Getting Started

The time has come — I need to start earning money. Need and also want. I want to earn some money. Not because I feel less of a person or contribution to society if I don’t, or because I’m bored of being a stay-at-home mother, or because my husband is pushing me to. But it’s time to start thinking about my future and what I want out of life. Having a bit of extra money and paying off our existing debt (which isn’t much, but impossible to pay off on one salary) would be nice, yes. But more importantly, I need to start shaping together the career I’ve been dreaming of. I’m been talking the talk and writing the words for years. Now it’s time to walk the walk and buckle down to the job of self-editing, self-criticism and self-promotion. It’s time to open myself up to inevitable rejection and face my demons. It’s time to become a (paid!) freelance writer.

I love my Londonist gig, don’t get me wrong. Great site, fantastic people, wonderful writers. I’m on the staff page now, officially, and it’s going well. I’m writing 2-4 articles a week for them and enjoy it immensely. It’s fun and interesting and great practice. But it’s not exactly the ‘real thing’ so to speak.

By the end of 2007, I will be earning money as a freelancer, doing what I love to do. I don’t say that to be brazen or cocky, I say it because if I can’t say it, how can I ever believe it? It’s time to stop dreaming and start believing. And most importantly, acting.

First stop — research. Books, resources, online communities, how-tos, professional advice, et al. I’m looking at buying these two books to get me started and hope they kick my ass into gear. I’ve also got a list of resources to tap into and enquiries to make to get me started. Motivation to do all of this on top of my existing obligations, to Londonist and to my family, is key. Wish me luck!

Net worth

So I’ve been brainstorming and researching and figuring out how I can both earn some money by working at home and also keep doing (unpaid) writing to build up a portfolio. While my sister was here she helped me come up with some ideas for making contacts in the writing world and I’ll be going through that list item by item in the coming week or two, ringing around, emailing, and just generally pestering people and places to give me a chance. I’m cheap! Hell, I’m free!

I did manage to get a story in yesterday’s Londonist, my first one for them. I’m so thrilled that I got to throw in an A Team reference and say “pity the fool!” I’ll post the links here when I’ve got stories up over there. It’s a start!

And again, thanks to my sister who told me of a friend’s sister who does the same thing, I may have a great idea for working at home. Seeing as I love all things internet, online and otherwise wired, I think that being a Virtual Assistant would be perfect for me. Anyone who knows me knows I’m highly organised, a lover of lists and good at nagging, er, reminding people of what needs doing. I can imagine nothing more perfect for me if I could do it part time from home. I’ve got the experience and the skills, all I need is a bit of a home office set up and the sanity required to look after a baby/emerging toddler while working from home, and I’m good to go. Though I guess I also need clients, which might be harder to come by. I’ll also be — EEK!! — self-employed and having to do all the blah-blahdy-blah paperwork and tax stuff that goes along with it. I think I will be spending the next few days on the internet and in the library, figuring out how to set myself up for business.

If I get any more virtual I may just disappear altogether and be a mere hologram of my former self, and then I’d feel contagious, outrageous. Truly, truly, truly outrageous. Noble’s my name, no one else is the same. Ooh ooh ooh, N!