Novelist No Mas?

I am declaring 2007 the year of non-fiction writing. 2005 and 2006 saw me attempting novel writing with limited success. While I still harbor the writer's dream of publishing a story I made up and wrote all on my own, I'm returning to my roots and my first love, which is non-fiction.

Every writer's book will tell you to write what you known AND to read what you write about. I read non-fiction. I'm an absolute fiend for history, biography, and memoir. I throw in the occasional novel (usually on a friends recommendation) but if you stranded me on a desert island with my choice of books, almost all would be non-fiction.

I approach writing like a puzzle. You have all the different pieces and first you find the corner pieces--which are the main points of your article, and then you start testing different pieces to see if they fit together (sometimes trying to mash two pieces together that clearly are not meant to be joined, just like in a real puzzle).  It's long, often boring and most always frustrating, yet when you have the finished puzzle (article), you take pictures and show it to as many friends as possible as testament to your great skill and perseverance.  To switch metaphors, writing is like exercising. I hate the actual act of doing both, but love myself for having completed the task after the fact.

I''m starting off to a slow year, work wise. This is intentional as I'm waiting for the grand unveiling of my new website (soon...very soon) before I start to aggressively court new business. The site will be a departure from my current site (www.denaharris.com) which screams "CAT WRITER!"  The idea is to attract more corporate work, which pays better and also interests me because it's something new and I have the attention span of a gnat and get bored if I'm not constantly challenged.

As I've done for the past several years, I've raised my income goal for the year to be a 10-12% increase over year prior.  Blair pointed out that I had a few steady gigs (I'm sooo hip, as you can tell by my choice of words) last year that I"ve let go but that really boosted my income, but I'm not worried. That's the fun of freelancing. You never know what unexpected project will pop out and surprise you. The For the Love of Cats book, column writing for Banfield veterinary magazine, writing for web sites...none of that was planned. I love not knowing what I'll fill my time with this year... what new projects will come up that will add to my resume or make me rip my hair out in frustration, wishing I'd never taken it on. It's all part of the writing adventure.

Here's a toast to the unknown adventures awaiting each of us in the New Year.

I Asked For It...

Be careful what you ask for or you just may get it.  Words to live by, my friends, words to live by.

You'll note in Friday's entry that I was despairing of being a mere $230 away from meeting this year's income goal and begging for work. Well, work found me. I've agreed to take on a heinous, boring, underpaying job that--and this is the only reason I've agreed to do it--will put me over my financial goal for the year.  

I'm having trouble believing that even I am such a slave to my whims.  But the timing of the job offer was perfect and the small sum will put me over the top. I've worked for this company before and they pay promptly and each week.  So I'll  devote portions of the next 2 days to the project and submit a bill on Friday.

Yes, Santa came early this year. ;) 

Writer For Hire - $214.31

HIRE ME, HIRE ME, HIRE ME!

Hear ye, hear ye. In the 16 days left until the New Year, it is to be the mission of each and every one of you to find someone in need of a writer AND (this is the crucial part) is willing to pay for said writing services before the close of midnight on Sunday, December 31st.  That's right... while others are groovin' with Dick Clark watching the ball drop, I'm counting singles and twenties...

Here's the deal. Each year I set a financial goal for myself. I am--as of this writing--$214.31 short of reaching this year's goal. It's like at the end of Rocky III when Rocky and Apollo have a friendly matchup at Apollo's bidding and Apollo says,  "You beat me by one second. One second...that's very hard for a man of my intelligence to handle."  Same deal here. I'm sooooo close that it's killing me.

Admittedly, my accounting system is somewhat warped. I only count cash collected during the year. I actually have close to $1,000 owed me in article fees but the cash for that cool grand won't arrive until January--too late to meet this year's goal (but giving me a nice leg up on next year's goal).

I may have a quick $50 project at the start of next week which inches me even CLOSER to the goal. 

I know...I'm so close that it pretty much counts. Except it doesn't.

No one ever said life was easy for a Type A. (Now go find me work...) 

Tunnel Vision on Work

Do you ever have so much work to do you're almost scared to get started? That's the situation I find  myself in this morning (and why I'm choosing to blog right now).  I have so many articles to write, phone calls to return, meetings to coordinate and general catching up to do with friends and family that I don't know which way is up.

I'm trying to avoid my natural tendency which is to knock out all the little stuff before hitting the bigger projects. The little stuff can wait--the big stuff needs my attention. (But I do so love the feeling of accomplishment that comes from crossing 10 things off a to-do list in the first hour because BAM! BAM! BAM!--I just peeled right through them).

With all the work, I'm still going to fit in a 9 AM yoga class. The thigh muscles remain a wee bit tight and an hour of  forced stretching would probably do them good. 

I forgot to mention the massage I had the day before the race. My friend and I splurged at an upscale resort and had an hour-long massage and access to the whirlpool, sauna, steam bath, and relaxation lounge. The upsetting news is that I failed my massage. At one point Jenny was working on my shoulder and I said, "That hurts a little."

"I'm not surprised," she said. "I've been working on it and keep trying to get it to release but your body is defying gravity. It won't let go."

She had me play dead (She literally said to me, "Play dead.") and that helped momentarily but then I tensed it up again. 

The massage was from heaven but unless I receive them a couple times a week, I just don't know that they do much good. All it takes is one day back to tense up again. I think I was almost as relaxed just standing on the beach and staring at the water.  As my friend said, "The beach cures everything."

Here's wishing you many relaxing waves in life.