Yes … failure sounds like a good idea when you read it in a management book and it says “Be sure to generate a sufficient number of failures” but sometimes when you read those words you have not yet become a “serial failer” when trying to make a career change.

I started reading Medium some months ago and in August signed up to become part of the Partner Program. There were a number of articles that I found inspiring about a variety of topics. I had always been a sporadic writer on lots of topics in years gone by but as a career I was a software developer and computer MacGyver type mostly working for smaller companies. Now that I am near retirement and working where it is not so much fun anymore I figured Medium might be a way to try out “writing for money”.

My very first story was curated but that was followed by a string of failure then finally one more success.

I knew it would be this way but I also have had a range of emotions that you described in your story. I have not yet exactly figured out what made the successes different from the failures. But because of my software development background and the “millions of times” I have had to go looking for that elusive software bug I feel like I have the analytics to solve this problem but not yet the depth of experience to do it easily or quickly.

I am still determined to make writing a reality. The other bit of good and bad news is I won’t need to make a living writing. I took a low stress job a few years ago for much less than I have previously earned but I have the good fortune that it has become a very comfortable income. My Social Security benefit next year will actually be slightly more than my current take home pay. But that is also the bad news … As the rabbit is able to outrun the fox because the rabbit is running for his life and the fox is merely running for breakfast … I too won’t be running or writing for my life. Not needing to survive on “rookie freelance writer” payments could have a negative effect on motivation when the failures stack up. But for now I am determined. I have two stories in the draft stage that are a bit political and one more planned that is about software development.

And yes I do remember the many failures in my software development career. They seem like a long time ago but when I stop and make an effort I also remember the feelings of success for pushing through the problems. For now I will keep writing and as Thomas Edison said about the light bulb: “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”.

Thanks for the insight and motivation.