[Introduction:
I wrote this blog post more than two years ago, when my toddler son,
the infamous “Little Guy,” was a little over two years old (so
we’re talking around the summer of 2012). It initially served as a
reflective piece about a personal learning experience; I kept the
text to someday use in the blog, but primarily to remind myself to
remain true to the kinds of projects that suit my creative strengths
and my unconventional work situation. I am grateful to the folks who
hired me for “The Game Project” since they have subsequently
hired me for several other enjoyable assignments in the time after I
first drafted this article.]
Not too long ago I finished two
freelance projects for very different clients and learned a lot about
myself in the process. One was quite enjoyable, despite the initial
uncertainties of what was expected of me and my lack of familiarity
with the source material. One was a trying misery mitigated only by a
patient and understanding editor; I walked away from it having
completed as much as I could and canceling any prospect of future
contract work on subsequent, related projects I might have expected.
I apologize in advance for this
self-indulgent missive, part confession and part self-reflection,
which might offer readers some insight into the chaotic world of
freelancing. To paraphrase John Dewey, “education equals experience
plus reflection.” I consider this piece a reflection on two very
different freelancing experiences.
To place my plight in context, bear in
mind that I am a full-time dad taking care of a Little Guy who was
fully engaged in the Terrible Twos at the time; I was trying to help
him learn about the world around him, and his own feelings, while he
was busy testing his limits (usually to the accompaniment of
body-shuddering screams); I also handle as much of the housework as
my time allows, plus the duties of a homeowner, and somehow find time
to write semi-regularly for a blog and do some game development and
writing (with no significant output in the two years I’ve been a
father). My wife works full-time in her career of choice and helps
out as much as she can given her work commitments and other
interests.
I have more than 20 years of
professional publishing experience. Although most of that comes
through my involvement as a full-time or freelance game designer and
writer, I got my start in journalism, spending three years working on
my hometown, weekly newspaper…two years as a reporter and one year
as an editor. This provided a firm foundation for my later editorial
work and a good work ethic for my freelance endeavors. I’ve done a
lot of freelancing for the adventure gaming industry over the years.
Like anyone who works with numerous clients on projects of varying
natures, I had good experiences and bad ones, had trouble getting
paid sometimes, and saw a number of projects languish or die before
publication, despite lots of work researching, developing, and
writing material.
To protect the identities of those
involved, I’ll call one freelance assignment the Game Project and
the other the Business Project.
The Game Project
The Game Project consisted of
developing and writing six creatures for an at-the-time unpublished
roleplaying game in an innovative setting. While the game system was
based on one with which I’m very familiar, I spent some time
learning how it modified rules from the baseline I understood. Beyond
that I was given the freedom to create stats and descriptions for six
creatures that would fit into the setting, with an established word
limit on each.
The clients and I agreed on terms and
maintained a “gentlemen’s agreement” about content, word count,
deadlines, and pay rates/schedules. I don’t usually operate without
a written and signed contract covering all the bases, but I had a
good feeling about this relatively new gaming company; besides, the
project was small enough that I wouldn’t feel particularly upset if
something fell through.
Compared with past clients, these folks
treated me quite generously with the pay schedule: half upon
committing to the assignment, and half upon submitting it to the
editor. Bear in mind that many contracts under which I’ve worked
maybe pay half on approval of the work and half upon publication;
most in the industry pay only on publication. The pay was also
generously more than the usual per-word rate most adventure gaming
writers get. Enjoying the assignment and working for friendly and
supportive clients were welcome perks.
I’d not done freelance game material
writing for a while. After re-acquainting myself with the game engine
and immersing myself in the setting material the clients sent, I
started thinking about creature concepts to develop. I tend to work
out material in my head, let things percolate a little, then write
everything out and modify ideas as I go along. This was all work I
could undertake in the hour or two each day I had to myself between
fatherly and household duties…morning time interrupted by requests
to read books and make breakfasts, maybe an afternoon hour during nap
time, and evening time after the Little Guy went to bed. Creating six
creatures for the setting was quite enjoyable, the writing was a
snap, and it was all a refreshing taste of what I’ve missed being
out of the gaming freelancer loop. It also helped that the folks for
whom I was working respected me, made sure I knew they admired my
past work, and remained in constant touch to guide my efforts. I was
very pleased with my final submissions and performance on the
assignment; I’d work for them again without a second thought.
