About Us

First, let's start with me... The evolution of a freelance writer

Around about the time I was 16, I started writing poetry. As you can imagine, being at that age I was writing the poetry of a lovesick teenager . I didn't know how to write about anything except teen angst and all of the feelings that are associated with that time of my life. The girl, of course was a writer as well, and she showed me the beauty of writing poetry as the means to express one's feelings. I guess that has stuck with me since. I still write what I feel, only with time that feeling has evolved to include more than just the single-minded brain of a teenage male.

From poetry, things just evolved from there - soon I was writing short stories, essays and I tried my hand at a few short plays and screenplays. I didn't ever sell anything at that point because I still didn't really understand how to write. Some might say I still don't know how to write... but there has definitely been a learning and growing that has taken place over the past 15 years. I have taken a look back at stories I know I was proud of when I was between 16 and 20, and they aren't anything to be real proud of. But, with each story, I learned the craft of writing.

For one reason or another I lost my way with writing between the age of 20 to 25. I did very little. Without getting into my life struggles, I didn't produce anything worth talking about for five years. A lot of soul searching was done during that time. Searching for personal direction seemed to be more important than cranking out some lame story or contrived poem. I didn't really start writing again until I met the woman who became my loving wife. She believed in me more than anyone else has in my entire life. That was the jumpstart I needed to get my writing back on track.

When I decided to try freelance writing 'full-time' for the first time, there we many people who had doubts. It doesn't matter who they are, but they are the same people who have a hard time believing my freelance career is a legitimate one today. But, I had my wife. She supported everything I did - encouraging me, pushing me, and of course, asking me when we were going to get more money rolling in. Those were reasonable questions. Still, she - and I, persevered.

I didn't make it as a freelance writer the first time, but I did know for sure that I wanted to write for a living. I was alerted to a job as a reporter in the small town of Vulcan, Alberta. I spent two years there, eventually making my way to the editor's position. That is where my writing really started to grow. Even though I wasn't writing fiction (most of the newspaper readers would agree), learning the art of writing through the proper structure of a story helped a lot.

It wasn't until I was about 27 that I sold my first piece for money. In reality, I never submitted anything before that, but I think deep down, I knew it wouldn't quite make the grade anyway. This was prior to working for the Vulcan newspaper. I sold two more articles after that, but it just wasn't bringing in the money that our family needed. So, I had to get a real job for the time being - so that's when I became a reporter.

After a little over two years with the Vulcan Advocate, I decided I had enough of the long hours and the low pay for relatively little thanks. Before my wife and I made the decision for me to freelance write full time, I needed to prove that I could make money at it. We didn't want to go through the same hardship we went through before. So I joined a site called Elance, and the rest is history. While I would like to credit my skill as a writer for my success, I realize that a lot of the early success has to go to having a place like Elance to find people looking for talented writers. The rest, as they say, is history.

Update on 2007 - Since I last updated the About section of this website (well, that was pretty much in the very beginning), I was just starting to get into writing full time as a freelance writer. I hacked my way through e-books and ghostwritten articles, and evolved to the point where I am today. 2007 looks like a bright year for freelance writing. I have already sold 7 bylined articles that will appear in 2007, and I have recently queried one more, and hooked up with another regional magazine for more potential magazine work. I completed a novella, which for me was a huge step towards the realization that I could eventually write a novel. Hopefully that's in store for 2007/2008.

Now a little about the company...

Imagine This... Writing Studio was founded April 2, 2004. I had a laptop, an Internet connection and I was ready to make my way as a freelance writer. In the beginning, I was still working as the editor of the newspaper, putting in 40 to 50 hours a week, and then trying to put together a freelance writing career in the evenings and on weekends. I soon had more work than I could have possibly dreamed of, and I was making what amounted to two full incomes (even more) and thought that maybe it was time to cut the newspaper loose. As the excitement of having a freelance career grew with each job, my interest in working with the newspaper waned. After all, why would I work two jobs, when I was making more part-time freelancing than I was working as a full time editor? I thought if I focused my time on freelance writing, I could make it. So, I did. Almost two years to the day, I left my job at the newspaper to begin freelancing full time. What a change it was.

It has been nearly three years of freelance writing now, and things have been going along great. It hasn't been without its ups and downs, but that is to be expected. There have been a handful of just-missed deadlines, a customer or two who needed a few 'unpaid' extras to make them happy, personal challenges, and everything else you can expect from owning your own freelance writing business. I wouldn't trade it for most anything in this world. There is nothing better than being your own boss, and doing something you love.

This material is protected under copyright - Copyright 2005 - 2007 - Imagine This... Writing Studio