Howdy, everyone!!
Wow, has it ever been a long time since my last blog post... There are several reasons for this, but in the interest of saving time and moving forward, let me just apologize for my absence and say that I am very happy to be writing again!
So what is new with me?
Probably the biggest news, in terms of my online presence, is that I have finally joined Twitter. My username is @Zedley84, so please come and follow me! I will admit that I was rather confused by the whole Twitterverse when I first started, but I think I have got the hang of things now.
I tweet on a daily basis about anything and everything, so aside from this blog (which I vow to maintain more regularly from now on!), following me on Twitter is the best way to stay updated on everything that's happening in my world.
You may notice that I have slightly changed the look of my blog as well, and that there are some nifty new gadgets to check out. Hopefully these changes have made things a bit more user friendly! You now have the option to follow me on Twitter and add me on Facebook at the simple touch of a button (see the right hand side of this page). You can also share any of my blog posts, and tweet them (on Twitter) or "like"them (on Facebook), if you are so inclined.
Additionally, those of you that had been following my Calgary Creative Writing Examiner channel will know that I have not posted there in quite a long time. When I first started looking into freelance writing, I signed up to write for pay per click websites like Examiner.com as a way of gaining some experience. However, I quickly realized that this is not the right path for me to follow my dream of becoming a "real" writer...
After all, as one of my favourite blogs, The Renegade Writer, points out: "You need only one clip to say you’re a published writer, and if you get bogged down writing for free (or super cheap) to build clips — that’s your fear talking, not your logic".
Like many others before me, I have come to the conclusion that sites like that are not very beneficial, and consequently, I will not be writing for them any more. That isn't the kind of writing I am interested in doing, and while I did think that my What's Happening Wednesday column was a good idea, it simply did not reach the audience it needed to be successful. The time I spent researching and writing it will be much better spent working on other projects.
This does not mean that I am giving up on my freelance writing goals! For the next month, the majority of my time will be dedicated to working on my MAIS final project, which I must complete and submit by July 31, 2011. However, whenever I can I will continue to blog, keep track of resources and story ideas, research potential opportunities for the future, and most importantly - write, write, write!!
I guess now is as good a time as any to make an official announcement that once my graduate degree is complete, I have decided to actively pursue a career as a freelance writer. That does not mean that I will never consider the other options I talked about in my post Taking Chances, such as going to culinary school or applying for PhD programs. For now though, this seems like the right decision.
I know that making a living as a writer will be extremely difficult, and that reaching the goals I have set for myself will take a lot of work, time, effort and dedication. That said, I believe I am up to the challenge. I look forward to the coming months, as I begin my journey down this exciting and unfamiliar road. I hope that you will come along with me...
Wow, has it ever been a long time since my last blog post... There are several reasons for this, but in the interest of saving time and moving forward, let me just apologize for my absence and say that I am very happy to be writing again!
So what is new with me?
Probably the biggest news, in terms of my online presence, is that I have finally joined Twitter. My username is @Zedley84, so please come and follow me! I will admit that I was rather confused by the whole Twitterverse when I first started, but I think I have got the hang of things now.
I tweet on a daily basis about anything and everything, so aside from this blog (which I vow to maintain more regularly from now on!), following me on Twitter is the best way to stay updated on everything that's happening in my world.
You may notice that I have slightly changed the look of my blog as well, and that there are some nifty new gadgets to check out. Hopefully these changes have made things a bit more user friendly! You now have the option to follow me on Twitter and add me on Facebook at the simple touch of a button (see the right hand side of this page). You can also share any of my blog posts, and tweet them (on Twitter) or "like"them (on Facebook), if you are so inclined.
Additionally, those of you that had been following my Calgary Creative Writing Examiner channel will know that I have not posted there in quite a long time. When I first started looking into freelance writing, I signed up to write for pay per click websites like Examiner.com as a way of gaining some experience. However, I quickly realized that this is not the right path for me to follow my dream of becoming a "real" writer...
After all, as one of my favourite blogs, The Renegade Writer, points out: "You need only one clip to say you’re a published writer, and if you get bogged down writing for free (or super cheap) to build clips — that’s your fear talking, not your logic".
Like many others before me, I have come to the conclusion that sites like that are not very beneficial, and consequently, I will not be writing for them any more. That isn't the kind of writing I am interested in doing, and while I did think that my What's Happening Wednesday column was a good idea, it simply did not reach the audience it needed to be successful. The time I spent researching and writing it will be much better spent working on other projects.
This does not mean that I am giving up on my freelance writing goals! For the next month, the majority of my time will be dedicated to working on my MAIS final project, which I must complete and submit by July 31, 2011. However, whenever I can I will continue to blog, keep track of resources and story ideas, research potential opportunities for the future, and most importantly - write, write, write!!
I guess now is as good a time as any to make an official announcement that once my graduate degree is complete, I have decided to actively pursue a career as a freelance writer. That does not mean that I will never consider the other options I talked about in my post Taking Chances, such as going to culinary school or applying for PhD programs. For now though, this seems like the right decision.
I know that making a living as a writer will be extremely difficult, and that reaching the goals I have set for myself will take a lot of work, time, effort and dedication. That said, I believe I am up to the challenge. I look forward to the coming months, as I begin my journey down this exciting and unfamiliar road. I hope that you will come along with me...
