Welcome, Brazen Careerist Readers!

CatalystBlogger has joined the Brazen Careerist network of blogs, which caters to Gen-Y in the workplace. For those of you coming here from Brazen Careerist, let me tell you a little about myself and this blog.

I always wanted to be a novelist. When I was in college, I didn't worry too much about making money; I thought I'd just work at whatever job came along and write on the side. When I graduated, I realized that working full-time and pursuing a dream full-time are not easily compatible. I worked for businesses and nonprofits for about six years--and I couldn't see myself settling anywhere. The lack of control I had over my own schedule made me miserable, and the entry-level jobs I got didn't draw on my writing ability, which I felt was my biggest strength.

I started taking on freelance writing work out of college for extra income. I worked on brochures, website copy, articles, and other random writing tasks for businesses. About a year and a half ago, when I had just turned 25, I quit my last full-time job and opened a freelance writing business. Since then, I've been able to earn money on my own time doing something I'm good at. I take great pride in my business and I'm excited about my prospects for the future. I'm still working on that novel, but now I have a job I love to do in the meantime.

On this blog, I talk about my experiences as a freelance writer. I share my successes and failures, offer tips for running a freelancing business, and generally talk shop. If you're interested in writing or in starting your own business, here are some posts on this blog that you might find interesting:

My Top Five Myths About Freelance Writing: A post about the reality of freelancing--don't believe everything you hear.

Bad Writing Gigs: Tell 'Em Where to Stick Their "Exposure": Pitfalls to watch for when looking for freelancing work.

Making a Living Writing Online: Can it Be Done? Some general advice on getting started.

A Career in Writing: Four Things My College Education Didn't Teach Me: What I wish I'd known before graduating.

Smart Spec Work: When to Work for Free. I don't advocate working for free, but I know some writers do it for various reasons. If you're beginning as a freelancer, here's how to make sure you get something out of it.