Based on my experience, it’s a terrible idea to:
- Say that you’re “freelancing” and “working from home” (with a hint of a French accent, people naturally assume you operate a BDSM dungeon in your basement)
- Out yourself as a blogger (this is so 2005, can’t you just be on Facebook like everybody else?)
- Admit you write fiction and query publishers (your friends start dreading every email because the damn manuscript could be attached for review)
Welcome to my life—I spend my days making sentences.
“For what? For whom? … Are you okay?”
Oh yeah, I’m just fine. I love writing—just as well.
My days are spent writing, translating, editing and proofing corporate PowerPoints, travel guides, government reports, marketing products, press releases, web content or anything my clients assign. I switch back and forth between English and French with a side of Spanish and Mandarin if needed and I happily invoice everyone at the end of the month.
On the nonfiction side, I’ve been chronicling my adventures in Canada and around the world since 2006 on this blog. Even though I use the first person—I don’t have the time to develop a split personality—I like to write relatable stories and find the right words to express what, surely, I’m not the only one to experience. For a dream life, go to Instagram. For a more honest and often funny take on cultural differences, life in Canada and travelling, stick around.
I also write fiction. My biggest project is the quest for a publisher willing to give a chance to Filial Piety, a completed manuscript—more about it here.
In the meantime, I’m having fun with short stories. You can download the first one here.