Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The Down Side to Writing On-line and an A-musing Story

Times have changed.  I've been writing for on-line Web sites, for extra freelance work.  However, it's not always the best income.  Rules change, companies buy out one another, and through it all, income is more difficult to make.

Writing on-line has it's ups and downs.  It requires more articles, and pays less than you think.  Another site I write for recently made changes, and of course, they want "all rights."  To a writer, this is the last thing you want.

After participating in the NaNoWriMo last November, I realized that I've spent countless hours writing, and rating on-line articles, and could have put that energy into a novel.  I keep saying I'll sit down and do it, but it's the deadline that I don't have, that motivated me before.

I think I need to prepare myself with a real deadline that will motivate me to spend more time on a project that will benefit my family more, than spending countless hours writing Internet articles for such little pay.

And above all, I need to get physically in shape.  I can tell a difference in my mood, and with my children's and husband's moods, when we miss more than one day at the gym.  It really does make a difference.

It looks like I need to make a trip to the office supply store for a new writing tool (fun pen), some super sticky notes, teas and coffees, candy (gotta have a jar of something around), and good music.

Speaking of all this writing, I have to share a funny tidbit about my 3rd grade daughter.  All this talk about writing made me think of it.  A while back, she was having difficulty thinking of a story to write for a school paper.  They were told the prompt, but she didn't like it (had to do with something scary for Halloween), and she expressed her pain to me.

We talked, and discussed how to write a "scary" story that was not about ghosts, goblins etc.  She still wasn't accepting my ideas, and still appeared flustered, frustrated and in tears.  I went into my bedroom and came back with a large fashion ring.  I explained to her that when Mommy can't write, she puts on a "bling ring" and gets busy with a story, a journal entry - any kind of writing.  She smiled the biggest smile, and wore that ring until her story was finished.  To this day, she takes that ring to school for any writing assignment.  She even explained to her teacher why she was wearing it.  Since then, her stories get more creative and detailed. I believe my daughter has discovered what "muse" is.

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