A Blog in the Life of a Writer

Journaling Suggestion #3: Describe Your Favorite Food

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 04:08:00 +0000

What is your favorite food? Think for a minute, and when you have an answer write a paragraph about it. You might say, “What could I possibly say about pizza” or whatever is your choice. However, you can if you try.

There is only one rule: You have to keep writing and not think very much about what you write when you do this. Let your fingers just flow. You can check spelling and grammar later. However, do not make many changes if you can at least spell and construct a sentence.

My Example

My favorite food is chocolate. You might argue that it's not really a food, but I bed to differ. The cocoa from chocolate has antioxidants in it that actually fight cancer.

Of course, when savoring every last creamy bit of milk chocolate I think, I should have gotten the dark chocolate. I have had delicous dark chocolate, though. I feel less like I ate too much and am going to pack on the pounds when I eat dark chocolate. Now, I just wish they sold dark chocolate with almonds more often.

Journal Free Writing Suggestion #2: What was your First Trip Like?

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 04:07:00 +0000

I love to tell tales about places I've been, and I like to write about them. I personally loved visiting and l living in New York back in 1994. However, that was not my first trip so I will use another idea.

Pick a place you have been, but keep in mind it doesn't even have to be long distance. If you really cannot remember where you went on your very first trip out of town, just write about the first trip and the first destination you remember.

My Example

I would say my first trip was actually to the hospital. However, I don't remember much about it. I only heard about it, so it doesn't count.

Therefore, I am just thinking back to my first trip out of Green Bay, Wisconsin. I am not sure where the first place was, but we did go up north quite a bit. My family and me used to rent a cabin in Suring, Wisconsin.

My dad once threw a shoe at me while we all laid on the bare, unfinished floor. The cabin was exactly that-four (or maybe five) walls and a roof. No plumbing or electricity, just a shell of a building.

Journal Free Write Suggestion #1: Write about your First Kiss

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:02:00 +0000

You can take this exercise into any direction you want. For instance, you could talk about your first kiss as a child with your mom or dad kissing you on the cheek. Either that or you can talk about the first time you kissed someone you were in love with.

My Example

This may sound trite, but I have to say it. I consider it my first “real” kiss and I remember that first kiss like it was yesterday. Okay, actually I take that back. I do remember the kissing, and I do remember feeling the tingling down my spine and the rush of blood flowing through my body.

I remember more than just a first kiss. It was actually a series of first kisses with the same person I will never forget. It was so long ago so my memory just shows one-second slide shows of me sitting on your lap and you leaning towards me while holding me.

Then, I remember standing outside with him and me on my front porch. I wondered if my mom and dad were looking out the window at least on one occasion. However, we just kissed anyway.

Incidentially, there was a time later on when your kiss was after you smoked a cigarette. I just about gagged. However, I still remember the first time we kissed and your mouth was as sweet as strawberry jelly and as tasty as chocolate pie.

Object Poem Exercise #3: Rubber Band

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0000

For this exercise all you need to do is think of a household object or any object and expand on it.

The Object for today's poetry free verse exercise is...

“rubber band”

My Example

You stretch me out and then you wonder

why I snap back at you-or someone.

You pull me until I am about to break,

and then you twist me.

You expect me to hold forever, but I can't.

I am worn out. I'm about to break.

You can think about rubber bands for a second and then get back to me! I really want to see what you can create with this.

Object Poem Exercise #1: A Laundry Basket

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:48:00 +0000

For this exercise all you need to do is think of a household object or any object and expand on it. One I did in college was on a laundry basket.

You can try it, and here is a short three-verse example for inspiration:

I look at you looking so empty, but over and over clean over filth.

What is to become of you, oh laundry basket?

Should I clean you out before I load you up?

Or should I just let you be, oh laundry basket.

Why can't you just stay clean, and not accumulate grime.

When will it ever end, oh laundry basket.

Note: I wish I had kept my writings from college. I actually had a much better laundry basket poem written then. Of course, if you can do better I challenge you to reply to this comment below.

