by Mary Hay Davis
Dictionary.com defines Crisis as:
1. a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, esp. for better or for worse, is determined; a turning point.
Almost all freelancers have experienced some type of work crisis during their writing career – the printer goes out as you’re preparing a manuscript for a 5 p.m. mailing deadline or your internet service goes down the day a big project is due.
In this line of work, it’s not a matter of if we’ll face a crisis, but when. More tellingly, success in this business depends on your adaptability, resourcefulness and problem-solving aptitude – how do you navigate the inevitable gauntlet of problems that are sure to crop up? (Funny how these pesky creatures know when deadlines are looming!)
Some of my recent work crises include:
Internet service went down when cable provider decided to tweak the hub in our development (which sadly was located next door to me). Of course, I was on deadline. As the sad sap who usually draws the short straw, this time proved no different – only three houses out of 40 were affected, mine being one of them.
Teenage son errantly downloads the evil IE Antivirus onto our family computer, which is also my main work computer. Annoying and very official-looking warning “window” pops up incessantly with the message, “Your Computer Is Infected with a Dangerous Virus!” This requires me to repeatedly X the window out to change screens (thus almost tripling my writing and research time.)
Invoicing program gets gremlins and one day decides not to allow invoices to be e-mailed to clients who require them semi-monthly. If I don’t do it today, I will have to wait another two weeks for payment.
These are just a few of the more recent problems I’ve encountered and had to resolve before I could continue my work. Here’s how I solved them:
INTERNET OUTAGE: After resisting the urge to explode at the cable technician next door, I calmly interrogate, er, question him, as to the extent and expected duration of the outage.
After being informed it could be all day, I go inside and phone the cable company. Resisting the urge to now yell at the operator (the one person in a position to help me), I again calmly explain my situation and that I work from home and rely on this service for my livelihood. She pages technician to have him expedite the service and restore signal strength to my house.
IE ANTIVIRUS: After lecturing my son about the dangers of downloading ‘Free’ programs (and threatening to rescind computer privileges for the next four years), I check out PC World’s recommendations and end up buying Webroot SpySweeper AntiVirus and AntiSpyware program. This eventually resolves the problem.
[NOTE: We already had Norton AntiVirus installed (updated just two days before), and yet it failed not only to detect the intrusion of the virus onto on our computer, but also did not recognize/eradicate it when we ran the scan. Furthermore, attempts to contact customer service were of no help. We will not be renewing our Norton AntiVirus protection when it lapses.]
INVOICING E-MAIL FAILURE: After following all the troubleshooting options given in the software’s help menu, I eventually uninstalled the program, reinstalled it and started my computer. This did the trick.
IGNITE YOUR SUPERPOWERS: RESILIENCY & INNOVATION
I am NOT a techie person. Before my freelance writing career, I ‘delegated’ all technical problems to my husband. But once I became a professional marketer/writer, I no longer had the luxury of waiting until he got home to fix problems that arose. If I was going to succeed, I had to become self-reliant, get out of my comfort zone, and learn about these things (often by trial and error) and GET THE PROBLEM SOLVED!
Crises don’t have to be just technology-based, however. Freelance writing crises can run the gamut from dealing with unexpected family problems that crop up, handling a non-paying (or slow-to-pay) client or getting sick yourself. Regardless of the situation, we have to keep our business running.
So now I ask you – what types of crises have you encountered during your FW career? What were the potential negative impacts, and how did you resolve the problem(s)?
Come on, FWJ community! This is your opportunity to share your experiences and help us all learn from one another. Your trials and tribulations (and hopefully your triumphs over them) can help other writers avoid potential pitfalls and help us all grow.
What’s your story?
Mary Hay Davis is a professional writer whose work has appeared in The Christian Science Monitor, The Costco Connection, Family Times/Parenting Today and San Diego Family, Magazine. She specializes in writing SEO web content, advetorials, informational articles and marketing material. Before becoming a writer, Mary worked over two decades as a police dispatcher, an occupation rich in anecdotes about the foibles and frailties of the human condition. You can contact Mary through her two websites: www.webprowriting.com and www.maryhaydavis.com.
Well, I guess I sort of already posted this under Megatron’s blog post. But, I face the same stuff you have Captain Caveman…seriously, did you pick that name? Of all the cool superheroes out there, you’re a hairy cave man with a big club. LOL. Sorry, it was amusing and I couldn’t resist.
