Setting The Pace In The Writing Business

Sometimes, it seems as though I've always been a working writer. The sort of schedules that many of us freelancers work is so fluid and ever-changing, and, yes, so different from the world of the 9 to 5 that time almost moves differently. Call it a lack of attention to scheduling or just the consequences of setting one's one wide-ranging schedules, but there is this perception of long duration that rules my thoughts each day. I have to remind myself that I've only be privileged to call writing my job for a little over four years. Any writing I did before that time was unpaid and for my own edification.

How many of you can say the same thing about your own writing experiences? I would have to speculate that many of you came into this business the way I did. It was either a rapid transition from one sort of occupation to writing or it was a matter of careful deliberation. (You can see the gamut of variations that lie between these two, can't you?)

The point is that there is no well-worn path. At least there is none that I've been privy to over these last few years. I've been learning as I've moved forward from project to project. I've dealt with so many clients - most of them have been very helpful and have given me what I need to get the job done right. One of the major advantages of this business is that one can set his or her own pace. You can work as much or as little as you want. Most of us noted this very early on and still appreciate its relevance to how we establish goals and generally make progress as professional writers.

There is much to appreciate about freelance writing and still more to be discovered by me personally. I'm sure you've had similar feelings from time to time. There is much power and much freedom in such observations. Knowing that I'm the master of the pace allows me the chance to make one that is beneficial to me - while also attending to financial concerns. That's always the balance that must be maintained in order to see the fruits of success.

I've reached a milestone here lately that simultaneously makes me giddy with excitement while also drying my throat with dread. I'm going to be co-authoring a book that may have a serious impact locally. It's true story about the love of father, the tragedy of losing a son, and how the events themselves affected an entire community - and continue to do impact it today. Yes, I think it is a milestone and a crossroads for me as a professional writer. It's like the final major project after years of studying and doing the work of writing and developing my craft in order to showcase what I've learned about the business.

With something like this I feel the stakes have been raised or, perhaps, a new bar has been set. Wish me luck. On the other side, I have hope that more books lie in my future.