Another Suggestion

You could create an entire series of poems just on one object. You could also write several different object poems. It is a great way to start your creative energy and it helps you learn how to “show versus tell” in your writing like I have always been told to do when writing poetry.

You could also try writing a more formal poem, such as a sonnet or one with a regular or irregular rhyme pattern. What you see above is an example of free verse poetry.

For Fun: About Typing "Do a Barrel Roll" In Search Engines

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Today Google apparently wanted to have some fun. Thereore, they decided to tell people to take a moment from their busy days and type "do a barrel roll" in in the Big G's search engine. I tried it and it is kind of funny.

My Question to Explore was This: Does it Work in Other Search Engines?

My Report So Far: I tried it in Yahoo, Dogpile, and Bing. It doesn't work in any of these for me. I'd be curious to find out if anyone else has tried it in a search engine and if it has worked or not. If so please comment somewhere on this post and let me know. :)

A News Reference Link (Available at my "Caught My Eye" Blog):

http://caughtmyeye19.blogspot.com/2011/11/do-barrel-roll-only-seems-to-work-in.html

Jane Austen Author Bio

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:17:00 +0000

My mom actually had read some of Jane Austen's books. I still remember Northanger Abbey lying around the house. She is oftentimes classified as a romance novelist.

However, Austen's works of literature depict social problems of the times she lived in. She actually was born in 1775, one year before the Revolutionary war started. When she was a child, she lived with her family in landed gentry, which was a certain British social class that lived primarily off of rental income.

Works of Literature

Her first novel ever released to the public was Sense and Sensability, and then came Pride and Predudice. These were then followed by Mansfield Park and Emma. Finally, she wrote Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Her last novel ever was Sandition, which she did not complete before she passed away.

About her Book Plots

The tone of her books are of a more comical nature, but the theme involves transition from the last half of the 18^th Century to the beginning of the 19^th Century. Her writing depicts realistic ideologies, and she uses comedy to express how women use marriage as a way to secure economic weath and social standing.

Today

The legacy of Jane Austen still lives on. A film even came out a few years ago about a group of women who joined a book club. The subjects of course were various Jane Austen's novels and how they identify with the characters and situations in them. I learned a little bit about what each one of her books is about when I watched that movie.

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Thomas Paine: A Founding Father and Author

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

We all know Thomas Paine was one of America's founding fathers. He also was an avid statesman, but he was also an author. Most of us recall mostly that he wrote Common Sense.

More About Him

He was born in Thetford, Norfolk County, England. However, he moved to the American colonies in 1774, which of course was not too long before the American Revolutionary War started.

His writing Common Sense was a pamphlet about the avocation of the independence of the American colonies. However, his points of view did not end there, as he also wrote The American Crisis. He believed very strongly about the cause of freeing American even though he was born in England.

Pain also lived during the French Revolution, during which time he had actually lived in France (1790s). Most people do not know this, but Thomas Paine was put on trial at one time because he allegedly attacked Edmund Burke's character. The crime he was tried for was “seditious libel.”

He also was also arrested and imprisoned from 1973 to 1794. He was more of a free thinker and was highly opposed to organizational and institutionalized Christianity.

Pain was more of the deism persuasion, which basically meant that he believed in no need for organized religion to explain the the earth was made by an all-powerful creator. He had great faith in this way as some people would say.

However, he also did not believe that the creator and/or supreme being would get involved at all in human affairs. A person following deism beliefs may also be one who does not believe in miracles or prophesies.

More aspects of diesm do exist. However, I have to study it more before I can explain it more to you.

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A Short Intro to Johnathan Swift the Author

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:38:00 +0000

Johnathan Swift was most known for his satire and with, but he also was regarded as a person with a great imagination. I personally know him most as the one who wrote Gulliver's Travels.

However, he also is well-known for creating the following works of literature: An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity, A Tale of a Tub, The Battle of the Books, A Journal To Stella, Drapier's Letters, and A Modest Proposal.

