BMG

Why is it when you tell people you’re writing full time they think you’re not working.  I had to paint my house recently and do some of it myself.  When I told my neighbor that I couldn’t come over during the week because I have to work – “he asked me if I got a job?”  Recently, I tried to hook up with an old friend for lunch.  She asked me, “how did it feel to be retired.”  What the..#$%..?

 I’m working my arse off people.  Let me help enlighten those who don’t know - writing full time is a business.  Yes, I don’t have a paycheck every week but that doesn’t mean I’m twirling my fingers. Because I hope to get paid some day for my work.

Here is everything a writer does or what I do:

• Write every day on my short story for Romantic times book lover convention;
• Write every day on my manuscript — Seduction of Terror; 
• Create character sketches for my next work;
• Enter contests
• Update myspace (get friends, update events, check emails, comments, etc.)
• Update my site and blog 
• Weekly update a blog for the Butterscotch Martini Girl site
• Work on my portion of the speaking program for the BSMG’s at the Glendale Chocolate Affaire
• Work on Valley of the Sun program - I’m the February speaker
• Work on Valley of the Sun publicity chair program
• Attend chapter meetings - twice a month
• Attend VOS office meeting - once a month
• Do critiques  - could be as much as 7 chapters in two weeks
• Attend critique meetings
• Getting ready for conventions (promotion stuff, business cards, register, get hotels, etc.)
• Check emails, loops (I have 8 so far) daily
• Work on getting my name out there - promote and market me as a product!!!!
• Setup yearly goals and make sure I’m doing them

These are activities that are just off the top of my head.  Writing is a career and there is a business side that goes with it.  As Tina Gerow  speaks (she has a great program) about - It’s not just eating bon bons all day.  Just because I can work in my pajama’s, get up at 8am, do laundry at lunch doesn’t mean I’m not working.  There is a down side too, which is I don’t have set office hours.  I’ll be doing emails at 10pm at night, or writing on the weekend to make up for not getting enough done during the week.  I’m a lucky one because I don’t have a family to take care of while I try to do all the above.

 So yes, writing is WORK!!!

 Isabella 

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