American historian, author, U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 presidential election, George McGovern was born on this day in 1922 (died 2012).
Depending on how you present it, my title at my current day job has about eight or nine words.
Contrast that with “writer” or “actor” and you’ll see why I spend my “free” time where I do.
It’s not that my day job is entirely unimportant. But most days I’m not calling the shots, and I kill more than my fair share of trees. Still, it’s a good job, and it allows for the stuff I want to be doing like the writing and the acting.
The challenge is having the time that I need to put into either to turn them in to a full-time proposition.
True story: I’ve re-done the math regarding when I can retire. It’s not this year as I had hoped. And I have to build up the freelance writing income to make it work when I do take that leap.
That’s what I’m working on.
Short title. Important job.
My Monday morning in box was filled with no less than half a dozen “guaranteed to make you a successful copywriter” emails…if you’ll only buy this class, or this project, or this program.
I also get lots of “10 Things You’re Doing Wrong if You Want to Be a Writer” or “15 Things You Must Do to Become a Writer.”
Let’s get this straight. I already am a writer. Some days I’m a good writer. Most days I need better marketing.
So, when I see some advice from someone like Stephen King (I highly recommend his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by the way), then I pay attention.
Only eight points, and the article is free to read.
I will never be a prolific enough writer to sell 350 million books.
I’m okay with that. I am not Stephen King.
But, I can learn from him.
I’m doing pretty well with the “write every day” aspect. But I know I seriously need to work on the reading side.
I’m making my list for our upcoming beach week.
The laptop is not going. True, the iPad is going to keep up with my daily commitment to write every day. But my time on the beach will be spent reading. Early and often.
Soon, I’ll be compiling a list of the books I plan to take.
I’m also thinking about the naps I plan to take, but that’s a different post.
Writer. It’s a one word title.
Some days it could be actor. Again, that’s a different post.
I have words to put together. I have stories to tell.
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