Anyway, dealing with Internet outages is a big one. Another one is that I can’t seem to get myself into a routine. I don’t get up at the same time every day, nor do I go to sleep at the same time. I think part of my challenge there is that I don’t have anyone else demanding my time. I’m single and live alone. But, I think it would be healthier to work during the day and sleep at night. Sometimes I flip back and forth – I’ll work at night and sleep during the day. Mostly I’m just looking for something to stick schedule-wise, but it doesn’t.
However, I plan to fix that. I’m working on getting situated where I’m asleep early enough to get up early in the morning. If I can do it for 21 days I’m good. Long enough to make the habit. Still trying, though.
KRISTY – No, we didn’t get to pick our names. If we had, I would have opted to be ‘Storm’ from the X-Men (instead of the In-Need-of-Nair Neanderthal I am.)
For me, routine is beneficial because, as you said, it gets me in the habit of writing.
If you find yourself getting up/going to bed at different hours, developing a habit can be challenging (and yes, I’ve read that 21 days is the magical period to get change a behavior into a true habit.)
In her book, ‘Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers’, Carolyn See advocates not so much a time period or routine, but a commitment to putting down 1,000 words a day on paper.
I think that’s a good benchmark to strive for, to get one in the habit of writing. Once you routinely start producing work, I think the hours will fall into place themselves and you’ll develop a natural rhythm in keeping with your body’s circadian cycle.
Good luck to you, and thanks for the feedback!
CC
To “cleanly” quote someone: Stuff happens.
There’s too much to list, so let’s just say I expect things to go wrong so try to be able to react. Why do I feel this way?
30 years ago I had a flat tire on the expressway. Nuts rusted on so I couldn’t get them off. I sent the brother who was with me to a nearby gas station for a tow (before cell phones). Tow truck ran out of gas while hooked up to my car.
Not work related (though I was going to caddy that day), but is indicative of my Murphy’s law existence ever since.
By the way, putting my house on the market caused the real estate crunch, when I take it off (soon), it will be a seller’s market.
Phil — Yes, and I’m sure you always pick the longest line at the grocery store, despite how short it is when you first get in it — the cashier runs out of receipt tape or needs a price check, etc.
I think once you’ve been in this business for any period of time you learn to anticipate problems.
My motto: Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
That means always keeping extra printer cartridges on hand, building in wiggle room to your schedule, and immediately starting on projects so you can finish them and be available for new assignments that might crop up.
I know I’ve been guilty of dawdling on a project and then kicking myself when something else came up that I either had to say no to or put off til the next week, when instead if I’d only stayed on task and put nose to grindstone I’d have been finished and available to take something new on.
Those are the kinds of lessons I’m hoping we’ll all share with each other, so we can make this an increasingly dynamic and interactive site.
Captain: If you’re going to be in this business for any length of time, consider a laser printer rather than an inkjet. More cost at the beginning, but much lower cost over time.
Yes, yes, we should be as green as possible, but I still find it a lot easier to read print than to look at the computer for too many straight hours.
Captain:
By the way, I have two printers, figuring one will fail at the inopportune moment. Also four computers (kids use two, other two are AOL-free), VOIP, landline and cell phones, generator for backup power, etc., yet one can only minimize potential issues.
Phil — Yes I know I really need to get my own dedicated computer — would save a host of problems — but things like orthodontic payments, sports registrations and now car insurance for a new driver (Mr. Toad is on the road – consider yourselves warned!) all seem to divert funds that I could use for said computer.
It will probably take another FW crisis to get me to break down and buy one. I like the idea of two printers though, and since they are relatively inexpensive, will go that route first. Do you use a router or a network? Not sure how to set them up?
Nice post, CC. (There … isn’t that a better name?) I had that IE thing today – day before a deadline! KILLER crisis, there.
Good luck in the idol contest!
We routinely have power outages that can be a real pain. I tutor online and once had the power go out right in the middle of a session. They don’t mess with my writing unless I’m blogging. I can write the post, just can’t actually post it since I usually work from my laptop. And if my battery runs low, I have an adapter to plug into my car cigatette lighter. I suppose if push came to shove, I could always hit Barnes & Noble.
