This was the first time I was interviewed by persons who had actually read my books, and I enjoyed it. Andrea Schwartz was the host.
All my life, I wanted to be a storyteller. Getting together with Bobby and Ellen across the street, the three of us making up ghost and monster stories in their appropriately atmospheric cellar… I was ten years old.
It’s ironic, that I have come to love writing. My penmanship is poor, at best, if even that. Then, years ago, I was introduced to a Brother Word Processor; sort of a very basic computer, and I found that I loved writing. Had word processors existed when I was a child, I would have done much better in written English, and probably overall, as a student.
Nonetheless, I’m not much of a writer when it comes to commercially viable material. I’m skilled at explaining technical matters in simple terms, but I’m not sure where one would market such a skill.
If you think having those skills is bad, try being a political scientist.
That’s good information to have. I have a talent for creating illustrations which help people to learn complex concepts. I’d love to exploit that talent, and I wouldn’t mind an extra source of income, when I finally retire.
Thank you, Phoebe.
There’s actually a good market for technical writers, or at least there used to be. Try some of the application-specific magazines and newsletters, both print and online, for a market for how-to articles — although some of them have gone to all in-house writing. Then there are large companies that may have freelance documentation writing opportunities.
When I was doing database design as a sideline, I wound up writing how-to articles for two database magazines, plus an after-market book. I also developed and taught a special topics course in “Writing for the Computer Industry,” and most of my students told me afterward that it was the only course they ever took that paid them money — because they sold some of their projects and/or got document-writing assignments or jobs from their work. In fact, one student got a tech writing job that paid more than I was making myself!
They say there is one good novel in each of us. Looks like there are a plethora of them in Lee Duigan.
Thanks–I’m having a hard time with my current book, too many distractions.