Starting fresh as a freelancer

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I remember my head spinning for a few weeks after making the decision to finish with full time for the foreseeable future. You can feel lost without the camaraderie of an office environment; in fact, this was what I missed the most during those first, strange, non-routine months.

I think stepping back, reflecting and taking stock is really important, which is why I took a three-week break to spend time with family and clear my head immediately after leaving my full time job.

My next step was to plan my year, month by month (only roughly at this early stage, but it was good to get something on paper to see where I was heading). At the time I was turning thirty at the end of the year, so enjoying the last year of my twenties was really important to me, yet I still wanted to have time for writing – both working on my novels and testing out freelance.

Before I even started touching up my website, or looking at the notes I'd made on my saga, I was considering my options for every day freelance work. So I decided it might help to put together a resume covering my knowledge and experience, what topics I was an authority on, and what skills and qualifications I had.

I’m not going to lie - freelance writing IS a difficult way to make a living and you shouldn't try this if you don't have savings! Also mentally you have to stay focused, strong and passionate about what you're doing. There's a fabulous opportunity there to shape and mold your career into whatever you want it to be and actively create your dream job.

But you must write and write and keep writing!