Other Facts about Swift

Johnathan Swift was far more well-known for his prose than he was for his poetry. Many people-myself included probably did not even know he wrote versus. In the beginning of Swift's writing career he published anonymously or by various pen names (i.e. Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaaff, or M.B. Draper).

He also wrote sermons and prayers, as he was at one time the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral Dublin. He was also what was at one time known as a “political pamphleteer” as he really was passionate about certain causes.

Place/Date of Birth

Johnathan Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland on November 30, 1667 and passed away in 1745. He was 77 when he died in Ireland.

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It's 5 a.m., I haven't slept...

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:40:00 +0000

Original post creation date: 10/28/2011 Post date: ugh, today, right now, of course (a week later).

It's 5 a.m. and I haven't yet slept. I stayed up all night and now I am jacked up on Monster. I am not even supposed to be drinking that stuff anymore. In my defense, at least it took me a few days to drink a half of a can of it.

Yesterday was probably the most non-productive day of my writing career in awhile. I never took five hours to post two blog entries before. At the very most it would take me a half hour to write plus format pictures, but not five hours. That's crazy, and that's two and a half hours per entry!

Today just better be a lot better. I suppose it will be. Because it's Friday.

By the way, in case you are wondering why I didn't post this entry on the day I wrote it, it is just because I don't want to clutter all my entries together. At the time this is posted, it will be still Friday, but a week later. Same stuff different week anyway. What else is new?

Some Days I Feel so Small and Insignificant

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:38:00 +0000

Some days I feel so small and insignificant. I wonder if what I say is even important. Hasn't already said what I say now in my writing? Some days I also wonder what is the point? Is it more about the promotion that writers make money, or do some writers just have a far more refined and natural gift than others?

Still, I carry on just because I feel it is my duty. I always believe in reaching even one person in my lifetime. I hope I can at least say that I have-reached just one person in my life for the better and not for the worst.

Featured Author: A Little Bit about Ben Franklin

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:20:00 +0000

Some say he was an avid statesman, others would say he was a self-absorbed player, and still others would say he is a genius. He was known for his pragmatism.

He believed people only choose right versus wrong not because of what the Bible says, but rather because of the consequences. I believe he also thought people should draw their own conclusions instead of just allowing other people to think for them. He was in my eyes a visionary and revolutionary.

His Hugest Accomplishments

Most people remember him by his experiment with a key and a kite, and his writing of the 13 Virtues. From this he discovered electricity and created the lightening rod. He was known as someone who is a polymath, or a person who is very knowledgeable in many areas.

However, that is not all about Ben Franklin. He strongly opposed religious and political authoritarianism and he helped free slaves towards the end of his life.

He served as a governor from 1785 to 1788. He served in this role in the State of Pennsylvania. He was one who was involved in the joining of Enlightenment along with Puritanism ways. He did not believe we should speak or think so “black and white” as if there is only one way to think or act.

The above barely even touches on all that Ben Franklin was, and of course he was also an author. He even wrote an autobiography (a book about himself). In addition, he ran a printing press, and was a musician and artist.

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About DeWitt Boyd Stone, Jr. (Short Biography)

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:59:00 +0000

One book that DeWitt Boyd Stone, Jr. is most know for his participation in putting together Wandering to Glory. This book is a compilation of dialogues from officers, soldiers, and other participants of one of the Confederacy's most controversial Civil War battles. When you read Boyd's background, you will see how he was inspired.

Dynamic Buyback ISBN Link

More about DeWitt Boyd, Jr.

He currently administrates at Lander University located in Greenwood, South Carolina. This is the same university that was founded by DeWitt's great grandfather.

He is also a descendant of two families originating from Anderson County, and these people close to him were the fuel that fired his work. DeWitt received his higher education degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin as well as the University of Zurich.

He was also very active in the National Science Foundation. DeWitt currently lives in Clemson, South Carolina. His book Wandering for Glory tells the tales of Confederate Army Veterans who served in the Evan's Brigade.

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Perdition: Like the sound of This One!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:01:00 +0000

“Perdition” was originally the “Word of the Day” on October 27, 2011 by Dictionary.com. I can understand why, because it sounds like the kind of word a person would want to use in writing or speech.

