Sunday, September 28, 2008

Just A Geek

Today, on my wife's recommendation and because I thought it looked interesting, I started reading Will Wheaton's book Just A Geek. I'm just a little ways in so far and am looking forward to reading more of it, especially since it addresses how he started writing and blogging. I'll post my thoughts once I'm finished.

Purdue University Online Writing Lab

Just a short post tonight to share an excellent writing site with you: the Purdue University Online Writing Lab. It's pretty well-known as a resource, and for good reason, since it has a ton of useful information. As such, you may already be aware of it, but it's worth reminding people that it's out there.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Posting Frequency

If you've been reading my blog (though I don't think anyone is yet), you've probably noticed that I have not been updating every day. As of now, I don't expect to be updating this blog daily, since I have quite a bit going on right now, but I will try to post something at least a few times a week. If it looks like I'll be gone for a longer period of time due to a big project, trip, et cetera, I'll let you know.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

National Novel Writing Month

It's time to think about doing National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), coming up in November. If you've ever wanted to write a novel but needed the motivation and support to do it, now's your chance!

Sadly, I will not be participating this year (I tried last year, but didn't make the goal). I have class all month and thus probably would not have time to do it on top of that and my day job. But if you have the time, I say you go for it!

P.S. If you do choose to participate, I recommend No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty. It's a great guide for anyone considering participating in the event, but it's also a great book on fiction writing period and worth checking out even if you don't do NaNoWriMo.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Quote of the Day

"There is no such thing as writer's block. There is only failure to make a decision."

-- Milt Rosen, taken from UnTechnical Writing, by Michael Bremer

So Who Am I?

As promised in the last post, this is the part where I tell you who I am.

I'm currently a consultant working in the retail industry, though I've spent a little time in the computer and software industry as well. I have a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Minnesota, and am currently working towards a Master of Professional Writing degree from Chatham University in an online program (you can expect several posts on that and education in general in the future). I live in the suburbs of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and have lived in this state for almost all of my life -- I was born in Iowa, but don't consider myself an Iowan at all. I'm married, and have no children, though we do have a dog and a cat. I'm on the edge of 30, crossing that threshold at the end of next month.

I really enjoy writing, and have been told in both educational and professional settings that I am very good at it. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean I actually am, but I have done a little freelance work and have had several positions where writing in some form another was the bulk of what I did, even if I wasn't referred to as a "writer" as such. I can't think of anything I'd rather do with my life than write (though I like editing quite a bit too -- more future post fodder!), which is why I decided to study it as an undergrad and am going back to school for it now. How successful will I be? I don't know. Eventually, I would like to be able to support myself as a writer; it doesn't have to be the only thing I do, but I would like it to be the main thing.

I think blogging is a good way to start. Granted, I don't think I will be one of those bloggers who gets a book deal anytime soon, but a man can dream, can't he? :)

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Finally Getting Started

Yes, I know it has been about a month and a half since my first "test" post. I haven't forgotten about the blog; I've just been busy for a while (though that's no excuse). But now I am ready to begin in earnest.

This blog, Writer of Fortune, is dedicated to my interest in professional writing and my ongoing efforts to become a successful professional writer. I'm using a flexible definition of the term "professional writer" here -- I am basically defining it as writing for money, be it business writing, journalism, fiction writing, web writing, or something else entirely.

At this point in my career, I am focusing on technical and business writing, but professional writers need to be flexible, and skills in one type of writing are easily transferred to others, so ultimately I could end up doing just about any type of writing. Specialization is for insects, as Robert Heinlein wrote.

Obviously, then, I am going to mostly blog about writing, but I will also discuss books, websites, and other media from time to time. That said, I may go off-topic now and again if I feel the urge. It's my blog, after all. :)

I'll go into my background, and why I want to be a professional writer, in my next post. For now, hello!