Freelancing

How Being Quarantined on a Tropical Island Kickstarted My Freelance Writing Business

Does spending your quarantine days on a tropical island sound like a distant dream?

With large parts of the world still in strict quarantine, chances are that you, by now, recognize the texture of your ceiling better than your fingerprint, that fragments of wall paint are sticking to your forehead, and that “Netflix & chill” means literally that. For most people, remaining stuck in their homes has proven to be draining and mind-consuming, to say the least. When windows suddenly feel more like paintings of a fictional world, distress and a lack of intellectual stimulation seem unavoidable.

From the other side of the fence, finding myself on a tropical island really was like a dream. Instead of on the couch or in bed, I spent my days at the beach, snorkeling, and reading good fiction. With the freedom to move, I could explore mangroves and go on adventures in the jungle. The ongoing crisis seemed almost unreal.

However, as the situation evolved, my freedom turned out to be brief. The Thai government eventually declared a state of emergency, consequently isolating the different provinces in the country. Uncertainty arose both among nationals and the few tourists who were still traveling; an underlying sense of panic lingered in the air. Many locals were stranded away from family and loved ones. For foreigners with booked flights home, any possibility to reach the airport was suddenly non-existent. The price of flight tickets sky-rocketed towards $2500, and all boat traffic between the island and mainland halted with no prior warning. With travel bans shutting the doors to the rest of the world, it became apparent that I wouldn’t be leaving for a while.

Initially, I continued to spend my days as if time didn’t exist. There was little else I could do. As a seasonal restaurant worker, I didn’t have a job to go back to, and although I missed family and friends, they were stuck at home like everybody else.

Before long, the days had begun to grow longer. I had been on the road for nearly five months, and according to my initial itinerary, I should’ve returned home a long time ago. Tormenting uneasiness and slight claustrophobia had replaced the previous feelings of liberty and tranquility. And I had a more urgent problem. Checking my bank account had started to feel like an anxiety-filled punch to the guts. My money was running out.

I knew that I had to find a way to earn some money. Considering that everything was closed due to the virus, none of the classic travel jobs: restaurants, hotels, or schools were available. I had to turn to the internet. But how do you generate an income while stuck in a foreign country and without prior experience working online? Well, as it turns out: determination, long days, and tons of coffee.

For a while, I have known that I wanted to become a writer. Not to start a business from it, but to be able to tell one specific story. A few months ago, during my travels in India, I witnessed a sequence of horrible events that had to be shared. A woman whose voice was never allowed to be heard, died in front of me, after repeatedly being rejected help. I took the responsibility to become her voice, and thus, writing was the apparent craft to pursue.

I had a lot of work ahead of me. Despite a background in academic writing from university, I was clueless about how to write anything that resembles a blog post — let alone an article. But considering the situation, there was time in abundance, and I was determined to learn.

After a painful shopping spree on Kindle store: On Writing, Reading Like a Writer, So You Think You Can Write?, I started plowing. I studied from sunup to sundown, sometimes reading as much as nine or ten hours per day. I scavenged through video courses on Skillshare and Youtube and soon realized that writing wasn’t the only skill required — far from it. The to-learn list grew longer and longer. How to start a company, how to send an invoice; content marketing — like marketing in disguise. I had to learn about link building, networking, and how to get an editor to actually reply to a pitch. And as if all of this wasn’t enough, merely writing for the reader wasn’t going to cut it; I also had to write for Google?!

I was clueless about how to write anything that resembles a blog post — let alone an article. But considering the situation, there was time in abundance, and I was determined to learn.

Safe to say, it felt like I had taken water over my head, and I found myself having more questions than I did answers. Everything felt overwhelming and quitting had already crossed my mind. As going into debt was not an option, I managed to stay focused on trying to work everything out, breaking it down to one step at a time. The first task was to set up a new email account; this was going to be the center of my new business. It was a tiny step, but a much-needed tick in my to-do list. And from there, everything started rolling.

Reading blogs and taking part in online courses, I quickly realized that content marketing was less intimidating than it appeared. I practiced my writing every day and started to read as a writer — questioning and reflecting on the authors’ choices. I researched and learned everything I could about search engine optimization, experimenting with different SEO tools, sometimes working up to sixteen-hour stretches. I’d say I was thriving — although my girlfriend would probably disagree, being worried about me waking up in the middle of the night, shouting “NEIL PATEL!”

Currently, I spend my days writing: blog posts, articles, and narrative essays. I work on improving in any way I can, and truthfully, I feel more motivated than ever. Although the adversity of quarantine is still present, I have managed to transform it into a source of motivation. These two weeks did not make me an expert, but they did get me started. Now, that’s something.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider checking out some of my other work.

Philip Sundt has been a full-time traveler for over 2 years, has since then visited more than 12 countries, and realized that life on the road is possible — even for an average Joe. Philip covers travel, freelancing, and personal growth. Say hi on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook!

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