Author Tricia Schneider: Writing for fun, profit or other? #MFRWAuthor #writerslife

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Writing for fun, profit or other? #MFRWAuthor #writerslife

Blogging is an opportunity for authors to connect with readers. Despite being writers, blogging is an entirely different style of writing and often stumps us. To help our authors blog consistently, thoughtfully and with purpose, Marketing for Romance Writers is announcing the 2019 Blog Challenge. Each week, authors use our writing prompt to create a meaningful blog post. We'll be posting every Friday... join us as often as possible.

Week 1: "Writing - Doing it for fun, profit or other?"

I started a little late this year, but I plan to get caught up with the Marketing For Romance Author's 2019 Blog Challenge. Here goes...

I started writing for fun. Writing was another form of imaginative play when I was a child. My first series was about my brother's pet turtle, Gonzo, who was a detective, solving mysteries in our grandmother's backyard.

Eventually, my stories developed along with my own growth as a child into a teenager into an adult. After my mother died when I was 11, I found myself writing stories about a young girl with a troubling home life, usually with no mother. Writing became therapy for me. It helped me work through the struggles that I was facing. As a matter of fact, that hasn't really changed at all. I still consider my writing to be very therapeutic.

I didn't consider writing for profit until my senior year in high school when my creative writing teacher, Mr. McCormick, took me aside after class the one day. He told me that the short story that I had handed in had great potential to become a novel and I should consider publication one day. Up to that point in my life, I'd never considered writing as a career choice. Until then, writing was just for fun.

After that fateful day, I began reading books on the writing craft, I took writing courses and workshops, and I attended writing conferences. I began crafting my novels and submitting them to the big New York publishers. Although I received rejections, all of my submissions were returned with helpful insight and constructive criticism on how to strengthen my writing and requests to keep trying and resubmit.

I never gave up. It took a while before my confidence in my writing strengthened, but I continue to grow as a writer every day. I think we all do with each story we write. We learn distinct lessons from each manuscript we write.

Each year, my writing income grows. I consider myself blessed to be able to make money doing something that I love. Not everyone has that kind of opportunity.

So, in answer to the question... Yes. I write for fun, profit and therapy. All three.

Be sure to visit the posts for the MFRW's Blog Challenge!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!