New fiction novelist in our midst?

[eek]

I'm reading "Apologize, Apologize" by Elilzabeth Kelly. Does anyone know if she is one and the same as the CC author by the same pen name? (I've only just begun the book, but so far it's fantastic.)

[Evelyn]

Ooo, if it is her, we'll all want to stand next to her so greatness can rub off...

I hope it is. That would "legitimize" my career choices with certain in-laws who think I should go to town and get a job.

Evelyn

[Ed]

If you write, especially for the web, you will always have relatives and acquaintances who think you sit around and play solitaire all day. It can be discouraging, but don't listen to them. The money in the bank is the only legitimizing factor you need.

Ed

[EricScott]

That's so true Ed! I've been freelancing for about a year and some people still don't get it. Recently I couldn't make it to a small family dinner because I had to finish a project for a regular client that had a strict deadline. I got the comment from one person "Why can't you make it, you're not working." If I started a "real" business in the last year I would be considered an entrepreneur but the idea of freelancing brings to mind someone who goofs around on the computer all day in his pajamas. Luckily, there are a lot of people who understand how hard I work. I try to just ignore the comments of the others.

[Celeste Stewart]

Even my own husband sometimes "forgets" that I'm actually working - even though he knows how much money lands in our bank account as a result. Sigh.

[eek]

I think that's why a forum like this is so valuable to freelance writers. The camaraderie and encouragement help meet any gaps between self motivation and the paycheck.

[Elizabeth Ann West]

And that is why I do not use the "f" word, I am a writer with my own writing business. When people ask me "What do you write?" I say primarily on spec articles for web sites and marketing copy for a boutique marketing firm in New York (one of my regular clients from another site). That usually quiets people. For some reason the word "free" in "freelance" I think confuses people... they either think you work for free or that you are always free to watch their kids, run their errands, or meet them for lunch. LOL!