Am I a writer? Can I call myself a writer now that I have a blog and started a novel?

I keep looking at my writing resume and thinking it’s not really that impressive. I’ve written some poetry and a few short stories but I’ve never actually written anything professionally. Apparently you can’t really make a living just by writing a few novels or just having a blog… so what can I do to make writing a career?

There are 3 main things I’ve learned through this process in becoming a writer:

You have to be very patient

Connecting with people is essential

And… Write what you know

So I’m writing what I know and I’m connecting with other people. Now what?

I still need some experience. I really want to write for a living, so I’ve decided that I should go and talk to some people at some of the local publishing companies around Victoria.

It wouldn’t hurt would it?

There are so many programs and courses out there and trust me I’ve signed up for a good handful but, I need a person to physically show the ropes. Sit me down and point it out. That’s the best way I learn. Every webinar and seminar I attend online teaches me the same key elements to begin a writing career:

1. Find your niche

2. Gather a following

3. Get your work out there

Bada bing bada boom right!?

Well that may take a while so I figure in the meantime I should do something more. I’m going to go to the local magazine publications and the newspapers and see if maybe they will hire me as a freelancer. Ok… ok I know that’s a big pipe dream with NO experience… BUT what if someone says yes 🙂

Even if I could just shadow a journalist for one day… call it an internship. That’s what I need.

I need a person who is doing what I WANT to be doing to show me how to do IT!!

I’ve got my not-so-great resumes ready to go with a few samples of my work and cover letters to boot… Let’s call it MY PORTFOLIO. What do you know… I never would have thought that I’d have a portfolio of my writing. A couple of articles about some great local establishments and a short travel story.

Maybe… just maybe… someone might like my work. These are just dreams right!?

Is it possible to make a living as a writer?

Well I am certainly going to try! In my journey to becoming a successful writer I have to try. Whatever it takes to get my name out there.

But first… I found a course at The University of Victoria in Writing and Literature:

Freelance Journalism in 2014.

https://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/Course/Freelance-Journalism-in-2014/ASWL081/

“How do you get started as a freelancer? Do you work for free? Should you focus on websites or magazines? How do newspapers fit into things? What is the proper query etiquette? There are so many questions when you’re trying to navigate the wilderness of freelancing. This course will help you make sense of them all, while reviewing some of the basics of what makes good journalism. Learn tips on what editors want and how to keep editors coming back to you; learn how to avoid doing what makes editors run the other direction. Learn who you should be writing for, how to find your identity as a writer, how to deal with finances, and go over some basic journalism skills.”

Sounds perfect!!