What is "Wanting to Become a Working Author" really about?

I was asking myself this same question as I was considering starting a blog. I've been dreaming of being a professional screenwriter / novelist for about twenty-five years. I've taken a variety of classes and seminars, read a lot books, and done a lot of writing. I had two short films made, one of which was passion project and was also working on multiple feature-length projects that could be filmed locally in NC. However, that route is stalling and, as a writer, I have to write.

As it turns out, I had a dream which was a very provocative story. It has since become my novel-in-progress, Sojourners, an epic SF novel. Now, please understand - I am not an science-fiction junkie. I read and write all kinds of fiction. However, for this particular story, the SF genre was the only way to tell the story.

As of this writing, I've been working on this for a year and a half and have completed my first "crap draft". I've been very fortunate because, in that time, I've been invited into a great writing group with one full-time working author  (i.e., professionally paid), three part-time working authors, and a few wannabee's like me. Unlike trying to become a full-time working screenwriter, where the odds of success are practically astronomical (especially since I live outside of LA), being a novelist is within reach, especially with new options like Kindle Direct Publishing. For me, however, that is my fallback position. I'd like to try to get published by a traditional publisher, if possible.

So this is meant to be (in no particular order):

1. A chronicle of my ups, downs, achievements and failures along the way to getting Sojourners published; and hopefully getting started on at least a part-time working author career.

2. Some tips I've gleaned along this journey

3. Hopefully, as I build up followers, a conversation between you and me as wannabee writers sharing the struggle and our opinions together

4. A way to keep me accountable to my own vision of my success.

I hope that each of my blog entries can stand on its own, but also, if you read them all, will fit together to provide a richer understanding of my own processes and progress along the way.