Do You Change Your Freelance Writing Habits On The Lead Up To Christmas?

By Dan Smith

One of the most attractive aspects of being a freelance writer for me has always been the ability to work as and when I want to.

I have realised over the last few months that I work longer hours compared to when working in an office, but I still have the option to choose when I work.

I’ve always loved Christmas. I’m in my mid-twenties now and I still get as excited as I did when I was seven or eight years old.

Due to this — and the fact it’s one of only a handful of times throughout the year where I get to spend a lot of time with various friends and family, rather than just a fleeting visit or a quick conversation — I always ensure that I have the full Christmas period off.

Sure, I tend to jump on my e-mails once or twice, but I organize all of my work beforehand so that I deliver before I take a break for Christmas, whether the deadline is the 24th December or the 1st January.

This does often mean that December is a busy month — not in terms of average workload, but because I’m trying to finish a month’s worth of work in two or three weeks — but I personally wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s the same with vacations. Whenever I head away for a week in the sun or even a long weekend city break, I very rarely do any form of work while I’m away, including checking my e-mails — I’d much rather work a few early mornings and late nights before I go to get ahead.

When I’ve spoken to other freelance writers — and other freelancers in general — I’ve realised that this isn’t always the case and many freelancers prefer to do a little each day, rather than have a full week or two off after a mad few weeks beforehand.

At first, I was quite surprised by this, but I have come to realise that apart from the fact we’re not all the same, working little and often can have its benefits when compared to working a lot and then taking a long break.

You don’t have to reorganize your calendar massively; there’s no need to have long days doing nothing but working and you’re free to enjoy your time equally, whether it’s between Christmas and New Year or on the lead up to the holidays.

As a freelance writer, what do you prefer? I don’t know what I’d do without that long Christmas break and for me, I can’t see it working any other way.

Image: FreeFoto