Well, what is in a name?  If you profess to be something then I would say quite a lot is in a name.  The Username of my blog for example is ‘Tom Benson – Writer’, which is self-explanatory, but to get to my blog, until yesterday my URL was, http://tomfoollery.wordpress.com which hints at somebody who isn’t to be taken seriously.

My graphic reflects my new domain name, http://tom-benson-writer.com  and I intend to step further away from playing at being a writer to using it as a part-time occupation, supported in part financially by my part-time retail work.  Writers, like artists must have some form of financial support in the background so that life doesn’t become a ‘hand to mouth’ existence.  How good it feels to be both a writer and an artist … but even the combination isn’t sufficient to set me free of a regular job … yet!

When I decided to start my blog it was an experiment, a bit like joining Twitter and LinkedIn – both of which I’ve now left.  I chose the ‘Tomfoollery’ epithet when I started writing poetry at the end of 2007 and then I used it wherever I went on the ‘www’.  My writing, like my poetry was to be a pastime so the humorous pen-name continued.  My blog has become not so much a diary of events as a reminder to me that if I set my mind to something and work at it, I have a reasonable chance of success.  This means that in conjunction with the increased seriousness, Tomfoollery has had his day, except perhaps when writing poetry.

I have my Creative Writing correspondence course (with the Writer’s Bureau) to tackle, but lack of time for me as it is with so many is the standard excuse.  As my fresh plan starts to take shape I hope to ease the burden regarding time and then it will be down to good old fashioned personal effort if I’m to move on with my writing.  In an ideal world, I would win a competition and find my latest attempt at a novel has appeal to a top publisher, but I’m not living a fantasy.

Even as I write this post my mind is buzzing with plans and good intentions.  I must alter my modus operandi regarding my scribbles so that apart from short stories and pet projects (my two novels), I must write reader’s letters and articles.  There will be more to do as I make progress but those things will help get me underway.

I like to think I’m a storyteller/writer but before I can make any substantial claim in that area I now feel I must work at becoming a Freelance Writer.  I have the support structure in place and with personal application I should be capable of it.

Where am I now in the grand scheme of things?  I’m waiting for confirmation of an amendment to my ‘day job’.  Whilst waiting, I’m getting into the right mindset by clearing the decks of all but my most important projects.  Magazines to be filed away, a new organisational tool, Wunderlist downloaded to my system, (which I’ll write about later), finances assessed and a structured system of studying and working is to be sketched out today.