New Writer; Adversity Creates Opportunity

I am new to this writing game. I was working with an electrical contractor. His business fell apart. Here in Northeast Ohio, it is not a very good time to look for work or to even, like I am doing, try starting your own business in the building trades. I had no choice. Newly married in June of 2007. Teenage step-sons and two teens of my own. Bills. Child support, the whole nine yards. I'm not making ends meet with just a few jobs a week. No good at bank robbery. I was getting a little desperate.

With as too much down time, I was looking for something to do. I could only work out so much. Gotta keep in shape. Two teenage stepsons and a teenage son of my own, and worse yet, a very pretty 15 year old daughter. I tell these kids I can still beat up most guys half my age. Old man strength they say.

Cooking only takes up so much time to. I am used to cooking for a small crowd. All those years inside firehouses, you know. Prep, side dishes, main courses and dessert. Even a corn muffin every now and then.

Still needed to take up more time. Cleaning and laundry might do it. I was proud of what I did but little Wifey said I did it all like a guy. It is not like she didn't appreciate it, but I'm sure all you ladies out there can appreciate where she is coming from.

What about writing? I always thought I had the ability. In my college writing courses the prof loved my work until I wrote a social commentary she didn't like. Wrote for a company newsletter. Wrote a lot of lesson plans, handouts and tests as a teacher. It's a real boost to the ego when your students find your multiple choice tests entertaining. The thought of being a writer was always in the back of my mind. One of my earliest childhood memories. Dad had a writer's manual on his bookshelf. I don't remember the title or even looking through the book but what sticks out is the running dog on the spine. Borzoi Books.

Where does one start writing? Good question. I typed in a web search and came up with Helium.com, www.helium.com. Read about there site. I even read some posts which blasted the site. After reading more good than bad, I decided to go for it. Signed up, wrote an article and posted. After that, I decided to read the FAQ section and go to the forums. The learning had begun. As of this time, I have 26 articles on that site.

It is through the Helium forums I found Associated Content www.associatedcontent.com. I have to admit, AC was a little intimidating at first. Instead of doing what I did over on Helium. I signed up and read the FAQ and went to the forum boards. I read tutorials and posts. Went to some of the CP blogsites. Tried to put something into my old brain. Wrote my first piece and checked my CP Accounts page numerous times to see if it was accepted. Had to go to bed. When I saw my in my email the next day that I had been published, I was on a high. That day I went to the call for content where I picked up a few titles. Some even had an upfront payment.

After submitting my content and having it accepted, I broke the news to Wifey. I did this by having her Google my name. When the page came up and there were numerous hits for my name I told her. We laid in bed that night with the laptop looking at the articles on Associated Content and on Helium. What was funny was when I had my son Google my name. He said too bad I wasn't still in school because I could cut and paste a guy's work that had the same name as me and the teachers would never know the difference. It wasn't until I had him go to an article on AC and my picture came up did he realize it was me.

So far, two months to be specific, this has been a fun journey. I have not made much money, but I have been building up a body of work with the help of sites like Helium and associated Content.