Why Writing is so Difficult, but Worth its Weight in Gold.

Breaking into the writing profession (whether freelance or otherwise) is far from easy. Then again, I was not searching for the writing profession to accept with me with open arms. The profession came to me. In case you are wondering; the structure of this is part memoir, part wisdom.

Ironically, I studied the lowest level of English available in the final years of school, and during middle school; there was a real war between me and my English teacher of all teachers. I despised writing; even to the point that back in little school (as a child) all I could write were "lists." Oh how far we've come.

The corporate world decided to fire me not long after moving to Melbourne, Australia after spending some time overseas. It agreed with me on one thing: that I can write. This transition period into a 'freelance writing apprenticeship' happened back in mid-2011. Thankfully the piggy bank was full to the brim (adequately so), and off we go into the world of leisure and lifestyle freelance writing. Quickly thereafter, yours truly also helped Yelp get started in the review space in both Melbourne and Sydney in Australia. What a lucrative opportunity that was. Really quickly, extra work was sourced, and a mere six months later, the full-time freelance writing world found me (for a short few years anyway. Tops while it lasted, as well as earning $400 a month from these sites to begin with.)

It was the best of times, and it was the ugliest of times. It was an abundant feeling to quickly have been invited out to free dinners, events, and theatre productions to name without having to pay, monetarily speaking. I only paid through my time, and through the exchange of a feature article with photos for the experience. Plus a chocolate walking tour manifested, together with a bitter understanding between me and my business partner at the time. Despite being a really jealous human being (even though he had skills that I did not possess); things happen for a reason, and it was time for my work as a writer to wrap up, and the chocolate tours quickly became ancient history through an unexpected business venture in the healthcare industry. I say jealous to describe this human being, because he did not even congratulate me for the chocolate tour appearing on TV a quick eight months later. Grudges aside, it doesn't matter anymore.

From there, my ebook writing venture on Smashwords continued where possible, with 12 eBooks published today, despite turning down two publishing contracts. Some months are slower than others; yet the royalties still come in with the hands off approach. (That is because I truly suck at marketing.)

Firstly, be open to expanding your possibilities as a writer. Who knew that an article on a chocolate tour (made up) won a Gold Medal, and from there turned into a real-life tour, and then into a book.

Secondly, if at all possible, do not become an editor, unless you want to try it out. Focus on the creativity that is bursting within you. Being an editor stifled that for me; especially when you came across needing to edit some poorly constructed work, and/or an article riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. You would think that some rookie freelance writers would be mindful of this. Not necessarily.

It feels suicidal to also edit your work as you go along. It is imperative to do that once you have finished writing your first draft, so you can freely allow your words to flow. Then you can edit to your hearts content.

Here we are, Vocal Media. You found me right at the beginning of 2020, and it was not really an auspicious time, and the same can be said three years later, with Top Story awards (a rarity) and what not.

Even though the passive income from Vocal Media (this site) is still slow like a snail (because, once again, marketing and I are still not best friends); the content shared with you wonderful readers on this platform (drilling down to a specific niche is far from easy) has also been a nice form of cheap therapy, that only involves your time, energy, and creative input. Despite investing in copious amounts of personal development over the years; it is the articles in communities like Lifehack and Motivation that I have written to name have been the most life changing. No antidepressants or counselling needed. Therefore this investment in time in sharing your skills, knowledge and wisdom is worth it tenfold, a mere 80+ articles later, as at the time of writing.

Winning a Top Story award (and the financial rewards from such, albeit pocket money) on this platform feels more rewarding than paid employment, where you have a boss that parents you. There are times in business where paying the rent can be a struggle; yet it is worth its weight in gold in parenting yourself during the process.

Writing is my Ikigai for sure. In other words, when you are in the flow when writing (even if it is on a topic that you cannot choose to write about); and you would not care if you were writing for free; then that is your telltale sign to just get started. No Journalism qualifications are necessary. (Sorry to sound like a job ad for a second.) Learn as you go, and ask for a critique if required. Just a pen and paper, or any computer and a reliable Internet connection will do.

Now I would like to draw on a couple of key questions that seem to be ingrained in every writers skull right now.

Firstly, will Artificial Intelligence (AI) really takes writers jobs away?

In a word, no.

Perfect your craft, and be better at it.

You can engage in books like The Artists Way, and get those morning pages happening. The morning pages are advantageous, because you can unleash any crap and concerns, before anyone else picks up on them. Most of all, you can find solutions to some pressing challenges.

Another example; say you are a Graphic Designer selling your digital designs online. To put your buyers minds at greater ease over AI; you could arrange for someone to film you in creating a brand new computer aided design from scratch, and then share it with the world as proof that your work is original. On this platform, you need to declare if you have used AI for any article ideas.

Furthermore, and since becoming a data analytics student a few weeks ago; yours truly has personally found that AI is like using a calculator to add and subtract, rather than using your own brain to come up with the calculations yourself. That epiphany alone is making me feel much, much better.

Out of curiosity; I recently took the liberty to ask ChatGPT if it will ever take over writers jobs now, and in the foreseeable future; and this is what it said word for word (although I edited the below for clean grammar purposes only):

"AI has the potential to assist and enhance the work of writers; but it's unlikely to completely take over their jobs. While AI can help with tasks like generating ideas, proofreading, or even drafting content; human creativity, emotions, and unique perspectives are still crucial elements that AI can't fully replicate. Instead, AI and writers are more likely to collaborate and compliment each other in the future."- ChatGPT

Can you breathe again now? I hope so.

Regardless of what the economy is doing at any given stage in life; it is wise to still hang onto your writing career as a side hustle at the very least. You never know, such can breed into full-time writing work down the track. Plus you are keeping another door open, as multiple sources of income is a vital thing. Nail that door back. As I have proven, writing is also another form of personal development.