I don’t do lunch; I eat it. Call me an archaic networking failure, but when I break bread with a colleague I use real-life terminology – and a fork. Alas, the looming cost of college tuition trumps my hatred of hipster lingo; I need the freelance writing gigs regardless of whether the client requests beer and pizza or an ‘interface over free-range chicken salad on gluten-free toast points.’

There are several ways to earn a living as a writer, most are legal. Fiction is my first love, but not the lucrative career Angela Lansbury lead me to believe; damn you Cabot Cove and your bloodless crime scenes and succulent lobster!

Now I don’t want to burst any aspiring author bubbles, but if you’re a halfway decent writer, fiction gets you extra cheese on life’s pizza – if you want Chianti, get a day job. This is why it’s important to keep the lines of communication open, tell everyone what you do and never turn down a meeting because a project doesn’t seem right for you. First and foremost, a writer writes!

OK, Amish vampire erotica isn’t your cup of tea, (and if it is – we will never be friends), but it may open a door to something greater. Case in point, I’m hip-deep in edits for Finding Caroline, the second book in The McGinn Series, but my kids insist on an occasional protein with dinner, so…I freelance with a variety of local newspapers to make ends meet.  It ain’t sexy, but it’s income, and when done correctly last week’s human interest story may lead to this week’s Pulitzer.  (Zip it ! Let me have my fantasy.)

Contract writing is feast or famine, with reliable nourishment coming to the most flexible first. The more available you are, the more opportunity knocks – the key is knowing when to answer, and when to release the hounds!

Photo Credits: theantiroom.com, wifflegiff.com