I’ve loved writing for most of my life. I fell in love with reading first, then my affection for words grew from there. To save you the pain of reading my life story, I’ll skip the boring bits.
As a teen, I decided I wanted to be a writer. The adults in my life told me in their well-meaning way that writing was too hard, didn’t pay enough, and I wouldn’t like it anyway. They advised me to get a ‘real’ job instead. In my naivety, I believed them despite the important detail that none were, or had ever tried to become writers. I got a degree in Zoology and became a wild animal trainer. So much for the real job.
Fifteen years later, I still love animals, but I’m a mom now. My passion for my children has taken me completely off guard. I want to be home with them. I returned to writing fiction a few years ago when the writing itch flared up again. It was as if I’d found a missing puzzle piece in my life. Almost everything was in place, but there was a little hole that made everything feel off. Writing again finished the picture of me.
The first time someone paid me to write, the idea of becoming a professional writer and coming home with my kids started to bloom. Selling flash fiction at $1.00 a pop, or more often for ‘exposure’ or a contributor copy, while emotionally satisfying, wasn’t going to buy the milk. I began to read everything I could find about becoming a professional writer: blogs, articles, books, and even an online class. While I’m not ready to quit my day job yet, the dream is starting to feel closer.
Starting in Jan 2008, I made the decision to work as a freelancer. Really work. I spend several hours each night after the kids are sleeping writing and reading. I’ve invented my own freelance writing school of free and low-cost information, and a lot of writing practice. The articles I sell buy me new writing books, stamps and ink for submissions, and, yes, it’s even starting to buy the milk.
Some of the most useful information I’ve learned came from the experiences of other writers who’ve been at this a lot longer than I have. This blog is born, partly out of the desire to get all this information that I’ve gathered over the years in one place for my own reference and use. But an even great goal is to share all the information and resources I’ve found with other aspiring writers. I’ve wasted time and money on things that turned out to be relatively useless. I’ve found priceless gems buried in online forums that no search engine would have uncovered. I want to give back what every writer who offered me helpful tips have given to me.
By all means, if you’re a writer also trying to make money with your words, please comment on my entries, and share your own insights. I don’t claim to know all the answers. I’m still on the path. I just want to share my wandering with others. If we walk together, we will be better able to find the gold dust, and keep an eye out for the wolves.
