Is Freelance Writing a good career choice?

Writing has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. Freelance writing has been a part of my life for the past 20 years.

Why do I write? I'm not sure I know the answer to this question, what I do know is that I enjoy the process and how the creativity feeds my soul. I certainly hope the enjoyment I receive in writing my stories translates to enjoyment for my readers.

As far as a career goes, writing for a living can be a very creative pursuit. Unfortunately, creativity doesn't always bring with it financial gains. There is some element of luck in that you may be 'discovered' as the next big thing in the literary world, but overall writers struggle to make ends meet depending on what and who they are writing for.

When most people think about writing as a career the first option is to be a traditional author, ie: a novelist. Every budding writer has visions of being the next JK Rowling, Stephenie Meyer or Stephen King, unfortunately, there are more failed writers out there than successful ones.

So don't try to write an epic, choose another form of writing to make money from:

• Copywriting
• Script Writing
• Public Relations Writing
  
• Newsletter Writing
• Marketing Writing - Financials, Brochures, Catalogues
  

Do some research into the type of writing that suits you or you may develop a certain style which takes you into a specific area of writing. In my case, I went into the television and advertising industry as a secretary and with some study, asking many questions of the professionals met and sheer determination, I carved a niche as a copywriter.

I didn't choose to be a writer, writing chose me. I was always good at English in school, in fact, I was an above average student in all subjects, but English was the one I enjoyed the most.

When it came time to choose a career it wasn't as clear cut as I thought it would be. Leaving school in the late 1970's meant the choices for girls were limited to hairdresser, secretary or flight attendant. With no interest in any of these I took the least difficult choice (or at least in my mind it was) and went to a local college to do business studies.

After one year of study I applied for three jobs and had the choice of all three - there were no employment problems for young people at that time! So I accepted the position which I felt would give me the best grounding for what I was yet to find - a career path.

"Your application letter was quite outstanding," announced my future boss, "it's the reason you've been given this position, for one so young you write very well." It still didn't click that I was good at writing.

That's how I ended up working in television as a junior secretary. It was a great job for an enthusiastic (yet naive) girl who just wanted to learn the ropes. I had grand visions of directing, producing and even being the station's boss one day.

Well none of that came about but I did learn to do TV make up and worked on quite a few popular productions at the time. I met stars of various shows, which to an 18 year old was quite awesome. I tried to act unaffected but don't think it worked all the time. My hands would shake as I applied their make up or I would say something quite stupid and embarrass myself.

After four years I had learned what I thought was all there was to know about television and went looking for a new challenge. Being impulsive I didn't do too much research but decided I wanted to move to the big city (Sydney). We lived an hour's drive down the south coast of New South Wales in Australia and other than the TV station in my local town, there really wasn't any where else I wanted to work.

Well Sydney was an eye opener! It wasn't so easy to just find another TV job even though I had (what I thought) was good experience and I was turned down many times.

So a few dead end jobs followed whilst I did more study in the hope of finding another dream job. That's how I ended up in Advertising and Public Relations, found a love of writing and made a career of writing for TV, magazine and newspapers. Press releases and newsletters were also a big part of my jobs and although there have been some slow times, I have generally made a good career out of writing.

I worked for many different agencies over the years and enjoyed the creative challenge each one gave me but there came a time when I needed to do more of the writing I wanted, so I decided to give freelance work a try. At first, it wasn't easy, as work doesn't come to you, you have to go out and look for it. The internet had not quite hit yet but was in the wings, so when it did hit, it was the revolution I needed to really become a successful freelancer.

Working from home became an option and with a young family it was perfect for me as I could work around family commitments. I also found I could pick and choose what I wanted to write about (not so much when recession hit, which happened three times in my career) but generally I have written about things which are of interest to me - real estate, food and cooking, building and renovation, gardening, jewellery, hair and make up.

Freelance writing isn't for everyone. It can be lonely, just you and your computer for hours on end and there are times when the phenomenon known as "writer's block" happens. I find it best not to fight the 'block' and generally try to keep calm by doing something totally different. I stay away from my computer for hours, or even days if that is what it takes. Staring at my view with a cup of coffee actually helps.

A career in writing can take many forms and, if you are lucky, you can make some serious money from doing something you enjoy. If you are interested in a career in writing then do some research into the best courses available in your area. Most universities offer degree courses, there are creative writing courses offered and many states have Writer's Centres where you can meet authors at writing fairs and shows.

It really does help when you want to be a writer to read as many books, newspapers, magazines, and internet material as possible. Reading helps to open your mind to ideas, see other writers' styles and learn what type of writing you like.

It doesn't matter what you read as long as you enjoy it. I started reading as a teenager with trashy love stories and chick literature. My choice of books now varies from serious autobiographies to best sellers and popular fiction. As you mature your taste in books changes which can only be good for new writers.

Another way to enjoy reading is to join a book club which meets regularly (usually monthly) to discuss books being read. Most times everyone in the club is reading the same book which can make for some lively discussions about the characters, plot and outcome. It is also great to discuss authors and their style of writing, why they have chosen their subject matter and what it is that makes them successful.

The bottom line is read, read and do more reading. I find that the more you read, the more you will want to write. Also, I found that as I read more my writing improved.

So go ahead, buy a new book and start reading or start a book club. It's a great way to socialise and meet new people with similar ideas and interests to you. I'm in an all female book club but there are no reasons why men cannot join. Just remember, if you love writing then reading is the tool that will help you to write.

Who knows, you could be the next Rowling or Meyer?