How I Survived on Low Writing Income

One thing I learned quickly once I started writing for a living is that the income isn’t regular. It’s feast or famine.

When I first started out it was way more famine and not enough feast, which made it scary when it came to quitting my job.

But one of the things I did do that really helped me, was a read a book called The Millionaire Next Door, which explains how others are rich (millionaires in fact) even though they only earn a regular income.

At first I didn’t even think it was possible but after reading the book and learning about not only how they did it, but how easy it was, I realised that I would be able to manage on my writing income, even during the times of famine.

And since then I’ve heard and read about others who survived during hard financial times. I even recently heard about a woman who raised her 7 children in a one-bedroom house. Now that is extreme, but clearly, it was doable. And she clearly isn’t like spoilt people today who want big houses with lots of bedrooms even when they only have a couple of kids.

And that’s the difference that makes some people ‘The Millionaire Next Door.’ And interestingly enough, they are called “next door” because they are living ordinary lives amongst ordinary folk who have no idea their neighbours are millionaires.

So when I was worried about living on a low income I didn’t let it stop me from becoming a writer. I just knew how much I could earn and turned to minimalism to help me get by. And I found that it’s a great way to live anyway, so I haven’t even changed much.

And now my husband has retired early and we only have the money that I earn from my writing as our income, and we’re living really comfortably.

I wouldn’t change a thing and it all started because I prioritised my writing and made it my mission to earn enough money from it to live on.



Persuasion Secrets of the World's Most Charismatic & Influential Villains
A short but extremely insightful little book that helps you to do more and to care less.
This little book can be read in less than an hour, but you’ll want to read it again and again.
http://viewbook.at/villains

How I Found My Writing Mission

When I first started writing I had moderate success with freelance submissions to magazines. Well actually, it was probably more than moderate if you count how excited and happy I was to do it.

It all began when I bought a copy of Quick Cash Writing and worked my way through it, writing and submitting fiction, filler, articles, features and even letters to magazines and other publications.

My next foray into money from writing was when I bought a copy of How to Write Any Book in 28 Days or Less and I worked my way through that too and wrote my first novel, which has led me to write many more books, including co-authoring two books.

What I found throughout it all was that my first successes led to more success because it was exciting to see my work in print and I was always busy working on my next thing.

And it gave me something to look forward to every day. I was always busy with having a family, pets and a part-time job, and at the end of the day there was always my writing. Sometimes I couldn’t wait for others things to be finished so that I could get back to my writing.

I would even write in cafes on my way home from work, in the park, and in waiting rooms. I would just write whenever and wherever.

What I didn’t realise back then was that I’d found my life’s mission.

I wanted to write and I didn’t let anything stop me. And I didn’t even know back then how important having a mission in life was. But it changed everything for me.


It made me a villain.


Persuasion Secrets of the World's Most Charismatic & Influential Villains
A short but extremely insightful little book that helps you to do more and to care less.
This little book can be read in less than an hour, but you’ll want to read it again and again.
http://viewbook.at/villains

Be Brief and Move On

The best thing you can do in life is to know exactly what you want and go after it.

A major problem with this is that other people will not want you to do it. They don’t want you to change or to be successful.

People are like crabs in a bucket. As soon as one of them manages to reach the top and try and climb out, the others will pull it back in again. And this is what people do if you try and move away from them (physically or mentally). They’ll try and pull you back down to their level.

It even happens to me all the time. I’ve been a writer now for almost 20 years and it’s how I earn my living. Yet my family won’t even discuss it with me and if I bring it up they’ll change the subject. Not even my own mother knows about my published books and she doesn’t want to.

Being a writer doesn’t give me much to say about what I do every day anyway, because it’s a silent and solitary way to earn a living. I sit alone most of the time.

My kids on the other hand love that I’m a writer and read my books, but no one else in my family does.

So make it your mission to go after what is important in your life. Put it first as much as you can, no matter what anyone else tries to say or how much they try and stop you.

If I hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t be the successful writer I am today.


Persuasion Secrets of the World's Most Charismatic & Influential Villains
A short but extremely insightful little book that helps you to do more and to care less.
This little book can be read in less than an hour, but you’ll want to read it again and again.
http://viewbook.at/villains

Is This Stopping You From Writing?

I was reading a really interesting book the other day. I’ve actually read it several times before because it fascinates me (and it’s only a short book that’s quick and easy to read).

And it struck me that what I was reading about was actually something that can stop people from writing. And I used to be one of those people. It can be a real time-waster without you even realising you’re doing it.

And what I’m talking about is being needy. It’s something that most of us do automatically and it’s a complete waste of time.

What do I mean by being needy?

It means spending time explaining things to people when you really don’t have to.

Being needy is when you feel that you owe someone a long explanation. And it doesn’t matter who it is. If you feel like you have to explain yourself, then you’re being needy. You don’t owe anyone an explanation about anything.

So if you find yourself giving a long, detailed explanation to someone, stop doing it. That’s being needy.

And it doesn’t matter if you want them to do something for you or they want you to do something for them. Trying to explain yourself at length is being needy. It’s being needy of them liking you.

Even if someone is demanding that you explain yourself and say why you can’t help them or worse, if you’re trying to do them a favour and feel that you need to give a detailed reason as to why they should LET you help them, STOP!

You’re wasting your time by being needy.

It would be far better to talk less, ask for nothing, offer less, and say less to everyone.

And then you’d have more time to devote to your writing.




Persuasion Secrets of the World's Most Charismatic & Influential Villains
A short but extremely insightful little book that helps you to do more and to care less.
This little book can be read in less than an hour, but you’ll want to read it again and again.
http://viewbook.at/villains