Let Me Introduce Myself

Summary

Tamila McDonald is a fiction writer who rediscovered her passion for writing after years of pursuing other careers, and now successfully balances freelance writing with her true love of fiction.

Abstract

Tamila McDonald, known as TK, is a writer who has recently introduced herself to the Medium community as a fiction writer. Her journey with writing began in the third grade, where she excelled at poetry and plays. Despite a hiatus due to a focus on education and various careers, including military service, railroad work, and finance, a question from her mother reignited her passion for writing. Tamila started writing on Infobarrel, then transitioned to Elance (now Upwork), and eventually built a career with steady clients. While she enjoys her freelance work, fiction writing remains her greatest joy. She expresses gratitude to the Medium community for their support and encourages new writers to engage with the platform, emphasizing the importance of writing consistently.

Opinions

Tamila believes that writing is not just a hobby but a viable career path.
She values the support and feedback from the writing community, as evidenced by her positive experiences on Infobarrel and Medium.
Tamila suggests that new writers should immerse themselves in the writing process and learn from their peers.
She advocates for the Medium membership, highlighting its affordability and the direct support it provides to authors.
Tamila recommends an AI service, ZAI.chat, as a cost-effective alternative to ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4), indicating her endorsement of the tool for writers or enthusiasts.

Tamila (TK) McDonald on Medium

Tamila McDonald-Fiction Writer

Hello Medium family. I thought I should introduce myself. I’m Tamila McDonald and I’m a writer, but my favorite genre is fiction. So I’m officially introducing myself for the first time as a fiction writer.

My earliest memories of writing were in the 3rd grade. I’ve always love reading, so writing came naturally. I wrote poetry and plays to the delight of my teachers and family. Unfortunately, by the time I was ten I lost my curiosity to conformity.

I remember feeling like writing was something for fun. To be successful in life, my education was more important, so I poured myself into learning everything I could to be successful, but life is funny. It shows you what you need to see when you need to see it.

After years of military service, a stint with a major railroad and working my dream job in finance — a call from my Mom changed everything. She asked a simple question, “Why did you stop writing?” That question changed my life.

Soon afterwards, I began writing on Infobarrel. I wrote on any subject that interested me. I soon had about 30 articles on various subjects and a community where my work was consumed and supported. Many of my articles were featured and I felt inspired.

I still remember making my first two cents on the platform. I believed from that day forward, I could make a living writing.

Next came Elance (now Upwork)

I began applying for jobs on this Elance and within days, I was making money. Nothing big, but back then $10 per article seemed like a lot. I also went to Craigslist and applied for writing jobs. This is how I got my first few writing gigs. The pay was low, but I was learning.

Six months later, I had a few clients and realized by doing long term work with a few good clients, I could make a living.

Fast forward to now, I’ve got some great clients that I work with. I am actually making a living writing, but nothing lights me up like writing fiction.

Thanks so much for embracing me here. It’s been a whirlwind and I can’t wait to see where it takes me. To any new writer here, have fun, learn from others, and write,write,write.

If you aren’t already a Medium member, please consider signing up. Membership is only $5/month and that money directly supports each author you read on the site. And of course, please clap and comment if you liked the story.