Writing Without A Contract

Times are tough. Where's a toaster repairman when you need one? Apparently they've gone the way of the dinosaur and I have to buy a cheap, plastic, made-in-the-farthest-reaches-of-China replacement because there's no way I have enough money for a Dualit Combi 2x2. Grr.

Unless, of course, I land a contract that would front me the moolah. But as I said, times are tough. Contracts are hard to come by.

I've got a writerly buddy, multi-published, who finished up a contract and poof! A cloud of magic fairy dust fills the air--not the glittery kind a drunk elf at a renaissance festival sprinkles around. The malevolent kind. The stuff that chokes elephants. But I digress... When the air clears, there are no more contracts to be seen for said author (and no, I'm not talking about me; I've never written a book under a freaking contract so I wouldn't know what it feels like).

Okay, so enough with the intro. As an encouragement to any writer who finds themselves in Nocontractsville, here's a handy dandy list to remind you the sun still shines.

Top 3 Reasons Why Writing Without a Contract 
is a Good Thing

1. No deadline, dude!
Let your hair down. The pressure's off. The calendar isn't whapping you upside the head like a boxer wannabe with a crazed left hook. Use the time to do some serious research. Practice sharpening up a skill you know you need help with.

2. Write what you want to write.
You're not glued to a synopsis. The story can dangle and twist, then shoot off in any direction it wants to go. You want flying monkeys? There's no one to tell you they're a bad idea. Unleash your creativity and let it roam the neighborhood.

3. You can sail that manuscript on a vast and wide sea of publishers.
When you're not committed to one company, you can market your story to loads of different venues. And if the stars are all in alignment and you're wearing your lucky underwear, maybe you'll even get a bidding war going. It's always gratifying to see publishers sit up and beg.