Where Am I?

Well, this is the hard part. Explaining where exactly I am with my writing.

Firstly, let me explain a few bits about me that might help you all to understand my problems etc.

I have not been able to work for far too long now, I never got good grades, which limited me to my choice of jobs. I have had major bad luck with ill health, which has left me in the position I am today... unemployed and struggling to get by; looking for employment while trying to manage my health issues.

As part of these struggles, I have been looking to retrain in different fields of work other than retail. I looked at training as a web designer, and even a plumber. However, I have found more problems than answers... (I know this is a bit long, but it will get there) Then I hit upon the idea of doing some writing courses, where I did my first one last November.

I have been writing on and off for over ten years, I enjoy it for various reasons. I have not had anything published really, there was a poem that was apparently published in America; but it could have just been a scam e-mail. I have had a few letters to my local paper published and try keeping a regular blog ~ more on that in a moment. I figured that writing courses would be useful to not only help me but maybe also learn more about using my work to make a living from.

And it has helped me, well; it did help me when it wasn't about selling my work anyways. I can do fiction most times ~ more on that in a moment too ~ but when it comes to non-fiction, I really find that I am struggling. In my latest course I am told the best way to start earning from my writing is to write off to women's magazines, which I know is true.

The problem I am finding is I have nothing to write about. Yes I know that sounds daft, but really; there is nothing I can find to send to them. I have no tips or recipes; I have no skeletons in my closet ~ well, none that I can share anyways! I have no life changing stories I can share, no heart-warming tales of how I found the love of my life; married them and then left them again. Simply put, I have nothing of interest to write about.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have views; of course I do. But few of them will make me any money, let alone make anyone want to read them. I use my blog (which have now turned into blogs ~ long story, maybe for another time) to air some of my views, and other than my friends or those who know what I mean; they are not always of that much interest globally.

So I just seem to end up trying to find something that I can write and might be of interest to others, but the truth is I am struggling to find anything. I have been set an assignment to write a readers letter to a women’s/man’s mag, and one of the following… a personal experience type article, an interview with a local personality or someone that is likely to interest readers; or a humorous article… to say that this is filling me with dread is an understatement.

However, now I am finding that I am even having trouble writing fictional work too. Yes I too have hit that wall that many writers will reach, writers block. Maybe it is because I have too much on my mind, maybe I am just trying too hard; but even finishing a story seems too much for me of late. I have gone through writers block before, at least once; but this time it seems that I just cannot even bring myself to start trying again.

So if any lovely writers out there have any ideas or suggestions, I totally throw myself at your mercy! Thanks in advance, but also for listening!