My freelance journey

I’ve always known I wanted to write. I set up my freelance writing business at the age of nine. 

Seriously. I took my sparkly gel pens and drew up a sign advertising ‘Anita’s Story Writing Service’, which I proudly stuck on my school desk. I wrote about fairies, mermaids, and unicorns for loose change and lip gloss.

Sometimes on a good day, I’d scrape together enough 5-cent pieces for ice cream or a bag of chips from the school canteen. Most days, I’d get no takers at all. I wasn’t bothered in the slightest.

I just kept writing what I wanted to write until people wanted to read it.

I’m now in my thirties, and my freelance writing career has come a long way since that glittery paper sign on my desk.

Even back then, I was surrounded by well-meaning authority figures telling me how hard it was to make a living as a writer. But there’s a difference between ‘hard’ and ‘impossible’.

I’ve received countless rejections. I’ve had months where I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to cover bills. I’ve stared at blank pages and wondered how I managed to convince an editor I could write about a subject.

But I still kept writing, because it’s what I love to do. And I feel lucky and privileged that there are people out there that want to read what I have to say.

I’ve had my words appear on websites that receive page views in the millions. I’ve covered issues that are important to me – mental health, climate change, feminism, and human rights, to name a few. I’ve been part of campaigns that raised public awareness about these issues. I’ve told my own stories about events that shaped me as a person. I’ve had people from all over the world writing to me telling me that they connected with my words.

The word ‘story’ usually conjures images of children gathered around an adult with a big book of tales about noble deeds and mythical beings. Growing up, I soon realised that stories are everywhere.

Everyone has a story to tell.

Brands with compelling stories about who they are and why they do what they do are more likely to resonate with potential customers. Media outlets use storytelling to make complex subjects accessible to the average person. Charities and nonprofits tell the stories of people and causes they support to inspire action and change lives for the better.

Great storytelling has the power to transport you into a different place and see the world through the eyes of others who experience the world differently. It can open us up to new possibilities, help us understand our place in the world, and motivate us to create a better one.

Sometimes, it takes a pair of fresh eyes and ears on a story to remind you why it’s worth telling. Someone who understands what you want to say, and how to say it in a way that gets the results you want.

I love storytelling, and I’ve spent decades perfecting my craft. I understand how to speak to different audiences and break down complex issues in a way that people can understand. I love using new technology and experimenting with different formats to get a message across. Most of all, I love hearing other people’s stories and getting them out there to reach the audiences that want to hear them.

I may not write about mermaids (at least, not for public consumption!) or accept vanilla Lip Smackers as payment anymore, but I still see writing and storytelling as my happy place, and I bring that energy to every freelance project I take on.