You and I can each get a shirt, take our photos and with Photoshop we can do a post on Fight Club

I try, and try, and try, but I can’t outdo the Comment King… LOL

Brett Legrees last blog post..why blogging for profit is like collecting underpants.

@ James – You just like that your name as top commenter is above the fold now. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice that one

I figure it’s a good thing for me. Keeps you coming back on days I run out of true James bait out of fear that Brett will overtake you. Heck, I leave it to you to build your community AND mine.

My experience with Entrecard has actually been relatively positive. I’m getting better quality (if not quantity) hits than you describe getting for MWP, for some reason. I’m also getting a heck of a lot more incoming than outgoing.

On top of that, I like Entrecard, like StumbleUpon, for it’s intended use – finding other blogs in my niche. Jury’s still out, but it’s looking like it might be a keeper.

Banner’s next. I’m still being wishy-washy about it. I know I need to have it professionally done and won’t be able to do that until August or so, which means I’m hesitant to screw with it much for now.

Wendi Kellys last blog post..Having Faith

@ John – Thanks! I’m slowly making some of the changes that you and Men with Pens have suggested. (Too bad this post wasn’t up during the last round of Blog madness, eh? My biggest comment post yet.) I’m thoroughly dedicated to my writing, to the point where I just neglect some of the asthetic and organizational issues.

@ James – Speaking of asthetics and whatnot, did you see I dropped both AdSense and Top Links? Didja? DIDJA? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!?

I’m glad you liked the shirt. It comes with a complimentary invitation to Tim’s *secret Fight Club* too.

(What’s that Tyler? The first rule? Uh-oh…)

@Donetta – Thank you for coming out of the proverbial woodwork to share your tale! It was a big deal for me, too, to do less and less ghostwriting and more of my own stuff. As to the MWP banter on Twitter – I give James all the credit there. He’s a social genius. I just come along for the ride.

Your last sentence is the reason for this blog, Donetta. I’m so glad you shared it. I genuinely want to help writers achieve their dreams. At the end of the day, that’s my one goal here. Everything else is secondary. No, not everything I write helps every Internet writer, but if I can help a couple of folks out in even the smallest way they it was worth it to me.

@ Evan – Do what you love and the money will follow. As to your book, there are plenty of self-publishing options you could look into. I don’t have a heck of a lot of experience with them, but I think some of the other folks here might.

@ Dana – Thanks for commenting. So many Internet writers’ stories start with fleeing a corporate environment, it’s a bit spooky. I love the fact that, as a small business owner, I can be flexible and take off at 2:00 on a Friday afternoon to go watch my kid’s play at school, or have a late breakfast with my wife. Yeah, it means I work on Saturday, but that’s all right.

Oh, and I like your term “blog stalk.” That’s a new one by me.

I worked for a trillion dollar company for almost ten years and they treated their employees like garbage so when I went on maternity leave in 2004 I vowed to find a way not to go back. I had a year of mat leave to figure it out.

I was lucky enough that the company changed hands and the employer made a critical HR error which got me a small severance package. What I received was not anywhere near what I deserved after all they put me through but I got out and kept my promise to myself as I waddled out at 8 months pregnant never to set foot in that building again.

I always wanted to to be a writer but never thought about internet writing. I was trying to find a way to earn at home so I could stay with the baby (I had endured some daycare nightmares with my older child) and was thinking about taking a transcription course because I type at 85 wpm but knew that wouldn’t make me happy.

I stumbled onto a blog community that was like a big happy place where everyone was best friends called writingup.com and met a few freelance writers who talked on their blogs about their freelance writing careers. I decided to blog stalk a few successful writers and do everything they said. I still haven’t quite met my old corporate salary but my happiness factor is 100 times higher!

Dana Princes last blog post..Canadian English: A US and UK Hybrid

My writing started as journalling and then moved on to sorting out my thoughts on a topic.

The only writing I’ve made money from was a book that a friend and I did called Living Authentically. This was to explain my approach and help start a business doing retreats. This didn’t work out but it was great to do. I hope to put it out again when I have a bit of money to throw at those people who put your book on line for you if you send them the PDF or whatever (there’s a few of them). You can read it for free at the moment at http://www.livingauthentically.org/PDF.

Evans last blog post..Finding Your Archetype for Joy

Having been a freelance ghostwriter for the last 7 years I have now declared it time to start writing for myself, to add my name to my work. It may not sound such a big deal but for me it is.

In line with many others, I started to write at a very young age but the attitude of a violent father left me with the need to hide my written work. As I am now well into middle age I feel ashamed to make such an admission – ashamed that I have let my story affect me for so long.

Of course, the anonymity of working as a ghostwriter has played into my story beautifully.

I think the community you have built here, so quickly, is wonderful and I love to observe the Twitter banter between you and the Men with Pens. That’s always sure to raise a smile in the morning.

Thank you for your words, your advice and guidance – they have been instrumental in unlocking a part of me that I thought might have been lost for ever.

Donetta

Brett Legrees last blog post..why blogging for profit is like collecting underpants.

@ Mary – Thank you. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or ask a question any time. It’s why I’m here.

@ Pamela – Very cool. Let us know how it turns out, won’t you? Count me in for one pre-order.

@ Ritu – Thanks for stopping in! It’s been neat to watch your GhostBlogging site get off the ground, I look forward to seeing what’s next.

@ Lori – That’s hilarious! What are the criteria for the Bad Writing Contest, if yo don’t mind me asking? You’re right about confidence, too. That’s why Joanna Young at Confident Writing is doing so well. It’s tough but critical to success.

How/when did I get into writing? That happened at the ripe old age of 8 or 9. But paid writing happened when I was maybe 28. I didn’t quite fall into it, but it was an odd entrance – I won the Bad Writing Contest the Pittsburgh Press held. That’s sort of like saying “Yay! Hey, wait a minute…”

From the time I hit high school, I knew I was writing material. I had teachers telling me so. My mother told me so, but she should, right?

If I could change one thing about my early days, it would be to have more confidence. That’s the toughest part of writing when you’re first starting out – trusting yourself to do it. Once you start valuing your own opinion as much as others’, you’re there.

The main thing that drives me to write is – it is the perfect means to share what you have to say. You can’t find everybody to listen to your stories or your views and ideas but if you are on the web and can write effectively, there is a pretty good probability. I have been writing for a while and I love every minute of it

Ritus last blog post..Keeping You Updated

Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad I could contribute.

I’m going to take the book out of the filing cabinet and seriously consider following through. Finally.

Brett Legrees last blog post..do something crazy.

@ Brett – thank you. Your comment reminds me why I read your blog religiously, too. You’ve got spirit, my friend. That will serve you well on your own writing journey.

@ Pamela – Get shopping that thing out to publishers. It’s time to let it go. Don’t be so selfish; the rest of us could gain quite a bit from reading it, I reckon. At any rate, you make a good case. I like the idea of “diving right in.” Writing is about taking action now.

I also like this: “I’ve wasted too many years not being a writer. I don’t want to waste any more.” There’s nothing I can add to it. Good form.