It's spring break. I am at an amusement park with my children and husband - much more their idea of fun than mine - but while my courage to get my first book, Kidnapped Asylum, to an editor is building it is a good distraction. My daughter and my husband are on a thrill seeking adventure, but my son and I are less of the thrill-seeking type and he finds the Firehouse Play Place at Silver Dollar City great fun (and I can scroll on my phone for a small breather).
I see an offer for a course - Speedy Freelancer: How to Write Faster. I sign up. Within a day I have access to the course. (It was likely sooner than that, but when you're on vacation you don't remember every detail, right?) I'm able to confirm my email and join the course in seconds. BA-BOOM!
I read through the course quickly - not because it wasn't helpful, but because I do almost everything recommended in the course already. I feel validated that what I AM doing already will help me build toward a stronger #authorpreneur career.
Let me give you a bit of background - my degree is in elementary education with endorsements in teaching everyone from PK through Grade 12. I have worked with elementary students, high school students, and everyone in between - but, I spent the last few years working with high school students at a distance. That required A LOT of writing! I needed to coordinate with high school counselors, principals, and mostly at-risk teachers at a distance - so I utilized the best tool for the job: email.
I realized that I was writing between 50-100 actionable emails every day, plus teaching, plus coordinating with local support staff to get materials out quickly. When I was called an "under-utilized resource" I started to question my value to the organization I was with - and then I realized that in the freelance world I would be paid much, much more than in the education world - but, I needed some guidance of where to start.
This course helped me see that I am doing almost everything right to get my name out there in the freelancing world. 1) I have a morning routine, 2) I use word sprints, and 3) I use the Parkinson's Principle to my advantage. It also helped me see that I can do better. I need to have an “off” time for the day and I should probably invest in a few more tools, like Scrivener, but for now my brain is compartmentalizing my ideas okay. However, I will likely purchase it in the future.
As someone who has planned out courses before (remember educators wear many, many, many hats), I loved the organization of the course. There were short intro videos and then there was reading material. I gravitate towards reading, so I enjoyed this aspect. I really dislike courses where it is "watch & learn," as I can read so much quicker than watching you tell me what to do (and I retain the material better).
While my "writing" career is just starting out, I saw from taking this course that I am on the write track to making my writing career a success.
Brandi Parsons is a freelance writer, book blogger, mom, educator, and authorpreneur. Her first book, "Kidnapped Asylum" will be released this spring. To be a part of the book launch, complete this form. If you're interested in Brandi's freelance services, contact her here.
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