In or around 1988, dad acquired a parcel of land from his folks. At this time, he built the first shop that his business, Wagoner & Sons Concrete, would ever own. Before this time, the company had rented shop space from one of the local landlords/business owners in town. What started as a humble, in-ground…

We’ve made it to February which means it’s only a couple of months before we get the hell out of this city and get back to the country. I am ready to leave this place and get back to where everything is quiet. There are entirely too many people in this place, and having to…

The harsh weather typical of our geography has got me in a contemplative headspace. Winter doesn’t do many things right but it does have a way of forcing us into our own minds to work on things. Turns out I have ample time for this kind of work, and ample time for any kind of…

I have recently stumbled upon an effect of making a living off of writing. The work I am doing is for subject matter I’m not necessarily into. After completing any given assignment, I can feel the need to reset. In this way, it is very much like a traditional job, where the time off between…

The exponential expansion of technology has moved AI from the fringe. All of us in the creative space can’t help but notice the presence of AI across disciplines. This raises interesting philosophical and moral issues that I never dreamed I’d be concerned with. Nevertheless, I find myself pondering this use of technology, because AI may…

One of my writing clients has requested content that is packed with SEO keywords to attempt to rank their site better with Google. I assume they are trying to get more eyeballs to the site to push whatever they are trying to push. As you might suspect, the content comes across as terrible. It is…

I currently have two writing assignments and I am struggling to find any kind of motivation to work on them. Yesterday I was in the zone for hours and able to get some serious work done but it feels like a different world entirely today. This is when the effective pay rate of writing is…

Today marked the first time I’ve received royalties from the proceeds of my short story about dad. It was a strange mix of feelings when I saw the modest deposit in my account. Does my interpretation and reimagining of events warrant a price, however small, from anyone? Can any story really do a man who…

Submitted my first assignment to a new client this morning and now I just need to wait for their feedback. It can be hard to know when to inquire about payment if the client never brings up the subject. I don’t like to discuss it at all until I have submitted my work and that’s…

After applying to several different job listings, I had a second client reach out to me for a test. I submitted the test and the client approved and assigned me with work straight away. This could provide nearly full-time writing opportunities with just one client, and definitely does with both of them I now work…