Definition (From My Interpretation)

To me, “Perdition” means someone who is way beyond hope, as in condemned. It is a person of darkness, and way far too gone to escape from spiritual ruins.

I think I would use this in a poem, song, or fiction work. I suppose it might even work well in non-fiction writing. Here is some further usage examples and explanation of this word.

Berserk: A Word I thought Was Outdated

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:51:00 +0000

My personal definition of “berserk” to me was that it is a person who has a fit or “goes crazy.” I think when I was a kid I often heard of it used when my or my brothers had a childhood temper tantrum.

I'm not sure what I think of this word. I don't know if I would ever use it in my writing. It's not a bad word, I just do not recall the last time I ever heard anyone use it. These days people say “going postal” more than they would say “go berserk.” Still, I suppose this would be a great Halloween word.

Some background: “Berserk” made it on the Dictionary.com “Word of the Day” list on Friday, October 28th. I did not include it in my favorite words, though. However, it does bring back memories. You can read an official definition and find uses for this word here.

A Vote: About the Grossest word(s) in the English Language

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 05:53:00 +0000

I am starting to become a Dictionary.com addict. I totally love the responses in the comments presented in this article below. I also added my two cents worth as to what I think the grossest sounding word in the English language really is.

If you click on the link below and scroll down to about the 1,523rd comment (no lie this post was very popular) you can find me, little ol' humble "Julie, J.A.B.'s Freelance World" giving my "two cents worth." I share with you what I personally think is the grossest sounding word in the English language-or any language for that matter!

What’s the grossest sounding word in English? Let us know | The Hot Word | Hot & Trending Words Daily Blog at Dictionary.com

A Day in the Life of a Blogger-Formatting Photo Follies

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 06:52:00 +0000

I had a frustrating day. Needless to say I said some words that one of my roommates (my boyfriend's son) can hear from down the hallway. I was practically pulling my fried hair right out of my head all because it took me five hours to post two blog entries!

These entries only took me 15 minutes each to write. That is unusual for me though. It has a lot to do with the fact that I am somewhat of a novice at formatting blog photos. I hope tomorrow is better. I also hope I rake in over $200 in profits from those articles. Hopefully my network will pay for it!

Some New Favorite Words of Mine

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:10:00 +0000

Just some Interesting Words I Just Learned:

Some people who read this writer's blog may think I have too much time on my hands. However, I have come across some interesting words.

I just chose these words randomly as I was browsing an online dictionary:

Scene-stealer

It is a performer (usually one playing a lesser part or role) who draws the attention away from the lead person in a musical, concert, or other show. It sometimes is because of the charm, talent or artifice (trickiness or craftiness) of a person.

Artifice

One word just leads to another. This word was presented in a definition of “scene-stealer” and I just had to look it up. I wouldn't mind using this in my writing, especially a creative story. It means someone who is clever, or it could be a cunning or crafty person.

However, I must point out, “artifice” usually refers to ingenious craftiness. Someone who is not very intelligent as far as strategy-wise may not be able to be a person crafted with “artifice.”

However, this word could be attributed to a person who is a prankster in a comedy sense. However, it oftentimes refers to deceitful people full of drama who devise dishonest schemes such as to deceive or defraud.

Adversary

This word is not necessarily new to me. However, I like this word and remember it from the Bible actually. It usually is in reference to Satan coming against a person or a group.

However, it also can be an individual who wants to be an “adversary” against another person. The words “enemy” or “backstabber” are somewhat related, in a way that suggests an “adverse” person is one who wants to make trouble.

Voluminous

I am not sure how people of a larger stature would take this word. Would they be insulted? I suppose it could be a great word to use when writing a novel if you want to describe a rather “voluminous” person.

It would mean a larger person, and probably this word could refer to vast and wide homes or or animals. I would consider using this word, if I could do it tactfully.

Use your Words Exercise #1

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:55:00 +0000

Use your Words Exercise #1

I right now am so into words and have become obsessed with Dictionary.com lately. I decided to pull some random words out of that online dictionary and use them to introduce to you what I hope will be one of many “Use Your Words” Exercises.

