Getting started

Freelance writing gives you an advantage

'How to write a novel' is a challenge few authors can resist. Freelance writing is the door into the fiction publishing industry for virtually every writer, and for good reason. A freelance does the work on his or her own time and makes the sale later. No contract is involved, and before you've made a couple of sales, you probably won't have an editor's or publisher's expression of interest before plunging in and writing.

Freelance writing is the best school. Humans 'learn by doing,' and as a freelance you'll be your own boss. You'll progress at your own speed, decide what you want to write (not write what you're told to!) and you'll generate your own motivation. This is always the way to build strong foundations. The writing habits you're developing right now will support your career.

It might sound like a silly question, but ... where do you get started, to write a novel? Writing anything at all, from a letter or poem to a novel or thesis, comes down to a single starting point. Good writing. It's as simple as this: if you can write well, this ability is applicable to any project from a business email to an epic novel.

However, the subject — writing in general and fiction writing in particular — is quite large. There can be a lot to learn, especially if you're playing 'catch up.' Where to start is an extremely good question, and it's best answered by yourself!

Making a start in freelance writing, you have a major advantage on day one. As your own boss, you write what pleases YOU, so the learning process is fun ... and we all tend to be good at what we enjoy. The more fun it is, the better at it we get. Creating fiction is vastly rewarding. It can begin as a great hobby, and become a fine career.

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