L. J. Sellers | Taking the Plunge

1) start a new novel
2) work on my novel first thing every day, even if I had to get up an hour earlier
3) find or create paying work that I enjoyed more than what I was currently doing to earn a living
4) sell my detective series to another publisher
By March 1, I had accomplished the three things I had control over—although not the way I expected to. January first, I began to outline my new Detective Jackson novel with working title, SECRETS TO DIE FOR. I began getting up at five o’clock to write for an hour before I went to work. At the time, I worked as an editor for an educational publisher, a demanding job that left me too mentally exhausted at the end of the day to feel creative enough to fill blank page after blank page (which is how a novel comes into existence).
Next, I started sending out letters to agents, publishers, and writers, announcing my services as a fiction editor. And I contacted some corporate clients and magazines about nonfiction editing as well. Then I took the biggest step: I asked my employer to let me cut back on my hours at work, thinking it would be long slow transition to self-employment. They promptly laid me off.
Thank you very much.

I love my new life! My bathroom is perpetually untidy, dinner is often an unimaginative freezer-to-oven meal, and there's laundry backed up everywhere. But yesterday, I passed page 150 on my novel, so who cares? My husband says he's never seen me so happy. It's the first time in my life that I've put my personal writing first. Making a living, raising kids, taking care of extended family, and keeping the house together were always a priority. These things are still important, but they are no longer most important. (Don't call child services; my kids are adults now.)
My goal is keep it going for as long as possible—because I finally feel like my real self. I know that not every writer is in a position to make this kind of change, but I heartily recommend it if you can.
L. J. Sellers
http://thesexclub.net/
Labels: editor, goals, L. J. Sellers, mysteries, writer
2 Comments:
What an inspirational post. It's always an interesting path on the way to achieving one's goals...especially in the area of our 9-5 jobs.
Much success on your new books,
Karen
www.karenharringtonbooks.com
I know EXACTLY what you mean. After years of writing in my spare time -- six novels between 1990 and 1998 -- I had to quit. It was just too much. But in 2006 I quit cold and turned to writing full-time. It's the best thing I ever did, coming to the page fresh and energized -- and being able to work on the book mentally even when I'm not writing, because there are no work distractions. And I immediately sold a series of mysteries to William Morrow, and a second series is in an auction situation right now. After eight years without a published book.
I like money as mush as anyone, but I've come to realize that the only irreplaceable commodity is time.
Congratulations, and I can't wait to read your book.
Timothy Hallinan
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