Salutations from South Jersey

[LisaFW]

Hello, everyone!

My name is Lisa, and I hail from south Jersey (not to be confused with North Jersey where they actually do say "Joisey"). I'm forty-something and have been writing in one capacity or another since I could first string words together to form a sentence.

Writing has been the one true constant in my life, and has emotionally seen me through some rather rocky times, but it did not become a full-time endeavor for me until this past year. I had already been going through some major changes in my life and finally decided to take the plunge and given myself permission to follow my passion.

It hasn’t been an easy road. Two and a half years ago I was in a twenty year marriage that I thought was a good one. I had a “safe” job that allowed for a bit of creativity amongst the endless office politics. I wrote part-time as a sideline business, and I lived in the same community I grew up in surround by “friends” I had known for years. Then I walked in on my now ex-husband while he was enjoying the “assets” of a mutual friend, and my world imploded.

I was thrust into so many changes that it is a wonder that I didn’t wind up getting fitted for a straight jacket! I moved to a new town with absolutely nothing but my personal possessions since my ex and I had been living with my elderly former mother -in- law for years. I found out that the “friends” whom I had considered family had all known about my ex’s affair for months, and my “safe” job turned into a constant battleground.

TBC

[LisaFW]

(con't from last post)

Slowly I overcame the shellshock and began the process of starting over (not a simple task…especially at my age). I made my little apartment into a home, tentatively started to make new friends, found new hobbies and interests, and, last April, chucked my “safe” job, and all of the constant BS that went with it, to pursue my writing career.

Now, here I am, a bit over a year later and loving every day of my new life. Not that it hasn’t been a struggle. There are months when I’m “robbing Peter to pay Paul” or picking up odd jobs just to make ends meet, but I’m living my life on my terms; you can’t put a price tag on that!

If you have made it this far into my post(s), thank you for reading my ramblings. I’m sure you now know more about me than you really wanted (or needed) to! I look forward to getting to know all of you and learning the ins and outs of the site. Although, with that 3 strike rule I may be tossed before I get the chance! :-)

[jak]

Welcome to CC Lisa. Sounds like you could do with a break and I'm sure you've come to the right place to get it. Don't worry about the three strikes unless they happen. Make sure you read, understand and comply with all the guidelines before you submit, and they shouldn't happen. Everyone gets some rejections, and most of us look on them as learning opportunities. reading through the forums often answers new authors' questions. If not, just post them and you'll get some help.

[HayleyWriter]

Hi Lisa,

Welcome to CC! I am sure from your story that you will have plenty to write about that will talk to other people. You can write articles about finding the strength to start over, about what to look for in an apartment, and getting your personal finances in order on a suddenly different income, just to name a few from your story. I look forward to seeing some your articles up on the site, and I wish you every success at CC!

Just ask if you need help - we are a pretty friendly bunch!

Kind regards,

Hayley

[LisaFW]

Thank you both for the welcome, and for reading my very long introduction!