I watched an interview with Shane McCarthy yesterday.  He's the script writer for the Batman comics.

As interviews go, this one was pretty ordinary, except a couple of things that stood out.

The interviewer asked what Shane would advise as-yet unpublished writers. His answer was the same one I always

give: "never give up".  

The other thing he said that stood out for me, was about being a writer.  There are two big events in every writer's life, he said. One is being born, the other is realising your were born to be writer.

That totally resonated with me, as I've always felt I was born to be a writer.  I've always been a great storyteller, and I was "published" by the time I was eleven years old. But my technique was not always good, although everyone told me it was, and there was always a reason to put off learning to be a better writer.

If this resonates with you, take action now.  Don't wait until it's nearly too late. I was around 46 when I began to write seriously.  If I'd taken action earlier in my life, things would have been entirely different, I'm sure.

If you would like to hear Shane's interview, which was on *9am with David & Kim (a morning show here in Melbourne, Australia) go here  - but don't leave it too long as I'm not sure if they're archived.

*Visiting sites such as this is a good way to get ideas for articles.

Shane is appearing at Melbourne's Emerging Writer's Festival which started yesterday, and runs until the end of May.  You can get more information about it here.

Time to get onto this issue.  Roy A. Barnes has written a terrific article about thinking outside the box to secure writing income. If you think the downturn in the economy is going to severely limit your potential for income, think again. And read this article! Survive The “Tough” Economy As a Freelance Writer will definitely get you thinking.

I've also written an article this issue.  This one is called 4 Way to Get Freelance Writing Jobs.  This may be a little different to what you expect, but will steer you in the direction of some ideas you may not have thought of before.

Discover How YOU Can Turn What You Already Know About Your Hobby, Work, Or Personal Interests Into Your
Very Own Money-Earning
Info Product Empire!
 

The best thing I ever did for my writing career was create information products.

When I began, I didn't have the knowledge or the know-how. Don't follow in my footsteps and struggle - step-by-step instructions are now available!

Read more here!

Survive The “Tough” Economy As a Freelance Writer 

©Roy A. Barnes – All Rights Reserved

 

 

Don't let the media or the negative talk of others keep you from being on purpose in life.  

I’m surviving the so-called tough economy as a freelance writer first and foremost by approaching my job with a positive attitude and broadening my horizons.   

Despite the scare tactics of the media, I'm keep my head above water by finding new ideas to write about. Let me illustrate how. 

 

Condition Your Mind To Attract Money 

Years ago, I was listening to one of motivational speaker Anthony Robbins' cassette tapes from Personal Power II: The Driving Force!.  He said something that I've never forgotten and think about a lot: "Condition your mind to attract money."  

This is one of the greatest quotes I’ve ever heard, especially for surviving the current economic situation.  

It doesn’t matter what I'm doing, whether it's freelance writing or running six or more miles a day, I see money in those opportunities.  

When I run, I often find aluminum cans which I can cash in later for money, and I find spare change and even paper bills on the ground. Yes, not only do I stay fit running, but in essence, I get paid to run! Every little bit helps, for the The Good Book says that if we are faithful over little things, we'll be made ruler over many things (Matthew 25:23 personalized). 

It's all about attitude no matter your financial situation.  Whether you are single or married, have kids or no kids, there are always people with your same challenges who’d rather sit on a bar stool and complain about how bad things are. 

As a writer, I've receive emails from editors telling me they are laying off staff and not accepting freelance submissions because of the economy. But guess what? Many online and print publications are still accepting and paying for freelance work, if you, the writer, will take the time to look for these markets and subscribe to free market newsletters like this one, WritersWeekly.com and FundsforWriters.com.