Kate Griffin freelance journalism and editing

The first time somebody asked me for advice about how to get started as a freelancer, I nearly fell over. I think my response was: “Why are you asking me?” I’ve never felt as if I’m doing it right. That might be Impostor Syndrome talking, but it might just be the fact that there is no "right" way of doing it.

Freelance journalists often talk about the feast or famine work cycle. (When I say “talk”, I mean “complain”, of course.) I’d like to find a better metaphor, though, one that conveys the reality of the experience. The word “feast” conveys leisurely eating, but the feast periods in my freelancing life are all about the opposite: frantic production as opposed to relaxed consumption.