TJ Edwards quit his job as a Retail Store Manager in Alberta, Canada and moved all the way to New South Wales, Australia to focus on his writing and personal life as of a few years ago. For the moment he currently works full time as a Retail Manager in the Illawarra. This is an entirely new volume in the Life of TJ Edwards, as he has been comfortable living in Canada for twenty-six years of his epic life.
Writing has been a passion of his since as far back as he can remember, starting with a pencil and paper, moving up to a typewriter and then eventually progressing to a computer. However his writing also took a back seat to many other things in his life such as school, eventually a job, romance and then socializing. The decline began when a hot water heater burst in his childhood home and ruined a hard copy of a chapter book he was working on. With no computer, and no back up, he lacked a digital copy. Three hundred and fifty written and typed pages turned into one foul-smelling, wet brick of broken dreams. After that the furthest he had managed was before he’d left junior high, a seven chapter short story. Somewhere, that beast still exists, hopefully it never surfaces again!
After awhile the need to pay bills became priority number one and writing always took the back seat. TJ started up blog after blog, yet to no avail. The most he’d managed was a twenty-five page short story called “The Mediocre Assassin” about an everyday guy trying to get ahead in the world. While the assassin was good enough to be top ten material, he just never got the job that could put him in the limelight! Now TJ has relocated, refocused and now is perhaps the only time he has left to get back into writing… Although he’ll never stop. It is his dream and passion!
TJ, came here as a result of your recent decision to follow Learning from Dogs. Came here to thank you. Then read about you and was extremely flattered. Please, feel free to critique my writings at any time, and if you want to offer a guest post that’s even better.
First Paul I’d like to thank you for even coming over to my tiny corner of the web! Secondly, thanks for reading anything! Any comment, view, visit or even interaction about writing is welcomed with open arms! I’ve been fighting with the idea of not posting any more and decided that today I would try something different… reaching out and following some other blogs! I decided to go with the NaNoWriMo tag which lead me to one of your posts (A brief excerpt from your novel) and enjoyed what I read… and so here we are!
As for a guest post… I’ve done it for some gaming blogs in the past and it’s been fun! I’ll keep it in mind! Thanks again and hope you enjoy some of my writings!
Awesome! Keep me updated on how your writing progresses.
This is great! I applaud your getting started in prioritising writing. I’m much older than you and still can’t manage to get to that point! (Although–I’ve had a pretty interesting life, so maybe that’s not all bad.) Thanks for following the Jenn stories!
Thanks for the support! I’ve been pushing my writing up the priority chain for years… but I’ve always pushed it off. Even in choosing a career, I literally convinced myself out of it. Convinced myself into Computer Science… then onward to 3D Animation. Now I still work retail management while I write. I guess I’ve realised a few things as my life has changed… number one, do what makes you happy and number two, if it doesn’t make you happy, change it! So far, so good! Thanks again!
Good for you. 🙂
Good luck and keep at it, TJ–it’s affirming to know there are others out there following the dream.
I could have sworn I replied to this, but my internet is apparently on its way to bed for the evening… thank god for a data plan with my iPhone! At this point I am chasing the dream with one of those giant ACME butterfly nets like some crazed cartoon coyote trying to catch some lunch! I’m 28 and hoping I can get published before I’m thirty!
Hi, I stopped by because you ‘followed’ me on my blog bayaday. Actually, that is not my active blog when I post there it’s an accident. I mean to post to ‘Vintage 53’ if you are interested in my opinions and how my writing is going, I invite to to look there. Thank you for your interest.
Heh, I think I am following both already! I noticed you wrote 4000 words for your story on NaNoWriMo and decided to follow you to not only see if you make it, but cheer you on so you know someone random out there is rooting for you! Good luck in the writing and hope it’s going well!
Thanks for the encouragement. I’m working diligently to accomplish the 50000 words in the month. It may not be enough to finish the story though.
Meh, I say finish the 50000 words, you win! Finish the story, you win! In fact even just the fact that you’ve written at all should be a considered a win with the amount of distractions in the day and age!
Don’t give up, never surrender! You’ll get there!
I’m glad you found my blog during NaNoWriMo! I’ve loved reading all of your energetic posts! Having a strong community support you is so important, and you’ve really reached out to help a lot of people. And it seems like, in turn, it has really helped you to light your creative fire again. I nominated you for the Liebster Award. You can read about it in my post here: http://sweetstuffbybecka.wordpress.com/2013/11/21/my-first-blog-award/
Sweet! Sounds super awesome! I do have a ton of energy (Please note: This is after a short nap after work many days as of late…) and I feel empowered by the comments, emails and all the wonderful interactions I’ve had in the past few weeks. To think I was considering spending less time blogging and more time writing… now it seems almost as though that would have been counterproductive.
I probably write more now than ever before, and the level of interaction has been extremely rewarding! I’ve never known this many writers in any form and definitely haven’t shared my writing with this many people before!
Also, this nomination will postpone the next part of my story… but for a good reason! Thanks so much and I’m glad I came across your blog as well! I like the concept of the award and will pass it along as well!
Hey, I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award! http://valourborn.wordpress.com/2014/02/01/versatile-blogger-award/
Hello! I also met you due to your visit to my lately neglected blog. I applaud your consistency and passion. You inspire me to get on with my book and writing interest also. Thanks for the visit, and nice to meet you!! Diane
I know all about neglected blogs… I’ve always made fun of those people who only talk about their kids or pets, but now that I have two dogs of my own I understand why; You don’t get to do much else!
Diane, I wish you all the luck in the world with the art and discipline of writing! I feel like in the world there should exist a sage at the top of a mountain where people can go to be taught the ancient art of writing (I imagine this person being either Gandalf or a Kung Fu Master… maybe both!) That sure would help!
You had me at hello. And Canada.
Hahaha, thanks 😛 Although as much as Canada has a big place in my heart, I’d be lying if I said that Australia, Japan and Croatia weren’t all fighting for more space!
Awesome blog TJ!! Thanks for the follow
Anytime! And thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for your follow TJ! Hope the Land Down Under delivers the flint you need to spark your literary fires =)
Any time! The land down under has been doing quite well for my writing as ive managed to write two novels since moving here!
Great work! And congratulations on your NaNoWriMo victory =)
Thanks a ton and good luck with your NaNoWriMo: Extended Edition 😛
Congrats on NaNo and check your NaNo mail for my reply to your question. Keep writing!