I count myself very lucky—or blessed.
Well, there are actually a number of reasons that I feel fortunate in life, but the one I have in mind at the moment is professional. Many book-writers have to toil at dayjobs far removed from what they really want to be doing—writing books—and get to write only on weekends, or by committing two hours every evening to sweating out that book when they’re really too exhausted from a day of tiring and non-gratifying work, or when they’d really rather be spending time with their families and/or friends.That’s not me.
My 9-to-5 (which is really more like 5 AM to 5 PM) is spent writing. Or editing, which I also love. I’m a freelance writer/editor, working from home, hiring myself out for writing and editing projects. I write books when there’s a lull in the paying work. Lately there haven’t been any lulls. So even during stretches like the last half year or so, when the only book of my own (ghosted projects don’t count) that I’ve had time to write was one little picturebook for kids, I’ve still been writing and editing. Maybe I haven’t done much to add to the shelves full of books with my byline, but I’ve certainly been doing what I love.
And one of the best parts is the variety. I’m not doing the same thing day in and day out, 52 weeks a year.
That can get pretty boring.
My last three or four major projects were editing projects. Before that, I ghostwrote a book for a client. And now I’m in the early stages (research) of ghostwriting another project for a different client. The projects are all across the board in terms of topic: finance, the bio of an entertainer, the bio of a successful individual, perfume, interpersonal communication, real estate, and more.
While working on these major projects, I have within the same time frame been working on smaller projects, too. I just completed writing a mini-booklet for medical patients, this for a medical lab that is a client of mine. I have also recently written a variety of ads and other sales materials for the same lab, these aimed at doctors. I wrote a couple of essays about first dates for an international dating website. And more. Much more.
Even when a project is boring or complicated or is for whatever other reason a slog, I know my term of “indenture” to it is finite. This, too, shall pass. And then I can move on to something else—something more interesting or exciting, satisfying or gratifying.
Meanwhile, I am not spending 9-to-5 (or 5-to-5) on any one project. My workdays are a melange. My workweek is a crazy quilt.
And I am divinely, sublimely happy with my spiced-by-variety writing-and-editing life.