Here is what the exercise is all about:

I will give you three sets of words, and you have to use each set of words in a sentence. If you want, you can make each set of words into a paragraph, or you can make three separate sentences and incorporate them into a longer piece of writing.

Remember, only use the words that are meant for each sentence, as indicated below. If you have any questions please reply to this post with a comment.

One more thing, you can use these words for each sentence in any order you want (definition of words provided if you click on the link to a word):

Sentence #1: distraught, dabbled, disdain, wrath, rational, nethermost

Sentence #2: deprecate, anoesis, ascetic, nugatory, affection

Sentence #3: taciturn, speak, sentence obligatory, rejoinder

My Examples

Sentence #1: She was “distraught” and full of “wrath,” and filled with “disdain” for her son who “dabbled” in witchcraft, and all “rational” thinking sunk “nethermost.”

Sentence #2: His displays of “affection” were quite “nugatory” in contrast to his “ascetic” willingness to “deprecate,” thus explaining my mental and emotional “anoesis.”

Sentence #3: Jenna was “taciturn,” and when she did “speak,” it was an “obligatory” two-word “sentence” or “rejoinder.”

As you can see, I am learning right along with you. I didn't even know what half of the above words mean. Yet, I made my best attempt to put them into sentences. Let me know how I did, and if you can do better, by all means reply with your finished products below.

But I just Have so Much Work to Do!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:36:00 +0000

Last night my boyfriend called me and said he would be home early from work. I should have been elated, I know. However, I could not help but think, “oh bugger! I just have so much work to do!”

I swear sometimes he would rather he be my full time job than me trying to run my blog network. Don't get me wrong, he is my night job and it's not bad pay. However, I cannot quit my day job yet. Writing is my life.

A Writer's Professional and Personal Challenges

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:27:00 +0000

It can be tough to continue on as a writer for many reasons. For one, it is a very competitive field. For every one assignment you are given, one to three dozen people are probably turned down for it.

The other problem is that everyone seems to want to write, which is okay by me. I encourage it. However, it can just as tough to compete against the writers who write better than me than the ones who are not as good of writers as me.

I feel stuck in the middle. Many times I felt too good for many of the kinds of assignments I took on the past seven years, yet not good enough as a writer to take on higher-paying ones.

There are times when I figure maybe I set my sites too high, and now its time to find a middle ground. Still, it's time-consuming trying to find my place in this world as a writer. Pitching, selling, sampling, it all takes time to produce. Still, writing the samples and selling them to clients is the only way I am going to be able to pay my rent from month to month.

It can be hard to also not get my feelings hurt as a professional writer. I feel that there was times when clients expected me to be able to product perfect-quality articles for less than $5 per page. Some people do not understand my worth as a writer is how I would feel. As if the extra dollar per page I should get is not worth it. However, it would be a small price to pay if the clients want the articles proofread.

Personal Challenges

Sometimes I was very happy with the meager income I had made at times. However, it can be tough to stand up against opposition-as if the little I made (even though it was steady income full time) was still not enough.

I at times was criticized throughout my writing career the most right when I was doing my best, or close to my best. For instance, a few years back one person close to me said I “work 90 hours a week and don't even get paid.” That was a stark exaggeration, but the point is apparently me working as a full time blogger for a client still was not enough.

I had to be making more money than I was the instant I was making it. I was just happy to get to the point where I could actually make enough money to pay my rent and buy food. At least that was a start. After all, it was almost two years since one of my highest-paying assignments ended.

(The summer of 2007, a few months before the recession started, I landed a short-term summer assignment for which I got paid my highest per article ever-up to $50 per piece I wrote. That may not seem like much considering all the research involved, but it was for website content writing. Therefore, it was quite high of a payment.)

What I am trying to say is that it can be tough when a person close to me does not see the bigger picture. Still, I have to carry on. I cannot give up.

