I started writing for fun in 2015 but, at that time, I wasn’t really considering a career as a writer. However, life events pushed me from hobbyist to careerist and I haven’t looked back. In the fall of 2016, my grandfather, who lives in Brazil, became very ill. I was born and raised in Brazil, but rarely visit my family because the cost of the trip is very prohibitive. Afraid I might not be able to see my granddad again, I told myself that maybe I could use my writing to make enough cash to buy a ticket. So, I set out to do what I needed to do to make it happen.

By this point, I had already been published in two multi-author sites, so I used those clips in my queries to clients and publications. I started waking up very early each day, and pitching articles to both potential clients as well as online and print publications. I searched through writing job boards and applied very selectively to those jobs that stated higher paying rates or that asked for a quote. I also contacted companies that I already use and love, and offered my writing services.

These efforts landed me several clients. I started ghostwriting blog posts for a life coaching business that I found via a job board. I was accepted as a contributing writer to a listicles-based website, and wrote several articles for them. The pay wasn’t huge, but it was fair for someone just starting out. I was hired to develop the web copy as well as online ads for a local cycling company. Finally, I used to be an English teacher and, once some acquaintances saw my success in the writing world, they asked to hire me as an editor. These clients fell on my lap and I went with it. I added editing services to my professional writer’s website, and I’ve now edited a novel, a cookbook, several magazine articles, and some blog posts and I will be editing a second novel shortly.

I started working hard to get paid for my writing in mid-September, 2016, and was on my way to Brazil at the beginning of November simply because I was able to get paid for my writing.

I intend on continuing to write for a long time to come – on a part-time basis for now, and full-time when my kids are older. I believe the secret to my success comes from having many sources of income and opportunities for writing. Instead of sticking to magazine articles only, I choose to pitch and write in more than one way – including blog posts, copywriting, and editing, both online and in print. Whereas niching has its place, I believe that, for writers who enjoy being creative, there is a time and a place for encouraging your multi-talented nature.

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Mariana Abeid-McDougall is a writer, a wife, and a mother of three young children in an out-of-the-box, adventurous family. She’s on a mission to convince multi-talented writers that they don’t have to buy into the niching craze. You can write in different niches and be successful as a writer. Join those who think the same way in our Facebook Group, Multi-Talented Writers, and check out Mariana’s multi-subject blog at www.marianamcdougall.com.

33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Blind Characters

I admire any writer who wants to tackle a blind character. But so many writers take up this challenge and FAIL. They research blindness by reading other fiction books, by observing their blind colleagues and acquaintances, and by tying on a blindfold and pretending to be blind themselves.

I understand the challenges your characters face, their triumphs, their hopes and their fears, because I've lived them. I work with people who have varying degrees of blindness every day, so I've seen every challenge, every situation you could imagine.

Let me share my knowledge to improve your writing. You can create blind characters that readers will fall in love with.

~Stephanie Green