I like Capt. Caveman, btw!
Captasin: I use a router and a network. Geeks set them up. I know just enough about computers to screw them up a lot.
Neighbor Phil — Perhaps you could outsource some of your geeks to me (without rubbing off your scary bad luck in the transaction, since I already have enough of my own)?
Cave Dude — (sorry, couldn’t resist…) I always try to be prepared, but the disasters (natural and otherwise) seem to get smarter and stronger the more I prepare for them. For example, I recently had to buy another new laptop following the Great Crash of 2008. (I average one burnt out laptop per year.) This time I got one with built-in broadband. I kept my AOL dial up account as a backup, anticipating that the AT&T broadband would occasionally be down since my iphone runs on their wireless service and I have trouble with that from time to time. Wouldn’t you know, late one night last week my broadband stopped working, and the phone line also went dead. No storm, no concrete reason for either outage — at least none I ever found out about. Fortunately I wasn’t working on something with a tight deadline, but if I had been I would have been out of luck until morning. I think the best planning ahead idea is to try my best not to be up against tight deadlines. I work head as much as possible, although rushes do come up quite a bit. I just do my best and try to laugh.
Kristy — It took me several years to get on a semi-normal schedule. I would still be sleeping all day and working all night if not for the fact that last year I started working for two firms that assign work in the morning and need it by end of the day. On more flexible assignments, I would still be sleeping right now and working until 5am. (Ah, the good old days.) LOL
Amy — yes, those are the kinds of things I’m talking about. It’s one thing to “know” you should have a back up plan for things like internet outages and computer crashes. It’s quite another to hear it firsthand from someone who lived through it as they share how they adapted/overcame the adversity.
So again, for newer FW’s — we can’t emphasize enough how important it is to work ahead, and not leave things for the last minute — both to allow wiggle room for unforseen crises, and also to give you the ability to say ‘yes’ to those last minute projects(have faith – they will start showing up!)
CC
When I had cable/internet go down a few times last year (construction on building), I found that several people in my neighborhood quite helpfully were using unsecured wireless, heh heh heh…
Last year I also had terrible computer problems–it was still under warranty so I kept pointlessly sending it back to be repaired and it kept coming back worse and worse. So I did what any self-respecting, independent adult would do: I went and stayed with my parents for a week or so and used Dad’s computer to finish a project (hey, all he knows how to use it for is email, so it needed a workout).
Amy,
Try VIP GEEK, $85 an hour, one hour minimum. I’ve been very happy with the service. I have someone else I’ve used in the past who’s a little cheaper, but they prefer to take computers to their office to fix, and I can’t be without it that long.
Phil — Thanks a bunch. I think I’ll give them a shot, especially since they make house calls. I had a guy on Oak Park Avenue, but he recently closed up shop. Nice guy too, so I was sad to see him go. For the machine I need worked on right now, I wouldn’t mind if they took it. But since I don’t drive, I haven’t had a way to take it any place, and I certainly don’t want to be lugging it around on the train to take it to someone in the city. (I would likely drop it on the way home and re-break it! Murphy/Phil’s law.)
First thing to happen here is that I now have Captain Cave-MAAAAAAA-AAAAAANNNNN running through my head.
I totally sympathize on the cable outage story, but wonder who you use that you got such excellent service. Two years ago, our cable Internet went out any time it rained. Now to the average person, that would suggest that somewhere there was a split in the cable allowing water in. They came and rewired me from the pole into my house and it didn’t solve the problem. There is one other person using Adelphia (now Comcast) on our road and they would go out as well, so we teamed up to tell them it had to be on a line somewhere in our area. After being told we were nuts, the next rainstorm led to yet another outage. This time it rained for four days straight and that was four days without Internet, so my neighbor and I called the state for help only to be told the state doesn’t regulate cable Internet and couldn’t do anything.
To make a long story short, I went four days without Internet and Adelphia thumbed their nose at us. A year of this, I’d have loved to send them packing, but Adelphia was the only high speed Internet in our area, so it was that or dial-up and that wasn’t an option. Instead, I kept logs of the outages, told them that I wasn’t paying for that downtime and they argued at first, but eventually gave up. Meanwhile, try explaining to your boss that Internet’s down four days running and see how many employees keep you on. I spent a lot of time driving to my parents’ house and using their computer.
