More work than I imagined

I think I've mentioned before how my freelancing work load tends to come and go in waves. Sometimes I won't have very much work, and other times I have almost more than I can handle.

Right now seems to be shaping up to be one of the latter kind.

I've been responding to decent ads looking for freelancers all along, but lately it seems my emails have been met with a lot of interest. Now I'm sitting here, thinking that I may have to reevaluate my daily schedule (as well as how much of my time is spent working on the side), and wondering what assignments to tackle first. I know it's a good thing that I'm suddenly getting this much writing work, but it still feels a little bit overwhelming.

Well, I'd better buckle down and start working on something!

Suggesting a contract really works!

A while back I blogged on the importance of having a contract. Twice now I've suggested a contract for a new freelancing gig, and neither time has the other party had any complaints. In fact, one wrote up the contract himself, while the other just let me do it. My success is encouraging, as it hasn't scared away anyone yet, and it protects me from getting screwed over.

I also found another page with information on freelance contracts that I wanted to pass on. In exploring the site, I found it had very interesting information on other writing-related topics, as well, such as E-publishing and query writing. The site also has a page on the financial side of freelancing, including how to do your taxes as a freelance writer.

Bush's plans for health insurance

Another new article that I found interesting and pertinent to my own concerns (and, I must add, rather infuriating): an article about Bush's plans for "correcting" the health care system.

This article talks about how Bush wants to try to control the soaring prices of health care by placing the responsibilities in the hands of the individual. However, his concern here is not for the health of the American people, but the profit margin of American businesses: because the cost of health care is so high, business are struggling to provide benefits for their employees. However, as critics point out in the article, shifting more of the responsibilities of maintaining health care to the hands of individuals won't necessarily keep the prices down - instead, they pointed out, it could actually make costs go up more, since his plan will increase the demand for individual health insurance plans, allowing the companies to raise prices as they see fit. As I see it, though, the biggest problem with this plan is that it will do absolutely nothing to help all Americans get health insurance. For people like me, whom the insurance companies can refuse to cover under an individual plan, it will do absolutely nothing. I have to get health insurance via an employer's group plan, since they are the only plans who are forbidden by law from denying me coverage. With Bush's plan shifting the responsibility of health insurance away from the businesses and onto the individuals, where will that leave people like me? Up shit creek without a paddle, that's where!

Let's hope that whoever is elected president next is able to fix the damage Bush is doing to our country... Because if it gets much worse here, I'm moving to Canada! At least there I'll have guaranteed health care...and hey, the lower crime rates are just a bonus!

New advancements in the treatment of diabetes

Only last summer, I was asked to participate in a study of a new drug that was in the testing stage: inhaled insulin. I didn't participate in the study, but because I'd been contacted about it I was familiar with the concept. This evening I saw headlines in both the Washington Post and the New York Times: one brand's inhaled insulin has been approved.

It's an amazing advancement for the treatment of diabetes, of course. However, after reading the articles, I'm not so sure I'd want to be on it. First of all, the articles both site injections as "highly painful." Wait a sec. Have these diabetics been getting the same injections that I have? It's not like in the old days, when insulin had to be injected directly into the vein. These days, insulin needles come as small as 33 gauge (or smaller), which is so tiny I don't even feel it the vast majority of the time. Second of all, the insulin is a dry powder. I don't know about you, but the idea of inhaling powder doesn't appeal to me much. I think I'd rather stick with shots I can't feel anyway. And third, testing has shown that use of inhaled insulin tends to decrease lung capacity. Do I sense a double standard here? One of the reasons smoking is bad for you is the decreased lung capacity, yet it's okay in inhaled insulin? How do you figure???

No way, I'll stick with what alread does a good job of controlling my diabetes.

Of course, the articles cite the fact that many people, especially those with type 2, do not have good control over their diabetes...and they claim that it's because of "highly painful" injections. Well, I've already explained how unpainful injections really are, so where does that leave us? I'm sorry, but many type 2 diabetics have the disease because they are lazy. They don't eat right, they don't exercise, they don't take care of themselves....which is exactly why they don't have control of the disease, either. Maybe a treatment plan that enables them to get away with being lazy will work, but maybe not.

Another claim that these articles make is that the drug companies are hoping that inhaled insulin will appeal to the disproportionate number of diabetics who are also minorities. Ludicrously, the articles claim that minorities are less likely to learn about their condition, and therefore less likely to control it, yet somehow they're still going to somehow hear about this cool new drug. Does anyone else see the break in logic here? Oh...unless the drug companies advertise on TV, which they've become so fond of doing. Because obviously minorities are also more likely to watch TV.

