Should I Freelance?

There are times when you start trying to find ways to cultivate your craft and become the person you are. I’ve been debating whether or not to start putting up my writing into an online portfolio and work on freelance writng. Of course, the best way to figure things out is with a Pros and Cons list. Here are my thoughts, and if you have thoughts of your own, please help:

PROS

• You get the experience. Come on, experience is what makes people successful. When a person submits their work, it isn’t the first draft or even the first book that’s picked up first. Hell, even Stephen King’s previous novels weren’t picked up until Carrie, not his first manuscript, was picked up.
• You get paid. As much as I love to think that I would starve for my craft, I am not that crazy or dumb. Starving artists have to be able to push past their need for sustenance for their passion. I’m not a starving artist. If anything, I am secretly a fat kid. Food is wonderful. Don’t quit.
• You get heard. I am a firm believer that writers (be they bloggers, authors, essayists, etc.) are a bit full of themselves (I may go into this in another blog in the future). Think about it. Writers are people who publish their own beliefs and thoughts in the hopes that they will be heard and inspire people to do something. Sometimes it’s just to inspire more literacy. Other times it’s to inspire something huge (a good, but messed up example is Mein Kampf. Again, think about it. Hitler didn’t have as much power until that book was published). Books have power and it is the people who write books who ultimately create and destroy. We, I am in the club, just want to be heard, but in a more worldwide way.

CONS

• I am limited. Even though I am not a starving artist and I do love the idea of inspiring readers, I am not a writer for anything beyond what I’m thinking about at the time. I can do the whole nonfiction writing that is like journalism. I could probably do those Buzzfeed like articles where I could have mostly pics or gifs. However, I am not a writer for those things. Ultimately, I want to entertain. And if I am going to entertain, I need to be entertained with what I’m writing about.
• Deadlines. It’s been a while since I’ve been in school. Hell, even in school I didn’t keep to a steady schedule. Deadlines were more like guidelines. I had to be done by that day. It didn’t mean that I had to have it written the day before. Most of my assignments were on the day writings. I’m sure most writers are like this (I can’t be the only one). Can you imagine being a freelance writer and not be able to make your deadlines? I’d lose real quick.
• Rejection letters. There’s something about an “I’m sorry, but not really,” letter from publishers. I’ve been rejected many times. So many that I can’t count. I can, however, count the times I was accepted… once. Yep, this girl has been published once. Once is great and I was excited. I have a copy of it in fact, but the rejections are what kill you. Granted, they haven’t stopped me outright from writing. So, I guess they can be considered a Pro too.

All in all, I have no idea if I should become a freelancer or not. I honestly have no idea what that entails. I do know a few freelancers, but how does one figure out the articles? Maybe, I should just keep the idea on the back burner until I’ve figured things out. Besides, I have a lot of writing projects to go into.