Scary to Make the Leap to Writing, But Oh So Rewarding

Sometimes, all one needs to make a leap of faith is a little nudge. I hope reading this post will give you the push you need to get started. I want to talk this time about how writing can be the salvation of those who move often because of job transfers, and for those who want to travel and see the country, or the world. And for that matter, retirees looking for fulfilling, money-making hobby.

My husband was in the military when we married, so for years I was shuffled from place to place, and each time we moved I had to find a new job. I even went back to school and studied interior design, which in addition to writing, had been my dream since childhood. I acquired a skill that was fairly portable. Stressful but portable. And every time we moved somewhere new, it meant starting all over again.

So what could I have done differently, had I been more aware of the opportunities available? I would have started my writing career much earlier than I did! I worked as a secretary for several years, and each place I worked, I was given additional duties after my bosses discovered I had writing skills—jobs such as composing letters and creating newsletters. So in effect, I gave my services away.

Still, I can’t complain because I learned a lot during those years—like how to manage a business, provide excellent customer service, work with difficult people, and the types of communication materials needed by for-profit and non-profit entities. I did clerical work in a department store, a University Medical Center and School, County and State offices, and a huge church, plus I gained valuable knowledge about the operations of retail businesses where I worked as a designer, which gave me diverse experiences to carry forward. None of the jobs would have indicated to anyone else that I had what it took to succeed as a freelance writer, but in my heart, I knew I could do it. And that’s all it takes, really.

They say success happens when opportunity meets preparation (or something to that effect), so when I finally made the decision to become a full-time, committed freelance writer, I was ready. And maybe that’s the way it was meant to be. Maybe I needed maturity as well as life experience. You probably have those things already.

Now I can travel wherever I wish and write wherever I happen to be. This isn’t a fairytale life, but it is the life I’ve chosen for myself, and it is good. I am living my dream!

For those of you still toiling away working for someone else or dreaming of writing for a living, I urge you learn from the projects featured in Portable Writing, some of which are outlined in this newsletter, and then apply your new-found knowledge to starting your own writing career.

I know that it is scary to take a leap of faith into the unknown, but the longer you wait, the more time you lose. You can do what I have done, and probably much, much better. Don’t let time pass by until someday, all you may be left with is regret that you never even tried.