To Be a Writer

August 27, 2007

Yes! I want to be a writer. Years ago in my late teens or early twenties, before I chose accounting as a career, I sort of halfway checked into freelance writing. I don’t think I would have been very successful at that time – I didn’t have the experience or insights that I have now. Also I didn’t have the confidence. But now… I got on the internet to find out what I could about freelance writing jobs. Here’s what I found:

Advantages and disadvantages of freelance writing. Of course the main advantage is that you can work when you want and set your own schedule and not be locked into an 8-5 workday, but conversely the main disadvantage is that the work isn’t steady and you don’t have the comfort of paid vacations and health plans.

Top 5 personality traits of freelance writers: Loner. I’ve been a loner all my life! And love it. Self-motivated. I’ve always been self-motivated, no one has to tell me how to reach my goals. Doggedly determined? I’m a CPA, aren’t I? Mental multi-tasker. I multitask all the time. Persistent. I’ve always been persistent when something is important to me.

Another list names the top 5 periodical markets for your articles. This is a great place to start. The more I read, the more information I’d get in my head, and the more opinions and subjects I could expound on. And you know, if people will watch those sappy reality shows, or read the garbage the tabloids write, or heck, if Sara Katz can have her own column on MSN Dating & Personals (her stuff is no better than anything of mine), I KNOW people will read my work.