Tuesday, July 26, 2005

I'm a writer

I'm steadily spending most of my childfree time writing and/or working on getting my writing published. I'm going back to work earlier than expected, and in a different profession. A sea change has come over me. Not sure if after years of writing I've practiced enough that I think my writing's good enough to submit things for publications and therefore call myself a writer. Or I called myself a writer and am now working hard enough to make my writing good enough to submit for publication. Or both. Whatever the case, I'm a writer. It's now my primary profession. Of course I'm still a mother and a wife and a daughter, but those aren't professions.

It's a lot of work. I'm surprised by the things I'm called on to write like my first children's book.

I realised I can't wait for someone to give me a writing job. I have to declare myself a writer and then apply. So I applied for my first job. Since there are fewer writing jobs than managerial jobs, I have to be more persistent to get that first job and to get good jobs, but I'm still a writer even if I'm between jobs. When folks used to ask me what I did I said "I'm a stay-at-home mother, but I used to be a manager." Now I say "I'm a writer."

Thanks to all of you who told me you should write something for publication. Some of you repeatedly over several years. I finally heard you. You're wonderful! I'd say I'm getting off my butt and finally doing it, but in actuality I'm on my butt in my chair and typing.

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