Oh, so THAT's how.

It's been a weird few months. Some really, really nice opportunities have presented themselves and I'm looking forward to building on them in the coming months, but I do feel it's taken me a long time to get to the right place in order for these things to happen.

Essentially what I've found works best for me, obvious as it may seem, is to work on the things that will help you towards your goals rather than just the ephemera that surrounds those goals. I landed some really exciting writing gigs in recent months that have genuinely opened my eyes to the fact that the market is there for writers to make some progress.

The key? Being honest, being realistic and asking nicely. Of course, the most essential part of the writer's journey has to be the development of the content itself, but it's not always something you have to do alone.

The gigs I've been lucky enough to secure of late have all taken shape with the help of very good editors. It may have been limited to a few brief emails, but those little bits of encouragement genuinely helped the things I've pitched achieve the level where they'll get picked up.

I know my stuff won't be picked up every time – that's the nature of this writing lark – but finding people who understand the market and their audience as well as how stories work has improved the content I've been able to offer greatly.

So. Tips. Be genuine. Be honest about what you do. Be polite and approachable. Listen to feedback. 

I'm so very, very grateful to be able to do the things I get to do right now. It's so much fun. Hard work, yes. A little scary, yes. Exciting? Always.