A Change in Direction: Stop Looking for New Markets!

Today I turned in my first assigned article for a local publication. It marks a transition n my writing goals, and has left me with some mixed feelings. It's helping me refine the big question I've had all along--should I try to build a freelancing career or whole-hog be putting my time into my novel?

I'm not under pressure to make a lot of $ right now--it's nice but not necessary. When else in life might I have time to work on my novel, getting it to the place I could try to publish it? But on the other hand, if I can build a freelancing business, that could be more reliable than trying to publish fiction.

I've been struggling with what direction to go, and so, I've spent over a year dividing my time, not just 2 ways, but even more ways, by trying to write for parenting magazines as well as devotionals, as well as online content stuff, trying to feel my way around which way I should commit to.

But when I line up my options (neither certain or predictable) with my goals and priorities for my family, kids and life, and my mission, I think I see a path emerging.

Funny I had mixed feelings about not needing to cold-query tons of publications anymore--because if I focus on a few publications that like my writing and have more work for me, the hunt is no longer necessary. At first I felt saddened by that--maybe because I hadn't achieved what I'd wanted to, getting published in certain big national publications, etc. But my main goal wasn't landing in big national publications; I guess it was getting to the place where I could get paid  to write what I like to write about, and I'm there, for the moment.

So my new path is to focus on those 3 markets, and I'm trying to discipline myself to not write any new articles for other untried markets--except that I will keep trying to sell articles from the past year that haven't yet found a home... My hope is to then take the time I used to spend cold-querying publications and spend it working on my novel. I'm giving myself a deadline for the first full draft. A lofty goal, and yet I think I can do it.

A sample of my online articles:
Job Search: How to Make Your Application Climb to The Top of The Pile