate approach to the freelance experience with the goal of improving oneself is how a person can truly take advantage of being a writer.