If you could have any occupation you wanted, what would it be? Forget for a moment just how you would get it. Imagine a magic wand being waved and you have a new career - a successful one. What would you do for a living?
Pose that question to a group of children and the replies you get will be the stuff dreams are made of – Pilots, Ballerinas, Singers, Actors and Sportspeople to name a few. Adults, on the other hand, will always pause before they answer. Many will even struggle to provide one.
When a colleague presented me with the same question, my response was immediate -I said I’d like to be a writer.
I won my first writing competition at the age of 13. My entry was a spoof version of The Three Little Pigs. Mother pig was an alcoholic; her first son was a hippie; the second little pig that lived in the wooden house was a carpenter and the last of the brothers, who owned the house of bricks, was a property developer. The big bad wolf was an asthmatic, so instead of huffing and puffing, he bulldozed the house, ate the pigs and lived happily ever after!
As I grew to adulthood, I gradually stopped writing recreationally. I feared the old adage that says “use it or lose it” but have since learned that this is not strictly true. Sure, you can be out of practice with a particular skill, but it’s never really lost. Has anyone forgotten how to swim, drive, read or write? Having said this, if that talent is never again utilized, it will lay dormant and can remain that way, rather sadly, until death. What a horrible thought!
On occasion, circumstances would require me to write a letter. I once found myself in dispute with a company over a product and service that I’d purchased from them. The firm apologised for their shortfall and offered to refund some of my money. Before confirming my acceptance, I asked a lawyer friend for advice, to which he replied that I should accept the offer. I put together a well structured letter which I sent to the company. This resulted in a further offer of nearly three times the original amount!
I once applied for a job, the required prerequisites of which I didn’t possess. However, I got an interview and in turn, an offer of employment. The person in charge of recruiting for the position later told me that my cover letter had caught his attention as it stood out from the other candidates'.
It was situations like the two mentioned above that sparked my interest in learning to write for a living. Looking around, I found a home study course in creative writing which suited my lifestyle perfectly. Having a full-time job and two young children to provide for, being able to study at home and in my spare time was a great benefit.
I’m half-way through the course and I’ve had three pieces published, which I’m told is good going for a newbie. What I am also learning is that becoming a successful writer is incredibly hard work. Yes, I have had some success very early on and have made a very positive start. However, if I decided to give up the day job now, I’d probably lose my house!
Someone told me that of all the people in the world pursuing the arts – musicians, writers, poets and artists - less than one percent of them earn a living from their creativity. Another person, who once had an occupation in publishing, told me that work from unknown writers was frequently rejected without being looked at by the editors!
Becoming a successful freelance writer will take a lot of drive and determination – you’ll need it to deal with the rejection letters. All writers get them. Developing the skills and gaining the experience required to earn a living from your work will take time and practice.
Thankfully, the internet provides many opportunities for aspiring writers to begin earning from their prose almost right away. So, while you’re preparing that Hollywood script, check out some of the links on this page and see if the information can help you to become a paid writer.
