Ah, writing. What an incredible gift it is to have the ability and the opportunity to create people, places, and events at will. Then again, anyone who has ever written professionally knows that there is a dark side to the craft. Just as there are always those who praise your talent, there are more who are always waiting to pick your writing apart.
How I Got Started
I never really considered writing for a living until later in life. Granted, I have quite a long list of job titles on my resume including everything from retail, to insurance clerk, to working at a biotech lab.
I was going to University of Kentucky to get a microbiology degree when I spotted a writing workshop taught by Appalachian author, Gurney Norman. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about something I had done for entertainment in the past. I used to love telling stories and writing for my friends and family.
It wasn’t until undertaking this workshop that I realized how much I enjoy it. Still, I was surprised when Mr. Norman encouraged me to pursue an active career in writing and not throw away my talent. He also submitted one of my stories to a campus paper, giving me even more encouragement to pursue a newfound career.
When I left Lexington, I moved to a horse farm in Virginia where I still live today. As in most rural areas, there were few opportunities to work, especially with a science degree.
I worked at the local JC Penney and tutored at the local elementary school helping students prepare for standardized tests. I completed a teaching course at LMU but decided that teaching wasn’t the right choice for me. I considered going into nursing and was accepted into nursing school. When my schedule required me to get from one class to another within ten minutes on opposite sides of town, I decided I had been through enough scheduling hassles at college.
Then, I saw an ad for a copywriting course that cost several hundred dollars. I had no idea what copywriting was, so I investigated. I ended up purchasing an online guide to get started in copywriting for $40, joined an online copywriting platform called “Elance” (Upwork today), and got my first project.
My Time As A Copywriter
Over time, I’ve worked on multiple platforms and directly with specific clients. I loved having the freedom to choose which projects to take on and which ones to ignore. I also got to work with people around the globe.
Another perk of copywriting is that I had the freedom to work out my own schedule. If I needed to take a week off, no problem. If I needed to work more to pay for something, I usually could.
Sadly, around twenty years after I began my career in copywriting, it has come to an end. Why? Because I can’t remember what I’m doing.
Memory Loss and Cognitive Decline
A few years ago, I began noticing that I was forgetting things – a lot of things. It seemed a little more serious than what you would get from aging – especially since I’m not that old!
My doctor ordered an MRI that showed brain lesions. From my understanding, brain lesions aren’t that uncommon. But when things get diagnosed around the time of a pandemic and there’s a shortage of neurologists, finding out the cause of those lesions gets more difficult.
Once I finally got an appointment with a neurologist, I learned that these lesions and their location can cause memory loss. The reason for them still isn’t clear.
I have also experienced “mild cognitive loss.” That term doesn’t sound all that impressive, but let me tell you, it is very significant when you’re the one experiencing it.
One of the most terrifying parts of my memory loss, even before I found out about the lesions, was that I would go somewhere and get lost. I might forget where I’m going and have to pull off the road to “work through it.” Or I printed off directions before I left home and wasn’t able to follow them step-by-step. I have shown up an hour late for doctor’s appointments because I couldn’t follow simple directions. Siri has become my biggest helper except for those days where she seems to have some kind of glitch of her own.
The problem has progressed over time, affecting my writing more and more. I can feel totally confident in something I wrote – until I go back and read it. If I really like an idea, I might write it two or three times. I change people’s names mid-story and get my characters’ names mixed up throughout. When a character is talking to themselves in my books, it takes on a whole new meaning!
Then there’s the issue of weather. Although it doesn’t change everything in a book, whether it is hot or cold, sunny or snowing, can have an important role in a scene. Unfortunately, memory loss has caused me to change the weather even more often than Mark Twain claimed it did in New England. Just as a nice loud thunderstorm gets cranking, I turn it off and have the sun shining brightly again.
The Writer I Am Today
So where do my condition and these obstacles to writing leave me? Some days are more of a struggle than others. Although I no longer feel capable of providing quality copywriting services to clients, I am still working on fiction. Of course, I can’t submit my writing as it is. Having a reliable editor to find the mistakes that don’t stand out to me has become essential. For me, that editor is Bethany Knowles at bethanycknowles@hotmail.com.
My latest book is in her trusty hands. I’ll wait and see how much there is to do to get the book ready to publish. I know that I will do whatever is necessary to get it published – I just don’t know whether it will be my last.
If I were to give any advice to writers, it’s not to put off getting the book you have in mind written and in print. You never know how things might change. Enjoy your passion for writing now, and just maybe, you can leave your mark on this big old world!