What is the worst writing job you have ever had ?

I can't think of anything particularly bad in the sense of article writing or anything, but the first time I started to write for a roleplaying forum I had to play a character that I loathed. I couldn't stand it. Since then I learned that I do what I want to and there is no stopping me. I am who I am.

 

My worst writing job was a joint venture where I was responsible for the copywriting and my "friend" was going to market the product. My "friend" took my copy, used it and then blocked me from his contact list.

 

My worst copy writing experience was writing lots of technical stuff for one IT website. And it isn't even the complicated topic that frustrated me, but my client's obstinacy and inability to communicate in a mutually efficient way.

 

In my early days of freelancing, I had one project where I was supposed to write a 200 word description about different online tv channels. It might have been exciting for someone else, but it was nauseatingly boring for me.

 

I just had a client refuse to pay me because I didn't write the information he wanted into the product descriptions for a furniture site. The problem? He didn't give me any information that I didn't include. He wanted the types of fabric and other details, but didn't give me any. The idiot is now hiring another writer on here, but I am guessing he still won't get what he wants.

I also did a collection of male enhancement products that made me feel dirty and dishonest. I refuse to take those now. And once I was given a collection of 50 articles on martial arts products. The same martial arts products. Even the best writers find it difficult to write about workout mats in a particularly exciting fashion once they enter into the second dozen. lol

 

Can you PM me the name of that client? I have the same experience, maybe he's just playing dirty tricks to get free articles.

 

I had client who requested some...very adult content. Now I don't mind writing about adult or personal content in an informational manner, but it was just plain creepy.

He first requested content on how to lengthen the you-know-what at first with certain devices. I was okay with it, not super creepy, but then he requested more personal content. Eventually he requested pleasuring techniques and specifically asked to describe every...single...part...including the "happy ending". Yikes.

I had to let him go. That made me feel dirty for days.

 

Writing very lengthy articles with a poor content and within a very short time is the worst job i hope..

 

I think writing 20 articles a day with 500 words each and with a poor content is the worst job.. Thanks...

 

my experience with constant-content...i don't know why they allow non-US users to sign up...when they simply don't want them...i tried 3 times to post my writings there..each time got rejected..and the reason they told me was nothing clear....it simply says "hey you idiot..we don't want you...get lost from here".....they should have said it in the very beginning itself...!!!

 

Or maybe your writing was just sub-par according to their writer's guidelines. No reason to blame the service immediately, especially when you didn't bother reading enough of the guidelines and terms to even know they're probably not US-based to begin with (making your point moot). But of course, it's always somebody else's fault, right?

 

Worst experience - I actually only take on projects I like, but I've had one awful client (thankfully every other client I've worked with has been incredible). He had tons of not-so-stellar ideas that he wanted me to implement.

On the positive side though, he WAS open to testing my ideas vs. his, which worked out well.

 

I think one of my worst concerned a client that just kept adding requirements on while still wanting to pay the same rate. After that one I made sure to get a detailed list of project requirements beforehand! I think subject wise, I had a batch of 50 promotional pen articles to write - by the end of it I don't think I ever wanted to see or think about pens at all hehe.

 

I've loved reading these!

The worst for me is a recent one - 30 articles on "advanced stock trading techniques". Something of an issue considering I don't even know beginner stock trading techniques, and I was expected to find the article titles myself. When they sent me the (tiny) brief, I read "candlestick patterns" and thought it meant... patterns for candlesticks, as in those you put in a sconce. The truth smacked me so hard 'round the head I can't believe I can still type properly.

(Which kind of brings another point up: clients that ask you to write out of your expertise - I'm a history writer, for goodness sake - but you're too scared of losing them as a client that you agree!)

 

Undoubtedly the worst kind of jobs are the ones when you grab the short end of the stick and the pay never materializes. I know as I had my share of these.

Going a step forward and entering the surreal sub-variety, the strangest jobs are those where you have to lie about your identity (not about the product). I still remember vividly when I wrote from the perspective of a recent mom, who managed to gain back her teenage looks after birth. Oddly enough, that was one of my best converting sales letters I have ever written. Me and surreal fit together like Russian cheese and cuckoo clocks.

Regards, George

 

When I first started I took a job as a porn site reviewer, and had to write all reviews from the perspective of a very graphic, very horny young male. I was pregnant at the time. lol.

 

Some of these entries really make me laugh.

I do not know, honestly, what my worst job was. Some have been brain numbingly boring, others have come at the hands of clients who frustrated me so badly I started talking like the Incredible Hulk ("Erin MAD. Client MEAN! Erin SMASH!") to my fiance' and I've had clients that jerked me around or flaked out on me. It is something that comes with the territory I think and with each one I learn. Mostly I learn how to make sure that I don't get put in those positions again, but still--someday it will make for a great memoir. Or sitcom.

 

This isn't exactly about writing, but when I still had a day job, my boss asked me to test an entire website. I had to check if the links worked and stuff. All in all, I had to click on several hundred links within the site, I think. It was boredom to the highest level.