I’ve completed two full years as an “aspiring” writer, and made roughly $1200 in total on Medium. Spread out across 24 months, that’s an average of $50 a month — not exactly the income-generating opportunity any of us hoped for. And I know I’m not alone.
For this third year, I’m changing things up.
First Order Of Business
No more of this “aspiring” nonsense. After two years, I’ve earned the title of ‘writer.’ This is what I do for a vocation, and that’s that. Even if I’m not making much money from it, I have made money. I write for a living, starving artist style. There’s no doubting that I am a bonafide writer, through and through. I aspired and landed myself here for better or worse.
For decades, I’ve aspired to be a writer. At every stage, it seemed like there was someone telling me how that wasn’t going to happen. That it was such a difficult career to excel in I was better off not even trying. And I believed them. Hell, one of the loudest voices in that choir was my grandma—the person I trusted most. She was more a mother to me than my mom. Yet for my young adult life all she seemed to do was discourage me from the one thing that ever held my attention indefinitely.
And I know that’s true because after two years and several month-long breaks, I keep coming back. Writing is a habit I can’t quit. I eat, breathe, and dream about writing. No longer do I have to question what my “thing” is. We’re clear on that. And no one will ever convince me otherwise ever again.
Not Even My Therapist Can Change My Mind
She means well, I know. Just like my grandma did, just like many others that shoot down dreams. It’s always the same line of fire: “not many succeed at writing.” She even told me to look up the statistics of how many people make it as a writer. Cute.
I know. My family and I are broke. We do need the money. But I’m not budging. Until my family tells me point blank to get a job (which they aren’t likely to do), I’m investing faith in myself to figure out the way to make it work. Because writing isn’t a goal for me to pursue; it’s an obsession that pours out of me whether I want it to or not. Decades of notes, letters, journals, and half-written books stuffed into boxes and filing cabinets prove the words bleed out of me naturally.
I am a writer. It’s an unfortunate truth for my family that I haven’t profited from it much thus far. Perhaps that is the part that I can change.
The Plan To Have It All
Where writing, profit, and happiness overlap is the place I want to be. That’s my new aspiration, the year’s true resolution. Throw in a little self-care, tending to relationships, and paying down the mountain of debt overshadowing life and we’ve got the perfect year.
So, how will I make that happen? I have a plan, after all. 😉
If you’re not already a Trusted Monster, then you may not have access to the rest of this article. The paywall will prompt you to pay (and you can if you really want to), but only because that’s how Substack works to gate content. If you are interested in reading more, all you have to do is ask!
Send me an email to theaccidentalmonster@yahoo.com (or contact me however we typically communicate) and let me know who you are. Let’s talk, you and me. Become a Trusted Monster and get free access!
Or, read this over at Medium for $5 a month. Your call. 😊