This month, our focus will be on answering the following question: what do you need to do to relearn the ropes if a particularly long period of time have passed since you were last in the game?

This is a weighty question because it really depends on what form of freelancing you centered your freelance writing career around. There are some basics to focus on, however that are necessary to get you back on the freelance track.

1.      Brush up on your grammar!

Believe it or not, it's possible to lose these skills if they're not practiced regularly. Here are some sites where courses and information are available:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=111

Our own Absolute Write Watercooler is a good place to start to ask questions, and read through threads relating to the topic you're looking for information about.

http://dailygrammar.com/archive.shtml

Lessons are provided here free of charge and they can also be sent to you directly through email. Each lesson in this archive is organized in a very clear and concise manner for easy searching.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

This is another site full of information, but some might find it a bit difficult to navigate at first. It's worth the visit, though, for brushing up your skills.

2.      Relearn the style guides!

Do you remember the different style guides and when they're used?  Do you remember how to write a proper citation? That's okay; these sites serve as very good reminders:

http://webster.commnet.edu/apa/index.htm

http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml

3.      Read, Read, Read!

The old saying has always gone, "a writer reads more than they write," or so that was what I was taught when I first ventured into this business. There's a wealth of reading about the topic of writing on the Internet, including in the form of free e-books:

http://www.fictionfactor.com/writersfreebies.html

http://www.write4kids.com/ebooks.html

4.      Take a class or a workshop (or two):

It's common knowledge for some, but not for others, that Absolute Write offers classed through the Absolute Write University (http://www.absoluteclasses.com/). Fees are involved, but as you can see, there's a lot to choose from and it all comes highly recommended. If you're slanting toward free courses and workshops, though, there are some very credible ones available:

5.      Re-Subscribe!

It's no secret that writers subscribe to many newsletters and blog feeds to supplement their learning, their leads and their income. In addition to the Absolute Write Newsletter, get in on some blogs of note geared specifically toward working writers:

These basics should help you get started in terms of relearning the ropes. Don't forget to reach out to other writing friends, as well, for help, additional information and leads.
 

Until next month, happy writing!

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