Full disclosure: I was once a novice in the field of writing. I made zillions of mistakes, a few too embarrassing to recount in this blog and have nothing to do with writing, like suits with shoulder pads and big hair. Because I have no reason in the world not to tell you all the truth, here are the worst of the lot.

#1: Thinking time management doesn’t matter. When I first started freelancing, I was suffering from corporate burnout. I just wanted to, perhaps like newly retired folks, burn the schedule, let the day take me wherever it went and be published by next Tuesday if not before. So wrong. I flittered away about six months, then a year and then a year and a half, pretending the write when I was inspired. Writers do that on television so why wouldn’t it work for me (that’s a rhetorical question). It didn’t work. After two years of writing only when the mood hit me, reality hit me. With my nest egg nearly depleted, truth surfaced. Either I worked at writing all the time or return to Corporate America. That gave me the heebie jeebies and finally took a mentor advice, creating Writing Office Hours. (See my August 2020 blog for a full confession.) Learn from my mistake.

#2: Joining lots of writing groups (in person or Zooming) won’t make you a better writer. Only lots of writing will. Yeah, we’ve all heard about the importance of peer feedback. Fine and dandy, but when that feedback turns to social chitchat and time away from actually producing writing, step away quickly. I joined groups and liked the writers, including the two-hour coffee time afterward. Scratch that day and too many others hanging out with people who only wanted to talk about writing and not actually do it. Learn from my mistake.

#3: Believing I was a writing fraud. It’s common for us writers to have little voices of doubt saying we don’t know what we’re doing but when that voice sounds like the cheer after the home team scores, check out who you are listening to. I actually stood in front of the bathroom mirror every morning before starting my freelance writing day and told myself, “You are writing, Eva Shaw. Therefore, write.” I was yet to be published, but I studied writing, learned the genres and pushed myself. Slowly the voices in my head stopped being Negative Nellies and yes, I did have to yell at them. Learn from my mistake.

#4: Asking for work is bad. Get a grip. If we want something, we ask for it. A fabulous mentor and successful serial entrepreneur Ali Lassen taught me this. Sounds simple, but before Ali made this earth-shaking statement, I didn’t ask for what I wanted in my queries and if I could send the editor the article. I didn’t ask publishers if I could send them the manuscript. What’s the worst that will happen? Have you ever heard the words “no thanks” before? That’s it. You’ll live. Learn from my mistake.

Those are the Big Four, and like I said I’ve made boat loads more. I hope you’ll learn from my blunders, bloopers and bungles, and avoid the Big Four.