@ Lisa … Most of them don’t seem to think that your workday even ever begins do they?!

For many people it really is the desperate desire or need to work from home. With writing, I think there are a lot of people who remember being good at it in school and feel like they can polish up those skills and give it a shot. Some really can if they are dedicated.

I am always willing to help by sending links. I send links to places to find work and links to informative sites on freelance writing. I flood them with information that way, not to discourage, but to be helpful. If it’s too much trouble to go read the information then writing is not for them. If they make use of the links and then want to ask me more questions, I am willing to help more. So far, I have not been approached for further help, but it could still happen.

I don’t normally find it insulting, but it depends on the attitude.

Some people make a lot of assumptions because I don’t look like their image of a professional. I don’t have any need to since I don’t meet with my clients in person.

I am a night owl and my work schedule reflects that, too. People have a very hard time understanding that when I work does not indicate how many hours I work.

Then again, I also meet a lot of people who think it’s just wonderful that I can work at home and want to know more. When I tell them what I do they say they could never do it - the writing or the self-discipline to work at home.

@ Sandi … Great points here. I also do get a lot of people who will hear what I do and realize quickly that they can’t do it for themselves although they wish they could. And I, too, am happy to send some informative links to people. Really interesting to know that you got this with programming as well - I wouldn’t expect that. Perhaps there’s just something about the idea of working from home that sounds easier than it is.

@Michael Kwan … I definitely work more hours than any of my friends at regular office jobs. And I don’t get paid for just showing up. And I have to purchase my own health insurance. But I think the benefits outweigh this … even if my friends don’t understand the real situation!

I study the violin - my teacher had a girl, with no musical instrument playing experience, come and ask to be taught to play the violin in one week - she wanted to perform onstage at her office ‘do’. I have half an hour to spare daily, she said. She was really put out when he said it could take her 2-3 months to just master the basics and that too with a minimum of 2 hours daily practice.

Similarly, most people don’t realize all the effort involved in writing work., illustration work, design work and painting.

I suppose they will realize ‘what’s there to it’ once they try it.

A good thing. Time we got some respect.

@Sonal Panse … It’s a good point that you make here. I’m not sure that I understand where people got the idea that what we do is easy. Perhaps it’s that we make it look easy by being good at it. Or maybe it’s that our passion for it shows through and people who work at jobs they aren’t passionate about can’t imagine feeling passionate about anything that’s not “play”.

Hang in there. The wanna-bes will realize this soon enough and go away. Hopefully the friends who can hack it will help throw work your way.

@Susan … Thanks for commenting. I wonder why it is that people do assume that this work is easy. If it were so easy, wouldn’t they be doing it in the first place?!