My Current Plans

I am working hard and doing the work of five people right now. The huge project I am undertaking is trying to resurrect my dying business by expanding my current blog network. This is a huge endeavor, but if I can start posting more regularly in my own network I can become more convincing to clients.

I want them to know what I write is actually being read. If they see I have thousands of page views on my blogs already-and I finally just had been writing on them more regularly within the past month or two-then maybe they would realize my true worth.

Do My Words Make Sense?

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:04:00 +0000

A few years ago I wrote this “Midlife Crisis Song.” It's about how I never was a famous musician and always wanted to be.

I may share the entire song with you once I finally get it recorded. However, for now I want to share two lines:

“Can I really make a difference/Do the lyrics I write make sense...”

Those two lines of course are sung along with other lyrics. I also have these two lines,

“I gotta find out before I get too old/if I really can put on a show...”

My Answer to my Crazy Self

For as long as a person can type, hold a pen, or carry a tune it's never too late to put on a show. Get started now while you still have time left on this earth.

More Words I was Unsure of, Are they Words?

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:49:00 +0000

I had to look up these words, because I wasn't sure if they were really words. I've been doing this quite a bit lately just to make sure. Here is my most recent list of words that I was not sure were really words.

Strategize (yes)

It basically means to create a definite plan that you would carefully carry out to completion. This word is often used by successful business people or by people when they are playing group online or board games. It is the verb form of the word "strategy."

Unfulfilling (no)

As of now supposedly unfulfilling is not a word, not even as an adjective or verb. I may do some more research about this because I thought I heard many people use this when saying “unfulfilling relationships.”

For now though I will tell you, “unfulfilled” is the closest adjective form of this word. It surprises and shocks me but I have to do what the dictionary says, at least in formal writing or business writing.

Craftfully (no)

I was close on this one, but it is definitely not a word. It should instead be “craftily.” I learned something from this, because I realize “craftully” would not even mean the same as “craftily” if it were a word. Still, I hear people pronounce this word wrong all the time, thus the misspelling.

Sceneries (yes)

Some spell checks are the reason for discrepancies such as this plural form of scenery. However, I checked and double-checked and found out it really is a word.

Animadvert: One more Favorite “Word of the Day”

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:32:00 +0000

Animadvert: One more Word I Like

I am not about to copy Dictionary.com's entire “Word of the Day” collectin or anything. However, I like to comment on the Words of the Day that are my favorite.

The “Word of the Day” for October 26, 2011 just happens to be one of them:

Andimadvert

Usually it means to comment critically or unfavorably on something. For instance, you could “animadvert” upon what president Obama is doing about national health care. You could also “adimadvert” upon how bad the economy was when President Bush, Sr. was in office. You might even be able to use it jokingly as a way to express disdain for someone's cooking.

More Info:

Animadvert

Usage suggestions: Here.

Writing-Some people Don't Understand Why I do This

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Blodgett) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:26:00 +0000

The past few days I have been reflecting on the past seven years I spent being a professional writer. During this time, I have pondered a few decisions I made.

First, my Story

Sometimes I would get so wrapped up in assignments that pay me less than minimum wage, that I would miss the bigger picture. However, I am still convinced that there is still more money to be made as a writer than I had been making for awhile.

After all, they say “do what you love and the money will follow” right? However, sometimes it is not just about money. It is about relationships I have made with clients. Still, I had a huge decision to make if I was going to make more than less than minimum wage as a writer. (Yes, the sentence I just wrote is exactly how I want it to read.)

I needed to try to write more for myself than for my clients. I am tired of neglecting my own blogs. Still, no matter who I write for I have a purpose.

There is a reason I do what I do right now...It's because this is really all I have...

My writing career and my writing business is all that I have that is actually my own. I have no kids, no house, no thousands of dollars in the bank-at least I don't have any of these things yet.

However, part of the reason I want to keep writing is because the long-term outcome is better than the short-term return of a paycheck. I just hope that I don't have to wait too long to see the money come pouring in.

I also write because I want to express myself. This can be tough to do because sometimes even people I know read my blogs. However, I cannot give up. I need to do this.