1:43 a.m. revelation

At 1:43 a.m. random swears about the dean of a local university swarmed my brain, trampling any moral, decent and relaxing thoughts in their way. My brain demanded answers – demanded to know why I agreed to lay out the new university department journal due the same date as my other four current editing projects for no charge.

I choked up like a red-faced politician caught having to give an answer to a question not mentioned on the neatly written speech he clings to for dear life. Like him (the politician) I have no answers. If I silence my inner being and dig deep for the answer psychologists say already exists within me, I will admit I overextended myself.

It is quite exciting when people acknowledge and request my writing and editing services after previously ignoring me when I asked, even begged, for contacts, mentors, even people who would agree to just stick their toe out and crack open the door to writing opportunities. The Chicago Manual of Style, AP Stylebook, Strunk & White’s Elements of Style and grammar books I bought on sale for under ten dollars at Barnes & Noble crowd my “interesting read” bookshelf. I guess they wised up –figured a girl who read those books and works as an editor of a newspaper by day might just be worth paying.

In December, the month I decided that my career would move at lightening speed no matter the cost or work, I started to take my freelance writing career seriously. Procrastination and myths that writers make no money were left behind. It worked. I have made more money writing in the past two months than I have ever made off of writing. Ever.

I learn daily by trial and error – mostly error. At 1:43 I learned that God has moved me past the novice phase. I don’t have to stand on business street corners holding my “I am a new writer... I need writing projects to fill up my resume and portfolio... Will work for free” sign.

My random swears were my writer talking – telling me to let go of the free projects. After this project, I plan to do just that.

Of course, this project is holding all of my energy hostage and I am only halfway finished....