Friday, May 25, 2007

The Inaugural Post

After much deliberation, I decided to create a writing blog. I suppose it makes sense. I'm a writer. Not "I want to be a writer." I *am* a writer. It's what I do for a living. It's what I do to survive.

This blog will talk about my writing, about the business of writing, about my frustrations and triumphs. I'll add book reviews and maybe interviews and answer questions. To those of you whom I strong-armed to read this puppy, I expect you to comment and ask me questions.

Mostly, I will record my journey I've taken on my dream career. I've been freelancing full time now since May 1, 2005. The most fateful moment in my career life came on January 3, 2005, when my boss walked into the office I shared with a co-worker and said, "My funding has run out. You need to find another job. Soon."

At first I panicked. I'd been down that road before, needing to find another job elsewhere on the campus I worked. I'd been in the soft money situation before. I hated it. I hated the interview and pretending to be perky and interested in jobs that I didn't want but needed to have. A nasty twist in my job history -- a Cruella DeVille boss -- cut me off from the type of job I wanted, was good at, was qualified for.

My husband, however, was oddly serene. Usually that role is reversed. Instead of worrying, he whisked me away for an anniversary trip to Aruba when I had no idea if I'd have a job much longer when we returned. I'd been freelancing on top of my regular jobs, and I was making a little money. He told me, "If you think you can make a little more money with your writing, we can survive. You supported me when I needed it. It's my turn to support your dreams."

So I took the plunge. I had a couple of safety nets in place for a couple of months, but by fall, I had a book contract and one or two regular clients. And I'd never been happier.

It hasn't all been easy. There were some very lean months as I figured out what I was doing and how the business worked. Now my schedule is busy and the month's invoice, while they go up and down, are fairly consistent. If my average keeps up, I'll make a tidy income. Not where I want to be, but much more than I would have been making if I was still working in my old job. And a million times happier.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

good job

Anonymous said...

i am here....here posting a comment. i like this place. do you serve cake?

Marijke Vroomen-Durning said...

Looking good Sue. If you're going to serve cake though, some nice wine along side would be great!

Anonymous said...

This is great!

Unknown said...

Hi Sue--

Ah, I don't care about cake; it's just good to read your words and thoughts. I'm in the sitting-at-home-writing boat, too, and what you describe about your routine (and the ups and downs) echoes a lot of what I go through. My thing is fiction/novels, but the attitude and commitment is much the same, I think. Though I think you get paid way better! :)