The Business Project
The Business Project consisted of
writing short features on clients who took out advertisements in a
quarterly business supplement a local newspaper was starting. The
length varied based on the size of their ad, but required me to
contact them by phone or e-mail, find an angle for the article
(beyond “this is what our business does and we started X years
ago”), write an engaging article within a limited word count, and
get their approval before submitting it to the editor. I not only had
to work within the constraints established for the publication by the
editor, but work to make sure clients were happy with what I wrote.
I freely admit I had reservations about
taking this assignment from the beginning and reasons to try making
it work despite the constraints a two year-old constantly placed on
my time and focus. The job had the prospect of continuing for future
quarterly issues of the business supplement, giving me work,
contacts, and exposure for that inevitable time with this full-time
father must re-enter the workforce (though ideally he’d prefer to
develop, write, and publish games full-time…). I was quite
intimidated that I could fit all this around my paternal
responsibilities; I recall a particularly bad day I was having when I
called the editor to decline the job, and he managed to talk me into
taking it (after having a weekend to reconsider).
I should have listened to my instincts.
I knew I was going to have to manage with a two year-old, but I
didn’t take into account the massive amount of legwork calling
businesses and hoping to interview someone for an article. I spent
far more time phoning and e-mailing than I did actually writing. I
quickly found that business people are, understandably, busy running
their businesses and thus have little time for returning calls (or
reading e-mail) on a deadline, let alone during the hours when a
full-time father can handle phone calls. The project also started
several weeks later than I anticipated, cutting my time for work by
one quarter thanks to a previously scheduled family commitment.
Everything but the writing was like pulling teeth: getting people to
understand I was a writer and not an ad rep selling advertising;
leaving messages and having folks call me back when I was out
(despite asking them to call in the afternoons, when my toddler
routine allows me time in the office); understanding their business
enough, and posing engaging questions to get them to give me enough
material for a good feature.
In the end I turned in about two-thirds
of the project completed, submitted any additional notes about the
businesses that didn’t find time for me, and walked away. I didn’t
like doing that – I hated doing it – but the project
deadlines conflicting with a previously scheduled family commitment
combined with non-cooperative interview subjects made finishing the
project impossible.
I submitted my invoice and got paid
about two weeks after the supplement’s publication, and I only got
paid a set amount per piece that reached publication. Adjusted for
those pieces I completed and submitted (as opposed to the entirety of
what I’d expected to write), the sum was only very slightly more
than what I got paid for the Game Project.
What Did I Learn?
Both assignments taught me several
valuable lessons. I suppose I was fortunate enough to undergo these
quite different experiences so close together, for the contrast
between them gave me some insight into what I like and don’t like,
and it boils down to this:
I don’t like depending on other
people to successfully complete my job.
The number of people on which one
depends is inversely proportional to the chance of effectively
completing the project on time; the more people, the lower the chance
of success. For the Business Project I had to interact with more than
15 different contacts, some of whom remained unavailable for
interviews; this directly contributed not only to my inability to
complete all the articles but my overall frustration with the job and
my decision to drop it. For the Game Project I relied on one person
to provide me with the assignment parameters, basic source material,
and guidance on how I was doing. Otherwise I relied on my own
imagination, game knowledge, and writing ability, having essentially
the freedom to fail or succeed on my own. I was not hobbled by
others’ inability or unwillingness to help me complete the project.
Both projects required submissions by a
deadline (and both offered about four weeks for completion). I like
working at my own pace toward a deadline on assignments that depend
on my creativity and writing ability independent of other burdens.
Sure, sometimes I procrastinate, more so when I’m on my own; but
when others procrastinate or delay their cooperation, I’m at their
mercy and must then hustle to meet my deadline on their casual
schedule.
Given my myriad other obligations in
life at the time and the fact that I had little control over my own
time, taking a freelance project whose success depended on the
willing participation of other people during business hours was a
mistake. I prefer being my own boss and working at my own pace to
produce material that pleases me, my clients, and readers. Does that
make me lazy or spoiled? My game-writing endeavors work well with my
current paternal duties; I can develop and write game material when I
find time (during naps and after the Little Guy goes to sleep at
night) on my own deadline. I’m not as productive as I’d like, but
I’m not stressing to meet someone else’s arbitrary deadline
dependent on getting in touch with busy people during the most
chaotic portions of my own day.
I’m sure with further reflection I’ll
find other lessons learned from this experience. For now, however,
I’ll remain content to work for myself and the adventure gaming
hobby at my own pace, leaving the often arbitrary, indifferent, and
unrewarding frustrations of the business-writing world to others.
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