I first started freelancing back in 2004 as a way to generate extra income for my impending wedding.
It didn’t go too well at first, but I persisted, happily supported by a wife and monetarily backed by my day job. By 2007 things were going well enough to require a business bank account. That was also the year I decided that I needed to write in order to live happily. It took a while, but three years later, in October 2010, I began my life freelancing full time.
Over 6 years later, things have never been better!
In terms of money and personal happiness and well-being, taking the freelancing plunge has been a success. I won’t sugar coat it, however: early on it was very tough. I miscalculated on income going forward, and failed to make a living wage for the first six months. Jumping in with no savings was a mistake!
But along the way I’ve worked with some great websites, editors and print publications. I’ve had to hone my abilities for research and idea generation, and generally work towards efficiency, especially as my family dynamic has changed (we recently welcomed our third child).
Most writers don’t get this far, and many don’t encounter the same challenges, and find working solutions.
So it makes sense that I should begin to share them. At the moment, this is likely to be in the form of an online course, but as yet I’m not sure on the medium. The focus will be on shortcuts, really, giving writers of all abilities and experience a new way of looking at their work.
More details will come as the course is developed and published. At this stage I don’t know if it will be paid, on YouTube, or both. Either way, I hope it will be enough to give writers the edge they need to become more efficient, productive, and ultimately, successful!
