Student Story: Matthew

I have been a freelance writer and editor for over eight years. I have worked for numerous sporting organisations, teams, and publications. It has been awesome to combine two of my biggest passions and make a living from it.

Education has also been an exciting field for my skills. I currently work for an online education company and I am enjoying being able to utilise my writing, editing, communication and design skills to help make a difference in the learning experience of students.

By building a network while studying, I have been able to work on many different projects at my former university including editing, copyediting and guest lectures.The goodwill shown by my lecturers and tutors is touching and I certainly don't take it for granted.

It has beena hard slog with numerous moments of struggle, doubt, and very low funds, but I have always persevered. Living invoice to invoice can be daunting and stressful, but if writing is your passion, you will make it work. It doesn't matter how you do it, as long as you fight as hard as you can.

There is a strong need to supplement your income with a non-industry job for essentials like bills, rent and groceries, as the average annual salary of an author is$12,900. Writing and editing has taken me on many different roads that I never thought I would have taken. I wouldn't change a thing.

I teach a writers group and seeing their progress over the years has been incredible. My students have gone on to win awards, get published in literary journals and magazines, and edge close to finishing their manuscripts. I couldn't be happier for their success thus far and the success that awaits them.

I have finished the first draft of my novel, make a living from writing and editing, and teach writing to a group of talented scribes. Being a writer can be rough at times but it feels incredible doing what you love for a living. The wait has paid off and I have ticked off my main career goal, now it is time to get my novel published.

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