This is Sheri from Minnesota. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Your comments are welcomed and appreciated. I see what you mean by saying the way it is written distances the reader. My hope is to put them there; the last thing I want to do is given them the occasion to step back.



I, too, quit a profitable, full time job to pursue a free lance writing career back in August of 2007. I've had some success but, due to the need of a CONSISTENT paycheck, have taken a job working about 20-25 hours a week. It is so easy to get distracted at home with housework, the Ellen show, sudoku, etc. The next thing you know the day is gone and you have no words to show for it! Discipline is key. I found setting up a workspace was helpful. Stay off the internet! Distractions, distractions...I wish you lots of luck, and I look forward to hearing more from you!

well well, Miss Pickleseed... you are, I believe, speaking of the notoriUS NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) that is not, in fact, associated with The Writers Market in any real way. Many of us here have imagined some very convincing associations, including yours truly.



Did you really quit your job to write full time? (Is your name really Pickleseed? I love that name!)



Personally, I have decided that NaNoWriMo is not for me. I decided it a few years ago, but at present can't seem to recall with clarity all of the reasons I had for not being a fan. So I had to go through the process again to remind myself. I'd rather just write something good, about as rapidly as anything good can be written, without the self-imposed deadline.



You really do sound interesting. I hope you think of something to write so you can get going. I know how that feels. Best Wishes!

Hi Liz,



I haven't found the opportunity to stop working to write full time, however, I have found that NaNoWriMo.Org (2007 and now 2008) challenge has given me hope that someday I will actually make it happen.



So, keep at it, write, write, write... and remember, just write over the 30 days of November... reach what ever goal you have set (1K, 5K, 25K or 50K). After you reach your goal and only then, you will be able to decide if the novel you wrote for NaNoWriMo is the novel you will continue to work until you are publish or if it is the novel that provided you the confidence to be the writer that is inside [you] waiting to come out.



Best of luck.

I can't believe that I am not the only lunatic out there!! I too quit my job on October 15th and I packed up my RV and headed for the west coast.

I have been trying to write my novel for six years now, but with work and family obligations, etc I just found writing was always left until the late evening, and by then I was always too tired and drained to have any desire to write.

I know that I can't survive without any income, but I figure that doing a part time gig somewhere will leave me with more time and energy for writing. And heavens, yes, stay off the internet - seems like you just go to check your email and next thing you know it is 2:00 in the afternoon!
So here I am in smalltown BC at an RV resort for the winter, hoping that this is the break that will result in the completion of my novel.
Good luck Petunia Pickleseed! You truly are not alone!!

Staying at home and accomplishing everything you want isn't always easy. I'm a stay-at-home-parent myself and know first hand how out of a list of things to do I may only seem to get a few done. For a while it really bothered me, but then I found this "trick" which you may find useful in your own goals.



I go ahead and make my list of things I want to accomplish. On another sheet of paper I write down the things I actually do as I do them. Come to find out I was doing a lot more than I'd thought I had. Not only was this encouraging to see that I really do work hard through the day, but making the list of things I do throughout the day also gave me a guide as to where I could manage my time a little better. It's helped me to set some realistic goals and get a few more things from my to-do list done. I've been able to focus better on my goals for each day since I know where my distractions are, which items I spend too much time on, and which items I need to spend more time with.



It's not a perfect system and everyone is wired differently, so you may find something else will work better for you. But regardless, I hope I've given you a starting point to meet your own goals.



Live, Laugh, and Be Well