What to Do When You First Start Your Writing Career

So you've decided you want to start your writing career?  Maybe it's been a dream for years and you're finally doing something about it.  Or maybe you just discovered you enjoy putting words to paper.  What's next?

Learn

Before you can make a career as a writer, you have to learn your craft.  The first decision to make is what you'll write.  Will you write fiction or nonfiction?  Within those categories, will it be romantic short stories, novels, children's books, magazine articles or a host of other options? 

If you plan to become an online freelance writer, which is where the growth is today, you will have to figure out what you want to write in the online world.  There is a number of categories that you can study, but to begin with, it's best to focus on one or two.  I began with writing articles for the web.  Now, I'm learning more about writing blogs.  There are other areas I will study in the future.

Write

The best way to learn to write is by writing.  You may want to start with sites such as Squidoo or Hubpages to get your feet wet.  The great thing about those sites is that you can get feedback from other writers.  This will help you grow and develop your skills.

When it comes to criticism, listen to everything you read or hear with an open mind and decide for yourself if it is valuable.  Do not be put off by negative comments, but learn from them.

My Journey

Hello,

I am a single mom with a full-time job as an office manager.  My dream is to become a freelance writer full-time.  I imagine getting up in the mornings and wandering in to my home office after getting the kids off to school and working until they come home.  Then I can help them with homework and play for awhile, and after they go to bed, I'll work on my mystery novel.

Of course, that dream is a few years away yet, but that is my goal.  Right now, I have a two year old daughter and I'm balancing a job, family, and household responsibilities with my freelance writing.  I've been actively pursuing this since June of 2011 and I've already learned a lot. 

I decided to blog about my journey and share my experiences and lessons I've learned with others.  I know I have done much of my learning by reading about the journeys of other writers, so I thought I'd pay it forward. 

For everyone who joins my blog, welcome, and good luck on your own writing journey!