Five Tools You Need To Write From Anywhere
One of the joys of freelancing is the ability to write from wherever you happen to be. I was able to put this to the test last week as I travelled to Cancun, Mexico. Here’s my list of essentials for writing from anywhere.
1. Laptop
Whether you choose a laptop with everything on it or the portability of something like the Dell Mini, currently on my wishlist (hint, hint), this is what you need to stay connected with your writing business and with the world. Ideally, this should be Wi-Fi enabled to save you having to travel around with extra cables. Invest in some adapter plugs for complete portability. Â
View from Cancun Hilton
2. PDA
Many people use their PDAs for keeping track of their diaries, and it’s true that it’s a good way to make sure you don’t miss out on important deadlines. My PDA serves an even more important function, though, because it has built in digital recording, enabling me to record interviews as I work. This is essential for cross checking with notes later.
3. WiFi Roaming
A Wi-Fi roaming account is the answer to make sure you can connect from anywhere, otherwise you might find yourself paying prohibitive charges for your internet connection. Of course, you can often save money by getting net access for the price of a coffee, or you can use your hotel’s business centre for a cheaper connection option. I used this to keep up with urgent email and to monitor my Twitter account while on the road.
4. Online backup
Being of a paranoid disposition, I have two online backup solutions: MozyHome and Syncplicity. The latter is useful when on the road because it gives me easy access to my files stored in the familiar folders as well as the tools I need to edit them online. Because it’s synced with my home computer, I will always have the latest versions of my files there and can edit without worrying about it. Plus I never have to worry about forgetting something essential.
5. IGoogle
My internet start page is a great thing to have when on the road. If I am connecting from a public computer, I can follow the links to my work and home email, RSS reader, world clocks, weather, to do lists (yes, I have more than one) and much more from one handy interface. I don’t have to remember a lot of web addresses and I can use it from anywhere. (By the way, I discovered that the page automatically detected my location and translated everything into Spanish – no problem since I speak the language). And let’s not forget that you have easy access to Google Docs for another option for writing and editing documents. These are the top five things I found useful on my trip, though I would also include Skype on the list. What do you find most useful when you are writing from the road?
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10 Responses to “Five Tools You Need To Write From Anywhere”
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Get Paid To Write Online by Sharon Hurley Hall is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Copyright for posts written by guest authors remains with them.Useful info
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Definitely the five must. Thanks!
I guess you’d better spend a little less time in that pool and more time working to get your Dell mini!Perhaps you could get a client to send you one instead of payment.
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Great list! My version is a little bit different (I use a physical calendar instead of a PDA for example) but the basics are the same and I particularly love your point about online backup.
Glad you liked it.
A Dell mini – yes please
Great list, can i change PDA to handphone?
I use 3 of the five tools listed (and I LOVE my iGoogle)although like Kathryn, I use a paper calendar (aka appointment book). One thing I would personally add to the list is sticky notes – I use them for almost everything! They can be an impromptu business card, a place to write down ideas or inspirations, and are great for hard copy notes when you have more to comment than can fit in the margins (for editing).
Also, Sharon, yours is one of the blogs that inspired me to take the big leap into full time freelancing. It looks like my newly former employer may be my first ‘big’ client, since while there I did writing and editing – even though it was unrelated to my position. Had a long talk with the marketing manager about it on my last day, which has really inspired me to start sending out some LOIs to other businesses I’m familiar with. Goodbye, low-pay online writing – Hello, full-time freelancing!
Thanks for all your wonderful posts here, Sharon, and I so enjoy what you share on Twitter, too. Keep up the good work.
Regards,
Sophie (who is feverishly working with her website designer to get a decent site up and running ASAP!)
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Sophie, I am so pleased to hear that you’re getting freelancing clients. Good luck with making that leap.
And I love sticky notes too – they are tremendously useful. My iGoogle page contains a Sticky notes gadget which I use to write things down – the only problem is that the list gets longer and longer.
A physical calendar is also useful, Kathryn. I tend to keep a diary on my desk, but also have the PDA and an online calendar for when I’m mobile. Perhaps that’s overkill, but it seems to work