Who was it that said something about when you make something you love into a money earning endeavor it takes all the joy out of it? Someone must have said that at some point because I think it is true.
There was a time that I loved writing. I’d write stories, poems, blog posts…all sorts of stuff. And I loved it. And then I thought if I could get paid to write, well, that would be awesome wouldn’t it?
So, I did.
I’ve been a freelance writer and gotten paid to write blog posts about everything from the boring (I’ve literally been paid to write about nuts and bolts!) and the bizarre (you don’t want to know!).
I’ve been a fiction writer and have been paid to write stories for other people (yes, ghostwriting). I’ve also written a great deal of fiction and self-published under my own name and on pen names. And yes, I’ve made money doing it. In the past 13 years I’ve made over $13,000 US from publishing on Amazon. I’m not sure how much I’ve made from other platforms but I think it’s safe to guess that it’s been a few more thousands of dollars. So, in Canadian money it probably works out to around $20,000. It’s not riches but it’s not bad either. It’s more than most fiction writers make.
But the toll it has taken on me has been pretty big. It’s stressful and it takes away a lot of my joy of writing. I stress about the numbers, the reads, the money, the stats. And I don’t think I want to do that anymore.
I want to write still, of course. But I want to enjoy it the way I used to. Of course, money is nice but when I focus on the money, it gets very frustrating and I forget that I’m supposed to be having a good time. I forget that I love writing.
So, for now, I’m putting aside all money making writing. No freelancing (other than the one client I’ve kept for the past 14 years and some social media work). No fiction writing for money making purposes.
And that’s where this blog comes in. I’m going to publish here. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry – whatever I happen to feel like writing at the time.
I’m going to use this as a place to keep all the other stuff I’ve written over the years. All my Medium posts that are worth keeping are going here because I’m closing down my Medium account.
The only way I will make money from this blog is if YOU choose to support me or show appreciation for what I write. There’s a button at the top of the page that says, “Support Me” and if you click on it, you can make a donation of any size you like. It’s not required to read. It’s not necessary. But if you feel you’d like to show appreciation via a donation, go for it. And I will appreciate that very much.
Consider this a public journal if you like. Kind of like the days of Diary-X or one of the other old-school blogs. Back when blogs were less money oriented.
