Capturing Chaos

Looking back, you could say I wasted most of the time I spent writing online, but it wasn’t entirely wasted. Without even noticing it, I sharpened my writing skills — not just the basic mechanics, but how I approached my topics. I learned to create  attention-getting openings and develop ideas in a clear, logical way. I learned the ways in which writing for the web is different from traditional, print-oriented writing. But most important, for someone who intends to develop a part-time writing career, I learned what kind of writing I enjoy and what kind I hate.

I’ve envied the people who can write on demand and make a good part-time or full-time living doing it. They can write on any subject, drawing either on their own stores of knowledge or the research they do. I’ve tried that, led on by the vision of being an all-round wordsmith. But it turned out that I’m not an all-round wordsmith. If I’m not fascinated by a topic I can’t write about it, no matter how tempting the pay might be. I’m not a writing jack of all trades, I’m a specialist who likes to dig deep into a topic and explore its darkest, most distant corners, even if that takes years.