When I was having dinner with my dad and stepmom tonight, I was trying to explain how I felt that I had finally found the direction my life is meant to take.
I dropped out of college partway into my Junior year, partly because I still had NO idea what I wanted to major in, and I didn't want to waste any more money on classes that might go to waste while I decided on what I wanted to do. (It was also partly to try to better cope with the first REALLY MAJOR depressive episode of my life.)
I fell into dog grooming rather by accident, and I've been piddling around with this for 8 years while I tried to figure out what I really wanted to DO with my life. I've always (or for at least the last five years or so) known that I didn't want to be a dog groomer for the rest of my life. It is much too physically demanding, and I already have a bad back. I've seen what happens to groomers down the road (carpal tunnel, tarsal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, and the list goes on), and I don't particularly want to groom until my body completely falls apart and I suddenly have nothing else to fall back on and be incapable of grooming anymore.
I always enjoyed writing, and English was one of the majors I was looking at. I didn't really know what I would do with an English degree, though. I tried journalism, but that didn't seem like the right fit.
So, off and on my whole life, I've had bursts of inspiration and done some writing. Whether that's just journal writing or the beginning of a novel I never finish, it's all the same; I've just been writing without direction.
But lately I feel I have found my direction.
It really all started with this blog, a little less than a month ago. I started blogging primarily to get in the habit of writing every single day. That is the one thing all of the professional writers tell us newbies, is to write every single day.
Then I decided I wanted to use this blog as a way to share myself with my family, my friends, and the world at large. I started putting links on my Facebook page so my friends and family could get from there to this blog.
Then my cousin told me about writerscafe.org, and I was intrigued, so I threw up a few of my blog posts and other tidbits. I discovered that this website has contests you can enter. No cash prize, but the chance to get some reviews and outsider opinions on my writing was worth entering a few.
I also decided that as long as I was blogging every day, I may as well put up some ads and try to make some money at it. In order to make money with the blog, I need to have A LOT of people seeing my blog because so few actually click on the ads (I know I almost never click on ads when I'm on the internet).
So I started a Facebook page to promote my blog (you can find The Writing Groomer there if you haven't already liked the page). So now, I had to promote a Facebook page in order for people to get from the Facebook page here to the blog where they would hopefully click on some ads.
In order to do both things, I have been all over the web, reading, liking, and commenting on anything having to do with dogs, so that hopefully people will see that activity and want to come see more from me.
So now, writing has absolutely become a part-time job for me. I've been getting good feedback, but a lot of it was from friends and family.
Then, about a week and a half ago, I won one of those writing contests (with Dexter, check it out if you haven't already). Out of 67 submissions, I got first place! I am not intending to brag here, I just have to mention this in order to say what a HUGE confidence boost that has been for me. It is one thing for my friends and family and a small handful of strangers to say they like my writing, but for a complete stranger to deem my writing better than 66 other people...
WOW.
That's huge. That's the key, that's the jackpot. Bingo. I just received validation that I am good enough to have a shot at making a living out of writing.
But it doesn't stop there. This past week I've been getting more and more comments, both here and on my Facebook page, from complete strangers saying they love what I've been doing and to keep it up.
More validation.
The icing on the cake? Winning another writing contest a few days ago (with Memoir Excerpt). There were only 22 submissions this time, but the person who created/judged the contest said mine was "the best by far."
BY FAR.
OK, now I absolutely 100% have the confidence to pursue a writing career.
So now I am FINALLY coming to the Green Line. I'm sorry this has been so long and meandering, but I have a point, I PROMISE.
Have you seen those Fidelity commercials on TV? I think they are some financial planning company. Anyway, in the commercials, they use this green line to show the path you should take to achieve your financial goals. All you have to do is hop on, and it will take you where you need to go.
This blog, whether directly or indirectly, is my GREEN LINE. For now, it is the start of my journey. I have no doubt that my green line will have some zig zags and bumps and it may fall off this blog and land somewhere else, but for now, I am in the right place and headed the right direction.
"The Green Mile" of course refers to the Stephen King book and movie of the same name. The actual walking of the Green Mile would refer to my writing career heading toward a certain death. And as you can see, that is not the direction I am taking.
OK, discussion time. What's YOUR Green Line? Have you found it yet or not? It's absolutely OK if you haven't found it yet. I JUST found mine, and I am nearly 30. I know people of all ages who haven't found theirs yet. But for those of you who HAVE found your Green Line, I would love to know what it is.
OK everybody, it's late, time for bed!
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