Why I'll Never be as Prolific as Jo Harrington

by WiseFool

Jo's dedication to Wizzley is truly something to behold. Her output is phenomenal and, quite frankly, makes mine look pitiful by comparison.

I have the lovely Jo Harrington to thank for introducing me to Wizzley. We were both members of a 'content farm' site, which was losing writers like rats leaving a sinking ship. She had found the nascent Wizzley, and suggested it to those of us keen to scurry.

What I quickly discovered was that Wizzley was a very different place to be. It looked better, the quality of writing was higher, and it was just more fun!

I also discovered that Jo, whose work I looked to as a sort of 'right way to do it' guide, was producing articles at a mind-boggling and, frankly, intimidating rate. I knew I'd never be able to match her for fecundity. But maybe that's OK..

How Does She Do It?

Even if I never slept, I couldn't do what Jo does

Jo Harrington: Wizzley SuperstarJo Harrington is a Wizzley powerhouse, which leads me to think she's probably a powerhouse in everything she does. 

I am constantly, and I do mean constantly, overwhelmed by the amount of work she posts - and she's not just tossing out some hastily put together stuff, either. Everything she writes is well-researched, excellently written and, often, epic!

It would be easy to hate her if it weren't for the fact she's also a lovely human being. 

I'm dazzled by her, because I'm not sure how she finds the time and energy to turn out (on average) one excellent piece on Wizzley per day.

Presumably she does manage to fit other things into her life, like food and sleep, and, I believe, a day job. I can't imagine shuffling my own schedule around to squeeze in such a wealth of top-notch Wizzes.

But I do think her example offers some secrets to Wizzley success that we can all follow. And, as with most of the best things in life, they're simple:

Patience
Perseverance 
Passion

Jo's Wonderful Guide on How to Find Success Here at Wizzley

A Writer's Guide to Wizzley: Learn how to make a living writing abo...

Why I'll Never Be Able to Match Jo's Tirelessly Consistent Output

Lack of time, patience and inspiration...

Patience is a virtue, especially for online writersThe concept of patience is probably the very first thing an online writer needs to wrap his, or her, head around. It takes time to build a solid collection of articles; it takes time for each of those articles to 'mature' and find its groove; it takes time to see the money dribbling in. And it's incredibly difficult to remain motivated when your hard work seems to be getting nowhere fast.

For me, patience is a particular problem. I know, in the long run, writing articles on Wizzley could prove a lucrative and mostly hands-off source of income. But it isn't that at the moment, so it's difficult to remain focused.

My mind tends to wander and my time is spent on freelance gigs for which pay is very much in sight. I dip my toe back in the Wizzley pond whenever I can, partly because I know it's a worthwhile use of my time, but mostly because I enjoy writing here. But I'm aware that this split focus is why it'll take even longer for me to achieve the kind of success Jo is enjoying.

Sisyphus getting no place fastPerseverance goes hand in hand with patience: it's slogging through even when you don't seem to be achieving anything; it's maintaining the belief that, if you just stick at it, eventually you'll start to reap the rewards. This is tough when rewards don't seem to be on the horizon.

Most of us, me included, begin to lose heart if we don't start to see things going our way. One method of reawakening my own perseverance is to look to Jo's 'Tips and Tricks' articles, which always give me a good shot in the arm, and prove that, unlike poor Sisyphus, there are gains to be made in pushing the Wizzley boulder uphill.

And finally, passion is key. Having passion, not just for the act of writing, but also for the things you're writing about, is vital. Jo seems to have an endless stream of inspiration, which in itself impresses and intimidates me all at once!

Jo's first and most recent (at the time of writing) 'tips and tricks' pages
The first fifty articles on any site are hard work. Yet that crash course provides insights that soon become second nature.
I've been a Wizzley author for just over two years. You might say that I've picked up a thing or two along the way. Here are the lessons from my past fifty pages.

But It's Not A Competition

I have to remind myself of this occasionally

Writing for Wizzley isn't a raceOf course, it's silly to be intimated by Jo's output and success, because writing on Wizzley is not a competitive sport.

And that's one of the reasons I enjoy posting work here - there's a community spirit I haven't experienced on other sites, and there's an awareness that what's good for one of us is, ultimately, good for all of us.

Realistically speaking though, at this point, unless Jo stops writing entirely (which I'm sure she never would), I have no chance of catching up with her. But that's OK, too. Does that mean I won't be able to achieve a successful stream of income on the site? No.

It simply means that when my inspiration and motivation start flagging, I have to go back to those three basic Ps. And I urge any other online writer to do the same. As John Lennon said, "Give Ps a chance."

As the wise man John Lennon once said...
Updated: 06/01/2014, WiseFool
 
Thank you! Would you like to post a comment now?
17

Comments

Only logged-in users are allowed to comment. Login
kimbesa on 08/29/2017

You are so right about it not being a competition (thanks for the reminder) except with oneself, and Patience always!

sheilamarie on 06/02/2014

She sure can turn them out! Amazing!

Guest on 06/02/2014

A whole new meaning to the Trinity...

JoHarrington on 06/02/2014

Mum just asked, 'Are they still bigging you up on Wizzley?' Checked. *much blushing ensues* "Yep." Thanks again all.

As for the twin/triplet thing, I'm rumbled. Three in One me. ;)

frankbeswick on 06/02/2014

Her ability to write on a range of subjects is amazing; and history takes much research.

WiseFool on 06/02/2014

Thanks Jo, Violette, Sherri and Mira for the comments. Dustytoes, I think you might be on to something!

dustytoes on 06/02/2014

My belief is that Jo is one of a set of identical twins or triplets who all work together into fooling us into believing that she is one person. It's the only plausible explanation. ;)

Mira on 06/02/2014

Love that photo :-). She IS a powerhouse. I, too, don't know how she does it. I just hope she will keep on doing it, because she inspires all of us to keep writing here, and also because she is one of the people whose articles I really enjoy reading. Great tribute! :-)

Sheri_Oz on 06/02/2014

What a cute article and a wonderful tribute to an inspiration for us all.

Guest on 06/01/2014

@WiseFool I have a connection on another site called Platespinner. I think that says it all ;-) @Linda so you're the lady we need to thank for bringing us Jo? In that case, thank you! *hugs Linda*.@Frank, yes, Jo and Christian got me here too.@WiseFool I like to get more than one article out of any research, as Jo manages to as well. Makes me feel it's worth my while then. @Jo, no problem, looking forward to meeting you in August.


You might also like

Welcome to sockii's world

Who is sockii? If you're asking yourself that question, let me introduce myse...

Coletta Teske, Writer for Hire

Coletta Teske has been a freelance writer for over 30 years. She is a native ...

Tips to Become a More Productive Writer

Fed up of not having enough hours in the day? It could be that you're not usi...


Disclosure: This page generates income for authors based on affiliate relationships with our partners, including Amazon, Google and others.
Loading ...
Error!