I hurled the newspaper aside, appalled by the writer’s shoddy treatment of her subject, humiliated by her failure to proofread and, even more, profoundly disappointed. I’d trusted this fellow word-slinger, and she let me down…
The first article I ever submitted was accepted, published, and paid for – about $300, if I recall. And, I was hooked.
I dropped out of school, went back several times, and after a series of jobs and “careers,” which resulted in an extensive collection of hairnets and nametags, I finally got serious about being a writer, and figured out the first obstacle to working at home full time: money.
When my father’s dementia started to decline, I cut back on work to look after him. Facing the constant barrage of demands of looking after someone with dementia, my soul was craving more. I needed an outlet to stimulate my mind and something outside of caring. Not only did I want something to distract me from looking after Dad, but also something I could profit from financially.
To dislike making the shift from the vocation of your choice to bookkeeping is a common characteristic of any self-employed individual. Here is a minimal plan for keeping financial records with which your accountant can work.
One day, while lazing about on Facebook, I stumbled upon a freelance writers’ group. After researching the field, I discovered it was a viable venture…or at least the sites I sampled promised me so.
When I was first offered a blog ghostwriting gig by Jim, a director of something-or-other for a tech company, it would’ve been putting it nicely to say I was underwhelmed. Via LinkedIn message, I was offered the chance to connect about a writing assignment. The lead seemed so low qualified that it was not until Jim messaged me again that I replied with (admittedly faked) interest.
Defining myself as a specialist writer, I refused to take on work other than criticism for the simple reason that I saw diversity as a threat to my status as a professional. I saw extra work as a crack in my armour, and feared that others within my industry would see me as less of a critic for each step I took towards becoming a jack of all trades writer.
How 4 simple words from Angela Hoy at WritersWeekly cured 10 years of writer’s block.
Since I was a young girl, I knew writing was my strength and one thing at which I truly excelled. However, a lack of knowledge of the realm of possibilities for a writer in today’s world as well as some tumultuous teenage years and beyond threw me off of any solid path in that direction.