(That last sentence was completely sarcastic. Please don't think I'm racist!!!)

Don't misunderstand my little rant - I'm not against advancements in medical technology, especially not one that will treat my own condition. However, I am rather appalled that this drug would be approved when it obviously has potentially dangerous long-term side effects. I am also disgusted by the assumptions that were made by a bunch of doctors who probably don't know what it's like to have diabetes anyway. With any luck, however, this advancement will lead to another, which will lead to another...and eventually, there really will be better ways of treating diabetes than injections.

The snowball effect

It's not about raining or pouring anymore - now it's a snowball effect. Michael found out the results of his MRI today, and it's pretty bad - bad enough that his doctor (who was previously being pretty conservative) has told him that he needs to see an orthopedic surgeon. It's not guaranteed that he'll need surgery, but basically it's up to the surgeon to make the call now. Michael has an appointment to see him on Tuesday of next week, and I'll go with him.

Of course, this introduces a whole new range of problems. The most significant is that Michael is likely going to have to come to terms with the fact that he needs surgery, something he had really hoped to avoid. Also significant are the financial considerations: the surgery will likely require that Michael allow a month or two for recovery (meaning no work). It sounds like he can claim temporary disability at work, but his income during his recovery time might not be the full amount. On top of it, the insurance only pays for a certain percentage of the surgery, so we'll have more bills to take into consideration as well.

This will also affect me quite a bit, as I'll likely have to be home with Michael much more, which will cut into my availability for babysitting and other supplemental income. Also, as I've discovered in the past, such as when I was nursing my sick kitty or when Michael was home for back pain last week, I don't get as much writing done when I have distractions like these. However, I've told Michael I will support him 100% through this ordeal, and I meant it - I'll be happy to take care of him while he's home recovering.

It's funny how things happen. Since I quit my job to freelance, there have been a flood of additional expenses and interruptions: Cleo got sick, my glasses broke, and Michael developed serious back problems. If I were superstitious (which I'm not, terribly, but I still can't help but notice the pattern), I could take this one of two ways: either that it's a sign I shouldn't be freelancing, or it's life's way of testing my dedication to my dream of being a writer. I think I've had enough successes in only three months that I'd prefer to see it the latter way. If I have to, of course, I'll get a full-time job again, but for as long as it's feasible I will continue to stick it out as a freelancer!

Rejection...again!

Today I received my first snail-mail rejection from that query mailing I sent out - was it last week?

Anyway, since writers are always encouraged to send correspondence that is professional in appearance and tone, I was amazed by how blatantly unprofessional this rejection was. Yeah, I've received all kinds of rejections in the past: form letters, postcards, whatever... But this one was different. It looks like a piece of paper off of a note pad - fairly small in size - and it has a basic three-sentence response printed on it, along with the publication's name. Below that, they wrote a quick note in blue colored pencil. It's like a college professor passing out grades marked in crayon, for heaven's sake.

Of course, no matter what the rejection says, us freelance writers really aren't at liberty to speak our minds, lest we inadvertently establish a reputation of being difficult to work with. My recent post on the How-To blog, about writing responses to rejection letters, discusses this in more detail.

The good news...and the bad

The good news is that I finished my first short story for my ghostwriting gig. I actually finished writing the story late last night - 7,000 words in two days, baby! - and this morning before leaving to work for one of my families, I proofread it and sent it off. The guy I wrote it for loved it! Although I'm looking forward to writing the next one, I actually need to take a day or two to finish some other work first.

The bad news: my short piece on a recent event didn't get such a hot response from the second publication I submitted it to, either. Realistically, the article was written for the first publication, which was more of a newspaper than a magazine. Although they didn't want to print it because it contained themes that they did not consider appropriate for their paper, they still said it was very well written. I didn't really want to rewrite the article for the second magazine, even though I expected they would want something a little different, since they won't pay to publish it, so I sent it as is; perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that I got a rather snippy email back. Rather than put more time into the article and still not get paid for it, I submitted it to an online publication that I write for sometimes. They don't pay all that well, but it's better than nothing!

Despite the good news, the bad news has made me rather cranky this evening. Usually I'm pretty good about brushing off rejection, but I'm particularly disgruntled by this one - perhaps because the guy criticized my piece, then expects me to rewrite it for him, and wants me to do so without pay. I'd like to think it's not just me - that I have a right to be upset about this.

I do have other pieces to write at the moment, one of which I intended to work on tonight, but now I find I'm not in the mood to write. However, I do have responsibilities to several other people at the moment, so I'll give it an hour or two and see how I feel then.