I’ve been an aspiring author for seven years, seven months, and twenty-five days. I’ve written over three-hundred thousand words. I’ve worked on six different stories. And I have completed exactly zero novels.

There is no honest way that I can say I’m proud of myself. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t have a completed book by this point. You’ve heard of serial entrepreneurs, I’m a serial wannabe writer. I’ll work on something, write thousands of words, be happy with it, hit a road block, and then toss the whole thing in the trash and start over.

It’s like a sickness. All I want to do is write. When people ask me what I want to be when I grow up, which has surprisingly slowed down since I’m thirty, I still tell everyone I want to be an author. That’s my end game. Everything else I do, everything else that I’ve done, it all should be leading me toward authorship.

Four months ago, I quit my corporate job to be a full-time freelance writer. The goal of Kevo Writing was to do what I love, write for others and in my extra time, write for myself. In four months, I’ve written three chapters of a serial novella and one short story. I also outlined a novel, which I now feel needs to be trashed (another issue of mine). Still, no novel work.

I call myself an aspiring author because it’s a pipe dream, but I worry that I’ll always be aspiring. Before you complete your story and get published, if you can get published, being an author is not a job that makes you money. No one is paying me to write my novel. People would pay me for my short stories, but I need to work on those and get those published as well.

Freelance writing is a catch-22. When I write for others, I make money. However, the more time I spend writing articles and working on Kevo Writing, the less time I spend on my personal writing goals. But, I have to eat. I have to live. I need to contribute to my family. But, if I concentrate on those things that help Kevo, I hurt those things that help Kelly the author.

I haven’t found the balance yet. How do you earn money while working toward your eventual goal? To be honest, I’m not amazing at writing after work. I’m exhausted by the end of the day and I do not feel creative or like I have any desire to write. Maybe that has to change, but it’s a difficult process.

The goal of my serial novella on JukePop was to force myself to write something and have people wait for my story. It has worked, but I’m still not great at adding chapters. You can find chapters 1 – 3 here.

So, to help out, my best friend and writing partner has made me a deal. We’ve been writing partners for about four years now, and we’re both aspiring authors without stories. To change all that, we’re going for it this year. Over the next five months, I have to complete the first rough draft of my novel, while still completing my novella, writing for clients, and working on short stories. I’m definitely going big, but if I don’t set a goal, it won’t happen.

If you’re willing to join me on this journey, leave a comment below and let me know that you’re writing with me. The life of an aspiring author isn’t easy, but one day it will be worth it.