To Be Free
After spending a year back in the UK struggling to return to work and leaping from one possible career change to the next in a seamingly endless manner, I have come full circle and once again decided that in order to fulfill all my earthly needs (well not all!), what I should do is try my hand at being a freelance writer…
I say once again, as I have clambered onto this already overflowing bandwagon before, over a year ago in fact, before deserting the cruel shores of England for the welcoming bossom of New Zealand.
In addition to jaunting from sleazy hostel to sleazy hostel my aim was to make note of my trip by keeping a blog. This would act as a record of my journey and also potentially sharpen my writing skills. I was armed with an attachment to my ipod which would allow me to record conversations and interviews with those I met on my travels who I found interesting and were willing to be recorded.
Well, as sure as way leads on to way, the recordings of those entertaining characters never happened and my writing skills stagnated to a degree as my blog entries ranged from tales of vagabonding enlightenment to frustrated outbursts targeted at unruly hostel guests who persisted in flushing the toilet next to my room all night long.
The reason for my lack of engaging travel writing material can be explained due to pure unadulterated laziness, or due to an unconcious desire to not turn my trip into a chore. After all, travel writing is not just about recording ones experiences and adventures, although that is part of it, but it involves careful planning.
Anyway, back to the here and now. I still have that nagging feeling that I will only be truly happy if I can be free to roam, help others in some way and work for myself. If freelance writing does not cover those ambitions then I don’t know what does!
What happens now is a tough but ultimately rewarding pursuit of actually being published. Herein lies the fledgling freelance writers nemesis. The chicken and egg situation that one must overcome to start the ball rolling to a lifelong career of becoming a scribe. One must be first published before ones work is accepted for publication. You see my dilemma.
In addition to this I confess to having poor grammar and punctuation at times (well most of the time) and that I actually find choosing the right words to be rather difficult. Is this then the right choice? Perhaps not. But I know that unless I can find another potential career that covers my small but very important list of requirements then freelance writing is what I shall aim for.
Wish me luck. This is gonna be painful, but with perseverance and determination I intend to beat the odds and succeed where others have failed.
Once more unto the breach dear friends, once more…
Tags: Sundry
April 21st, 2006 at 1:17 am
It’s the desire to write that can’t be learned; the rest, you can improve your skill with. So, yes, YOU have what it takes.
Write!
April 21st, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Thanks for the encouragement Justine!
The desire is undoubtedly there. It is also accompanied by those shoulder demons who nag away at your passions and add fuel to that negative fire of self doubt and belief. I no longer have fear. I still have self doubt. Give me a pill to rid me of that trait and I will take on the world.