I used to wonder if I could keep busy freelancing from home. I no longer ask myself that question, because I know I can. The question now is do I have the ability to make that self-sustaining/profitable?
This afternoon I managed to crank out three paying articles. And, for this particular client, I have more to write before the end of the month.
While the extra income is great, it’s not enough for full time work.
See, I have this goal that when I retire from my “real” day time job (and yes I do have a date in mind), I’ll be able to write from home. I imagine my day going something like this.
I’d get up, have a leisurely cup of coffee catching up on emails and spending some time reading the Word and praying. Yeah, I do that. Then, if he’s still not driving, I’d take the offspring to school. After that I’d head to the Y for a swim, stop by a coffee shop and catch up on the day’s news on the laptop. Then I’d come home to write for the rest of the day. The news would be on TV, but muted. Spotify would be tuned to the inspiration of the day. Then with the Keurig charged, I’d sit down and write the next great American novel. Having, of course, financed this by writing the last great American novel.
That’s the dream.
But seriously, I know it will be more work than that. I often ask myself if I’m disciplined enough. If given the opportunity will I work at the writing hard enough to make a living? Or will I be tempted by the distractions of Words with Friends and Pinterest?
It’s something I have to consider.
But darn it, it took me 53 years to figure out that this is what I’ve wanted to do all my life. Now I have a little more than two years to make it happen.
Okay, I’ve got longer if I delay the retirement. But that commute downtown is really starting to get to me. I suppose I need to find a way to make that travel time productive, such as finally getting off mi trasero to learn Spanish.
But the preferred solution is to eliminate the commute.
And the quickest way to do that is to keep writing.
Children’s author E.L. Konigsburg said “The difference between being a writer and being a person of talent is the discipline it takes to apply the seat of your pants to the seat of your chair and finish. Don’t talk about doing it. Do it. Finish.”
So, excuse me, I need to be writing.
similar dream… being forced to see if I can do it. I believe I can. You can too.
Mike, I think you’re right about step one. Butt in chair time is what separates writers from everyone else. I’m working hard on learning to put in that time myself. I see my day rather differently – I imagine getting four or five hours in around homeschooling, daily chores, and some free time. The real dream is being successful enough to let my hubby come home and help me but… that one’s out there.
My biggest help in the last few months has been listening to the archives of the Writing Excuses podcast. It helped me that they are mostly talking about genre fiction like I write but while I was trying to learn things like three act structure and fantasy world building, they taught me what a writer’s lifestyle looks like. And I think I can do this.