I'm a Writer. A Real One!

When asked what I do for a living, my answer varies depending on what mood I’m in.  If I’m in a really bad mood, I’ll say, “Nothing of value.”  And if I’m in a really good mood, I’ll say, “I'm multi-talented; I dabble in everything.”  But most of the time, I outright lie and describe my previous position in finance.  I just can’t bring myself to say “unpublished writer.”  I don’t want people to get the wrong idea and assume that I have no writing talent or that I’m a “writer" who doesn’t actually write.

Since I don’t have a good answer to the "What do you do?" question, I try to avoid meeting new people as much as I can.  My anti-social husband couldn’t be happier. 

Unfortunately for him, those days might soon be behind me, because I just signed my first freelance writing contract!  And come October, I should be a published writer.  I don’t want to jinx myself and spill all the details before it actually happens, but feel free to go ahead and praise me.

This means that I’m kind of, sort of, employed.  And the next time someone asks me what I do, I’ll be able to pull out a copy of my published essay and wave it around in their face.  Maybe I should get my $200 paycheck framed and display it in my living room for all to admire!  Of course I could use the $200, since I already spent half of it on a bottle of celebratory champagne.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  The way I look at it, my success should increase exponentially from here on out.