5 Ways to Fund Your Writing Obsession

There are two weekend writing conferences that I love to attend every year. The first is the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) in August or September for the Carolinas chapter. The second is the Georgia Romance Writers in October. But one year, I didn’t get to go to either one of them.

Nothing bad had happened like a death in the family or Covid or loss of a job. But when the time came to go, I couldn’t. Why not? Because I never registered! What? Why wouldn’t I register if I love going to these conferences?

Well… when registration opened up, I procrastinated. I thought I’d register in a couple weeks. Then a couple months. Then when there was only one month left until each event, I still thought I would register, but the real reason I never got to go is because I didn’t properly plan financially for my writing obsession. So I came up with a plan to make sure that didn’t happen again. 

If you missed out on going to that conference or writing retreat you’ve had your eye on for so long because you didn’t have the money, here are 5 ways to fund your writing obsessions. Because let’s face it, we all want to become better writers and attending conferences and retreats is one of the best ways to improve our craft.

1. Save Up Your Money
Start saving your funds early. Calculate the cost of the event you want to attend and divide it by the number of months to save up and “tithe” to your writing fund. For example, if you’re wanting to attend a writing retreat that costs $2,525, if you save up just over $200 a month for a year, you’ll have the money to go!

2. Take Out a Small Loan
If you really believe in yourself and your writing, why not take out a small loan? It’s essentially the same thing as saving up ahead of time, only backwards. Either way, you still get to go! 

Another option is to use your credit card, or see if the writing event you’re dying to attend offers payment plans. By the way, the Writers Who Run Retreat does offer payment plans!

3. Use Your Tax Refund
January through April is tax return season. If you’re expecting any kind of refund at all, the perfect thing to spend your tax refund on is to reward yourself with registration to your favorite writing retreat. From what I’m hearing, returns in 2023 are happening pretty quickly, so that’s a plus!

4. Write Freelance for Extra Cash
When you need a little money in a pinch, try your hand at freelance. There are a variety of ways you can do this: copywriting, print magazine articles, digital blog articles, short stories. Trade magazines are a great place to get started. Be creative and have fun!

5. Enter and Win Writing Contests
Enter your finished manuscripts into more contests with the intention of winning a cash prize. You might even get shortlisted or get a publishing deal. At the very least, you’ll be furthering your career as part of your healthy obsession with writing.

​Keep writing, keep running.

XO, 
Christie :)

Attend a retreat you’ve been eyeing for a while – the one that feeds your creative soul on multiple levels.