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Apart from what you read here at Mama Need Java, written material splashes out of my fingertips in lots of ways. I love writing at Polk Voice and Associated Content when I’ve got the time, and I try to write something for future articles or even books each day. When I was in school, you could have added the papers and essay assignments to the list. I type fast, LOVE automatic spellcheck, WISH it caught more of my grammar errors, and long to be a better writer about 99.9% of my waking day. In my dreams I’m as good as Annie Dillard, though slightly less earthy.

The thought of getting my master’s in creative writing has been bouncing around in my head for some time. I’ve held it up by its collar, asked how it dares to disrupt my time, my finances and debt, and whether it thinks it can make a decent writer out of me afterall. I think I’m through that phase. The idea and me are becoming fast friends, or as Anne of Green Gables calls it, “Bossom friends.”

That is to say, I am considering applying to some schools this spring, to try out some classes next fall. I don’t know what will come of it all, how much financial aid I will get, how much time it will take, all that is to come. I have simply come to the realization that my desire to become a better writer is something I cannot avoid. As the time comes, I will share which schools I’m applying to. It’s difficult to find low-residency MFA in Creative Writing that is not through the roof expensive, but there appears to be some decent schools out there.

To lay the ground work for the “time” aspect, I am beginning to focus my work- namely, Vivian Writes, (as opposed to work from Wiley and Millipore and the other primarily clerical odd jobs,) on newsletter researching and writing. I really enjoyed a project I had on this several months ago, reporting/writing articles regularly for a specific industry/client. I am now picking up anything I can get my hands on to further my skills in newsletter writing particularly for the bonus of reoccuring work so that when my school classes begin I will have more regular work and income rather than the enormous fluctuations I currently take on. Newsletters can be both print or e-mail, and often require the work of a freelance writer to research the latest news and trends, find pictures, formulate the sections and articles, and often times do the layout as well. There’s lots of ways this can go, and all different types of clients, from a large industry specific newsletter that goes out to clients or buyers, to a small e-mail newsletter written to frequent customers of a local shop. Vastly different hours and pay go with each, but the thing they all have in common is fairly consistent work. Consistent = gooooood.

So, writer for hire; if any one knows of something along these lines, I’d love to talk with ya!

Hey, a kinda cool thing for me today was to FINALLY check out my site statistics. 930 something of you visited on Nov. 2nd! Go fig! And nearly 3,000 since I’ve been running, which nearly made me tear and say, “They love me, they reallllly love me!” My page gets an average of 400 hits a day, and I’m probably a couple of them to moderate comments and write posts, so that leaves a good little posse of you! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Okay, enough rambling! I’ve got to go check out MATTHEW FOX (aka Dr. Jack Shepherd from Lost) HOSTING SNL!

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 2nd, 2006 at 11:55 pm and is filed under Current Events, LOST BLOGS, Motherhood, The Debt Drama