Thankfully, due to a new push from our governor, all towns are being rewired with new fiber optic cables and that ended my year long problem, but I still get mad that Adelphia didn’t care. I still wait for the day that there are other options for Internet here. Comcast is only minimally better. I don’t have outages, but their email system is constantly eating my emails. I had one email a couple months ago arrive eight months after my friend had sent it, then the same thing happened with an email from my dad a month later.
Ann, don’t even get me started on horrible customer service. I’ve had more than enough of that, mostly with my cell phone companies.
Captain Caveman, good discussion topic. I think I most often run into problems with not scheduling my time well. Thankfully, that’s somewhat rare (perhaps I just haven’t taken on enough projects yet for everything to go completely haywire), but it really bothers me when I have to work past my usual bedtime because I need to finish something. I know that seems like an “oh, poor me” problem, but I am so used to going to bed at the same time every night that my brain goes to mush and I start to feel (physically and mentally) awful if I stay up even 15 minutes past bedtime.
@Megatron – I’m still in an ongoing battle with our cell phone carrier who swears that there is nothing wrong with our cellphone account, yet if we try to make outgoing calls we are connected directly to their customer service who says our account has been disconnected, yet they can never unravel the reason why. You’d think it would be a push of the button to get things restored, but apparently they can’t find it!
And Bank of America is another nightmare. I’ve made three payments with documented proof from both their Web site and my bank statements since June, yet they swear that I’ve not made any payments and have charged me late fees galore. The attorney general is currently battling them for me.
Sometimes, I think these companies just try to get extra money out of you for their own benefit and hope you won’t fight them so that they can get away with it.
Ann, definitely. And if you do fight them, they make it as hard as possible for you to get your money back. NOT a good way to keep customers!
Cavey, don’t blame all your Internet virus problems on your kids downloading free stuff. Cyber bad guys are more clever than that these days. You could have infected yourself by visiting a trusted web site. Like yesterday, I wrote a piece about how a legitimate news site publishing Olympic updates was hacked into because of a vulnerability in the server. In this case, anyone who visited the site had their computer turned into a bot. And, sadly, spyware and AV software isn’t catching everything right away.
@ Ann G – Wow — four days – your clients must have loved that! I’m sure you were pulling your hair out. As frustrating as it is, it leaves us to wonder — who is the master, and who is the slave? We’ve all become so dependent on technology that it can be hard to function without it. But it also makes our lives so much easier as FW’s.
And these customer service horror stories bring up a good point — if good customer service is important to us, then it’s important to our clients as well (and a good way that FW’s can set themselves apart from their competitors.)
@ Sue — Dang! Here I was all set to blame my kid! Actually I do know it was him because the message started appearing right after he got off, but it’s frustrating to think you can be diligent and only visit reputable sites and still be infected.
It seems if hackers/virus makers are that knowledgeable and talented, they should be using their SuperPowers for good, not evil, and helping to make the world a better place.
@Sue – it’s a good point. Many of us living in New England were notified a few months ago that Hannaford’s computer system had been hacked by some cyber thieves.
Turned out that someone in the store installed a program that had Malware with it that then gave thieves access to credit card and debit card numbers. I was one of the ones who had information stolen and to this day PayPal still will not give me a replacement debit card because my original debit card was used illegally so it counted as a black mark against me.
My brother’s a computer engineer and he told me that running one spyware/malware blocker isn’t good enough. He runs two anti-virus programs and three different spyware programs. He also reformats his work hard drive every six months per IBM’s guidelines to be extra cautious. I’ve learned a lot from him!
You know, all you computer-virus people, you wouldn’t have half as many problems as you do now if you just got Macs.
Ah, not true, Megatron. The security folks I talk to day in/day out tell me that as more of you get Macs, the more incentive the bad guys have to create viruses (and they are doing just that — sadly, Mac folks are lulled into a false sense of security). And when you are talking Internet infections, well, that’s a whole other ball game. One guy told me yesterday that they are seeing some attempts to hack into mobile devices, too.
Sue,
There are more than “some” attempts to hack into mobile devices. Those are seen as a weak link because prevously there was little reason to secure them, so security applicatrion development is behind in this area (a subject I’ve written about often).