I’m impatient and sleep-deprived – I’ve discovered that’s a bad combo on a site where you can’t edit posts after a certain period.
I signed up to Steemit a week ago and published a quick introduction, then I hastily edited that introduction (rushing because I could hear my toddler having a delightful time trashing my office) and managed to edit a mistake into it, right there in the first sentence. Not a good look for someone who writes for a living…
When I noticed the mistake a couple of days later and went to fix it, I found I couldn’t. Whoops.
That mistake now mocks me every time I open my Steemit blog. It’s very hard to look at and triggers the proofreader twitch in my lower right eyelid. Ugh.
Be warned, other Steemit newbies, your errors may be permanent on here!
So, I’m starting over and hopefully I’ll do a better job of it this time.
Allow me to introduce myself (properly):
My name is Emily and I’m a freelance writer from a small rural town in Victoria, Australia.
I live with my husband (probably my husband, we had a quickie wedding in Vegas and never received any paperwork, so he may not legally be my husband), my 15-month-old son, three dogs, four chickens, a shitload of honeybees, and more highly venomous spiders than I care to think about because there’s a female redback spider in the outside toilet with three empty egg sacs in its web.
My husband and I are mad-keen gardeners and grow a lot of our own food. We moved house at the beginning of this year and we're in the process of digging up most of the lawn to grow vegetables.
I began to take my freelance writing work seriously several months ago and I feel like, at 35, I've finally found my calling. I am constantly learning about new things as a writer, and I relish the challenge of striving for the perfectly crafted piece of prose. Writing allows me to explore the world with fresh eyes.
As a freelancer, I get to work from home, which I love for all the obvious reasons - like pants being optional and only having to commute between rooms and not having to deal with office politics.
I also get to hang out with my son all day and have some terrific conversations. Here’s an example of a most enlightening chat we had this very morning:
Son comes out of the bathroom holding a tampon in his hand (this means he’s tall enough to reach the top draw of the bathroom cabinet, so the last available bathroom draw will have to be emptied and decommissioned), repeatedly saying at the top of his voice: Wow!
Me: Yep, they’re a pretty clever invention. If you think they’re exciting, the menstrual cup that sends texts will blow your mind, although we should probably discuss this when you're a bit older.
Son: Wow!
Me: Indeed.
Son (throwing tampon aside and pointing at a picture of Donald Trump on my laptop screen): Cow! – he’s big on the ‘ow’ sounds at the moment.
Me: Nah, not quite mate, but he is full of bull.
Son (pointing to something outside, possibly the telephone pole): Cow!
Me: Hmmm, definitely not, but points for trying.
Son says something that ends in ‘ck’.
Me: Oh crap, please tell me you didn’t just say what I think you said.
Son, picking up one of his socks and offering it to me: Taaa!
Me (making a mental note to stop swearing now he can talk): Oh thank goodness you nearly gave me a heart attack, and thanks, that’s a lovely sock. Let’s go get a snack.
Son: Wow!
Of course, there are also some things about my work I'm not too keen on. Publishing online usually comes with its fair share of trolling and abuse. I'm not a well-established freelancer yet, which means I can spend a lot of time and effort getting nowhere (ie getting rejected). And while I love my son's company, he does make my work environment chaotic (he's also the reason I haven't had a decent night's sleep in over a year, my powers of concentration are elusive these days).
I love writing, though, and the pros far outweigh the cons, so here I am to start plastering my work all over this very intriguing platform.
What to write about on Steemit?
Here’s where I ask what you would like to read about because I’m writing for you, not me. These are some options/areas of knowledge where I could contribute:
- Science. I have a bachelor’s degree in science (biological sciences, neuroscience and biochem majors).
- Gardening and homesteading.
- The environment and sustainable living, both of which I care about deeply.
- Beekeeping. My husband and I keep bees, and worked as professional beekeepers for a year .
- Fitness. I worked for about a decade in the fitness industry, with a specialisation in kettlebell lifting.
- Parenting. I’ve got a kid, which automatically makes me an expert in parenting (just kidding, definitely not an expert, but happy to share the humorous side of life as a first-time mother).
- Writing. I’m far from a perfect writer, but do know a few tips and tricks that can help anyone improve their written communication.
- Short stories. It's been a long time since I've done any creative writing and I wouldn't mind getting back into it.
Thank you if you’ve made it this far and I’m looking forward to not sucking so much at Steemit in the future.
