Ch-ch-ch-changes by Kristin Wallace

Like the song says, my life has seen some big changes. I told you last month that I’d made a rather momentous decision. I also said I’d tell you more about it. If you follow my Facebook Author Page you might have already seen the announcement.

My big decision was to leave my full time job after 10 years to concentrate more on my novel writing. I will be working toward what has always been my goal of being a full time author. I will also be resurrecting a long-dormant freelance business, Write Notions, Inc. I’ll be offering freelance copywriting as well as (hopefully) author marketing services.

For the past 10 years, I was the Senior Copywriter at an ad agency. I wrote print ads, radio & TV spots, brochures, websites and anything else you can think of. My job was very demanding of my time. The advertising business is not a typical 9-5 job. It’s highly demanding and full of tight deadlines, insanely quick turnarounds, coupled with the pressure to produce creative ideas almost instantly. It’s creative on demand, which means a lot of stress.

I liked many things about the job. I liked learning so much about marketing, which has certainly benefitted my writing career since that is so important in publishing today. But it also drained so much of my creativity that I didn’t have much left over for my real passion…my books. Those of you who have full time jobs while writing will understand.

I finally knew I had to make a change. Putting in the notice at work was extremely nerve wracking. I then had four weeks to prepare…and wonder if I had done the right thing. Last week was my first post-full time job. It was interesting. I wasn’t as productive as I’d hoped. I think I still need to figure out my own schedule. I’m really looking forward to finding out exactly how long it takes for me to write a book though. I’ve always had to squeeze in writing on weekends or nights, or even during my lunch hour, so I honestly don’t know how fast I can write.

So, this will be my second week, and the first week without the steady paycheck. It is a scary prospect, but as I said last month, it was time to follow my own author tagline and take a leap of faith.

When was the last time you made a big change in your life? Were you happy with the results?

Kristin Wallace is the USA Today Best Selling Author of inspirational and contemporary romance, and women’s fiction filled with "Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith”. Look for the release of her latest book at the end of June. It’s the first book in Shellwater Key Tales, a Women’s Fiction/Romance series set in sunny Florida. Visit her website at Kristin Wallace Author