State of the Mono 2 + EFNW
Hi everyone!
First I wanted to say thank you to everyone who reached out during my last blogpost. I haven’t been able to reply to everyone, but know I read everything, and it meant more than any of you can know. I felt so f*cking alone, and all of you plus everyone who came to see me at EFNW reminded me that… that I miss this, and it’s important, and I am so so tired of being miserable at a job that makes me miserable and takes away my ability to do what I care about.
So.
I’m quitting my job.
For the sake of making it easy, I’m posting below what I posted on my Patreon today, and all my sentiments I say, know I mean them here too.
I asked for help, and you all showed up. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It was really you guys who gave me the strength and courage and fortitude to do what I’ve been longing but feared to do for so long.
Hi everyone. It’s been a while! I think. Unless you read the very raw post I made on my website where I said I was so burnt out from my work, I feel like I’m barely alive and my exhaustion has just plagued every single facet of my work.
Well! I quit my job (or will quit; I’m handing my resignation on Tuesday and will work for a month to close off my pending duties).
I’m going to be transparent with you all! I don’t have anything lined up. Against all odds, I’m just… going to try and figure it out as a freelance writer or just at whatever makes me happy because God, I miss being happy. I miss feeling like I’m working towards something I want. I want to CREATE. TO WRITE. To live my life. I want this so badly, so I’m going to do it. EFNW was an eye-opener in that respect, actually. It viscerally reminded me that this–interacting with readers, writing, being creative–is what I want and makes me happy. So I’m just going to take the plunge and do it.
Beyond commissions and freelance stuff I’ll start hustling with, starting October 1st, patreon is going to be my basic source of income so I’m going to work hard to fill this place up with content! Y’all will have so much to read! Against all odds, I’m going to make writing my job, and I’m going to figure out. I’m gonna be honest, it’s terrifying. But I want to try. I keep saying how I wish I could try and make it as a writer and live doing what I love, so…
I’m gonna do just that. Going to finish my fics, do original stuff, just create and write and make it work. Get ready for Grad school next year! I’m determined to make it on my own, but for the sake of anyone worrying, I have a few things set up to help tide me over if I have an emergency or need it.
Anyway, for the first time in years, I’m excited about the future of my craft and my writing, and I hope you are too.
This is it, fellow RariTwiers. We’re hitting the big leagues now, and it’s gonna be hard as hell, and it’s the most terrifying thing I’ve done beyond maybe leaving Mexico to move to the U.S. with no job and just my savings, but god damn it, we are going to do it.
If I’m going to crash and burn, which I won’t but still, I would rather do it while attempting to do what makes me happy, as opposed of slowly withering away at a life I hate.
I’m going to make not just all of you proud, but I’m going to make myself proud, no matter what.
I’ve seen fear cause people to back away from dreams. It’s happened with me and so my advice has been to take on that fear if you want that dream. Put all you got into it when the opportunity starts to arise. Glad to see you have that fire. Good luck on this. When you have a nonfanfic romance novel on the best seller’s list I’m going to tell everyone around me at the bookstore that it’s the best Raritwi I’ve read yet and have no one know what I’m talking about.
Hey Mono, I just want you to know that I’m so incredibly proud of you for all of this. For reaching out for help, for being public about all this, for quitting a job that was ruining your life – for every step you’ve taken so far, and every single step you’re going to take from now on, I’m so immensely proud of you! Your writing is what made me comfortable enough to try to start writing again myself, and to share that with my friends – heck, maybe it’s time I finally give Crimson Lips a read through! The Enchanted series is incredibly important to me, and I devoured the first two within half a day of reading each one, and from your posts and tweets, it seems like you’re incredibly proud of Crimson, so I think I’ll be starting that one tonight!
I digress. Your writing means a a lot, and inspired me way back when I first started reading fic here again. Heck, even what you’re doing here, striking out on your own to break free from the struggling and suffering you’re going through, makes me want to do the same, to push through and make a better path. You’d best believe I’ll be supporting you in every endeavor, and I’m rooting for you all the way, no matter what.
This is the part where, if I had a better memory, I’d be ending with some sappy quote, but I have incredibly bad ADHD, so instead I’m going to do the rational thing and end it here, then spend the next week re-reading all your fics so I can take notes and have a good one ready for the future. Just in case.
Keep being amazing, Mono.
Hello Mono
I have been just another quiet person in the background, waiting and watching.
I don’t have the means to help financially, but I wish you all the good fortune possible! I’m just glad to hear you’re not giving up, but chugging along to what makes you happy!
So have a good day, and stay awesome!
Hey Mono. What a blast it was to meet you at EFNW! Seeing you take this step makes me so excited for you, and I really hope it all works out. I’ll tell you what I always tell my friends, Go! Fight! Win! You’ve got this!
I am proud of you for taking such a hard plunge and from reading your work I know you succeed. I won’t you to know that it was a real honor to meet you at Everfree. I hope to read your work in the future and trust me when I say I will read it all.
I’ll raise a glass of something in a toast to success and happiness with your future endeavors.
Good on you Mono! I wish you the best of luck and admire you for the courage in what your doing, may you find great Happiness <3
You did the right thing, Mono. And we’re all VERY proud of you for it.
You’ve got this, Mono! I know it’s a big step but remember that you are a talented writer who has written so many terrific stories and has hundreds of fans. We’re all here for you, cheering you on!
Don’t think of writing as something you need to do to justify the money you’re getting! Just write and enjoy yourself, and we’ll support you as long as we can!