In the beginning

I started this blog to share my journey through writing and financing my goal of being a full-time writer.

I realize that I will be working at this for a very long time. From what I have read on other blogs, most people agree that attaining full time financial independence (that it, not having to work a full-time job to afford living) is a life-long exercise in frugality, budgeting, and investing wisely.

Do I have what it takes?

I've always spent less then I've earned, watched my money (often with a tinge of grief as it merrily disappeared from my accounts), and invested in the best places I knew. Unfortunately, this often meant the local credit union's "High-interest" savings account, which, even during the heydays of pre-2008, wasn't higher then 3%!

Now, reading up on blogs such as: http://learndividends.com/, http://www.intelligentspeculator.net/, http://www.thesimpledollar.com/, I've learned that it is possible to put that money to much better use, often through investing directly into strong companies that pay dividends.

I feel as though with the tips, hints, and guides that these blogs and others put forth, I'm able to make a much more informed decisions on how to make more, save more, and invest more money.

My fictional writing with have to sit on the back-burner while I work hard to make the money that I'll require to make my dream of financial independence come true, but I won't stop writing, not here, or on my personal projects! Add that to the fact that I still want desperately to publish my novella 'Pale Dawn', which is the first part of the 'Loneman' trilogy. I can't wait to introduce Kesh, and the humble beginnings to her sultry, saucy, current self.

So, I'll be using this blog to chronicle my journey. I hope that you find it just as entertaining and useful as it is to me to write it.

Active Investing

As always, I like to peruse financial blogs and articles, picking up whatever knowledge I can like a particularly sticky rolling stone.

Active investors. Those people that get up early in the morning, and stay up until all hours of the night, pouring over reports and figures, funds and mutuals. Often referred to as 'Day Traders', they make many trades, and try to 'beat the market'.

Part of me believes that they are actually having a good time at it, too. I mean, playing with money, making it or losing it, it's like a very costly video game. Except instead of guns and gibs, it's bar and pie charts. Like playing at a high-rollers casino without the noise and pumped in oxygen.

Honestly, I am torn. I feel like I am missing out. I want to start 'investing'. I almost feel like I'm stuck at the little kids table, looking over at the adults feasting on roast and wine. Will investing get me there?

Very doubtful. But it's that ingrained need to fit in; to be seen as a successful, full, strong, adult person. To be able to say 'Oh yes, I gained on ABC and lost on XYZ. What about you?'.

It's silly. It's utterly unimportant. But I'm am opening a discount online brokerage account with Credential Direct anyways. I read many reviews, and they seem to be not too bad; added to the fact that they are in Canada, like I am, which makes me feel decent about the decision.

And yes, I've been writing. A smidge.

I write this blog, and I add or tune "Pale Dawn" every once in a while.

It's tough to find the energy to write. I get home, and check on my small pile of side businesses, e-mailing, calling, and managing the day to day operations. After that, I eat dinner, maybe read around the web a bit on the topics I'm interested in that week, and go to bed.

If this is life, it's awfully drab and boring.