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From Scrap Heap to Bestseller: A Journey into Novel Writing as a Career

January 11, 2025Workplace3876
From Scrap Heap to Bestseller: A Journey into Novel Writing as a Caree

From Scrap Heap to Bestseller: A Journey into Novel Writing as a Career

Introduction

For years, I was tossed aside like a forgotten scrap heap, believing my dreams of carving out a career in writing were nothing more than wishful thinking. Yet, one fateful day, it all changed. I began typing a story that had been festering in my mind for two decades, and 14 months later, I had finished edits and proofing, releasing it on Kindle.

And so began my journey to writing book 2, then book 3. Book 3 took off, propelling books 4 and 5 like rocket fuel. Seven years later, I've authored fifty novels and I'm only getting started.

Numbers Don't Lie: A Decade of Writing Success

It’s been five decades since I embarked on my writing journey. My experiences have been multifaceted, ranging from editing books at 17–18 to becoming a financial journalist, travel writer, studio photographer, English solicitor, and now the head of a 124-year-old financial printing company.

Early Career Milestones

In 1977-78, at the tender age of 17–18, I started my professional career as a book editor for a major UK publishing group. Despite my lack of a degree, my Pitman Secretarial training stood me in good stead. In the 1980s and '90s, I blossomed into a financial journalist and magazine travel writer, concurrently working as a professional studio photographer. This diverse array of skills gave me a rich tapestry of experiences to draw from in my writing.

Legal and Business Expertise

The Decline and Resurgence of Writing

However, it wasn’t until recently that I realized the true potential of my passion. Nowadays, my writing has taken on a career-oriented direction. While I still do bits and pieces of writing for personal interest or pastime, my primary focus is my novels. The few writing projects I do now are unmonetized except for my contributions here on Quora and my own blog, which I launched in 1995 and is one of the world's earliest still-running blogs.

Writing as a Lifelong Passion

Despite the detours in my career, my passion for writing has remained steadfast. Even when I took on roles like working in a bookstore and nursing, I never lost sight of my writing aspirations. These roles allowed me to have the flexibility to pursue my writing dreams.

My path to becoming a successful author wasn’t linear or easy, but it was my unwavering dedication that finally led to where I am today. As I continue to write, I cherish each book I complete, knowing that each one is a step towards a lifelong dream that didn’t start with a scrap, but with a spark that has never been extinguished.

Conclusion

My journey from being dismissed as someone who couldn’t make a career out of writing to penning over 50 novels is a testament to the power of perseverance and passion. If you’re wavering between a side project and a full-time career in writing, it just might be worth taking the leap. Who knows, you might be the next bestselling author on the horizon.

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