Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I’m thrilled to continue sharing some lovely indie authors I’ve met in our community. This month, please welcome the lovely freelancer Sarah of Mindful Writes!
Your work as a content writer and freelancer gives you a unique perspective on the publishing industry. If there was one thing you would want to see changed in the publishing industry to make it better, what would it be?
I personally love the aspect of creating a perspective and I find that really interesting to read too, in terms of understanding how others perceive specific topics. However, I would love to see this done more, combined with accurate facts. I feel this is a vital part of writing, ensuring you have researched enough before conducting a piece.
You mention you are a journalist as well as part-time novelist. Do you find that one writing medium helps inspire/influence the other? I’ve never tried the journalist’s style before, so it’d be neat to hear how that affects your storytelling prose.
Personally, I find they intertwine in terms of making the writing flow, as well as creating perspectives. The characters in my thriller novel (which is a work in progress), harbours thoughts and perceives the actions of others in a specific manner. It then adds to the overall plot and also gives the reader an insight to how things can be understood and felt too. In terms of writing as a journalist, I have found that some articles have in fact been proven to help others, especially when awareness has been created through my articles as well as the ability to be able to break down the information into smaller and digestible chunks.
What is the most difficult part of your writing process?
Sometimes creating a plan and making it become a chronological piece can be difficult. It requires a lot of methodical work but once it’s in place, everything else flows and comes together.
Freelance writing can often require a tight time window for research, drafting, and editing. How long would you say it takes you to go through this process to complete an assignment? How do you optimize your process to ensure the process doesn’t overtake the deadline?
It certainly does, but the research is one of, if not the most important aspect of the writing process. I feel this because if the information you pour into the article is incorrect or you are not knowledgeable enough about a topic, it can hinder your business. It would also be unprofessional, and your articles would be classified as unreliable and in turn this would affect the readers and lower the chance of someone recommended your website as a source of information. So, to me, if that is incorrect then no matter what you have written, could well be unproductive. However, it can take hours, weeks and days but it’s crucial this is completed. I usually determine the deadline in terms of realistic expectations. If the topic was something I was not very educated on then I would certainly create a longer deadline to ensure I have taken enough time to learn, write and proofread the information too. If the deadline is pre-set and is tight, I would create notes and scatter them in places I could visualise or read multiple times for absorption and help with digestion too.
What was the hardest project you ever undertook as a freelancer?
The hardest project I ever conducted was a musical journalist piece. I was writing an article on a band I had little to no knowledge on, but through research, listening and incorporating my own personal opinion on their music made the piece come alive. It required a lot of time, in terms of planning but it was really interesting to do and rewarding when it received wonderful feedback from the band themselves and of course the fanbase.
What are the most important magazines/websites for any writer to subscribe to?
I have subscribed to the Medium website. I find this harbours a lot of information and fellow writers. It’s a community. I am yet to publish work here though. But I do read the content. I would also suggest creating a blog and follow fellow bloggers that you love too. Follow blogs, topics and websites that you love.
Speaking of reading, what’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
To Keep You Safe – Kate Bradley. This gripping thriller kept me hooked until the very last page. Their novel incorporated multiple twists and turns too, it was a masterpiece.
Thanks for the recommendation! I love catching new releases in my local library for my podcast, and they often tend to be mystery/thrillers (though one of these days I will HAVE to pick up one of the dozen westerns the librarians keep ordering). Does your family support your career as a writer?
Definitely. My family area huge part of my dreams and aspirations. They inspire me to keep writing, keep going and most certainly read my work. It is encouraging and heart-warming, when they recommend the work to others. And overall, they have seen me pour blood sweat and tears into everything I do which makes it more rewarding for me when they praise and provide me with deep encouragement.
The support of loved ones truly makes a difference! My husband Bo surprised me with a copy of my own novel because I had never bothered to get one for myself. “You should see your own name on your bookshelf, too,” he said. Oh yes, I cried. 
Such moments reinforce what I want to achieve in literary success: my stories on a shelf, ready to be experienced by others. What does literary success look like to you?
Success can be interpreted in many different ways. Though for me personally, I feel it is achieving a goal, whether that’s small or large. It is an accomplishment and something I did possibly not have the day prior. For example, having ten readers can seem rather small but to a writer this can be huge. And then those numbers increase once you incorporate an audience and those who love your work so will check out your work and recommend it to others. It was a huge moment for me when my work was published and recommended. Literally success is about being authentic, being you and people accepting it and loving every word you write.
I love that vision of success, Sarah, thank you! Let’s wrap up with some parting words of encouragement. Any advice you’d like to share with others who want to freelance as they work on their fiction?
It is a difficult process, but one of the most rewarding in terms of achieving a goal and passion. I would like to also encourage them to set up a writing profile on a platform, share their work and really get it out there. It’s good to start with a topic you love or know a lot about to get started and find your voice, as well as a writing style. Social media is also an incredible thing if used correctly, to help promote your work, create live streams if that’s your thing and talk about your passion. There will be times it will feel frustrating and as though you are not progressing, but you are and sometimes it can be slow, really slow. But when that breakthrough comes, it’s certainly magical.
Thank you so much for taking time to chat with us, Sarah! I’m excited to hear more about your upcoming writing projects. May your story-worlds be full of mystery and misadventure!
~STAY TUNED!~
We’ll go back to that precarious writer’s problem of balancing character development and worldbuilding to craft compelling…content? Composition? Consarnit, I wanted more alliteration! Regardless, after holding two others under my critical lens, it’s time I do that to myself.
Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!
