Meet Ella Chikezie, an African Freelancer!

Hey, freelancers! Meet Ella Chikezie, an African Freelancer!

Ella Chikezie is a final year Biochemistry student at The University of Port Harcourt, a blogger, writer, and an entrepreneur.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since I learnt to hold a pen. Lol. But, professionally I’ve been writing for 2 years.

How long have you been freelancing?

A year now.

In the course of your freelancing, what are some of the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?

Meeting deadlines of clients. It’s tough when you’re writing for several brands and everyone wants you to deliver within a short period of time. You have so much pile of work on your desk and pressure from your clients. Initially, I faced this challenge, but I learnt to take as many works as I can handle at a time. It’s one thing to put in good work but it’s another thing to put in good work and still beat deadlines. Clients love when you are reliable.

What are your favourite tools for working?

My notepad, phone or laptop, good music, and lots of sugar. We need that adrenaline rush sometimes.

Tell us about your works

When I started writing, it was opinion piece with satirical undertones on controversial issues, and Facebook was the platform. Then I started writing poems, short fiction, later articles, and now I’m into screenwriting. Which is amazing by the way. Within a space of few years, I’ve evolved from writing for fun to writing with purpose. I am thankful for the journey.

How do you motivate yourself to write?

I always pay attention to my environment. I believe the universe is always sending out a message so I tune in, listen, then I write. I read a lot also.

What is something you’ve learnt about freelancing that others can learn also from?

Don’t take a job if you know you won’t beat the deadline. As a freelance writer have a blog because it’s where your clients go if they need references to your work. Your blog is your portfolio.

Tell us about one of your works you consider as your favourite.

One of my favorite works is a recent article on Depression and Suicide which I wrote for Pulse Ng blog. You can read here. (http://www.pulse.ng/bloggers/pulse-blogger-depression-and-suicide-every-nigerian-concern-id6793481.html ) I poured my heart into this piece because it was something I’d gone through and survived. Having to encourage other’s who are struggling through it, meant a lot to me.

What is your best writing tip?

My best writing tip would be to keep writing. Writers are those who actually write even if what they are writing doesn’t make sense at first, but as they keep writing, they get better at it.

What is your best freelancing tip?

Always proofread your works before sending them out. You don’t want to make an error and leave an impression that you are a lazy writer.

What advice would you give to a budding freelancer or writer?

For a budding freelance writer, pitch your work to clients. Sometimes the clients don’t come to you if you don’t go out to them. Also, take courses to develop your writing skills. You grow as you learn.

We hope you enjoyed the article! In a bid to serve you better, we have including a very short survey we want you to fill in relation to interviews and the kind of questions you would like to ask your favourite freelancers. Click here to fill it: https://goo.gl/forms/bB2wKhLBVekP3pAH3

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