My Webby World

by Florence Cardinal

I've been writing ever since I learned how to put words together. I've written on paper with a BIC pen, I've used an old manual typewriter and an electric one. I became fascinated with computers from the day I learned they existed.

I got my first computer about twelve years ago. I saw an ad in Writer's Digest that offered a writing course and a computer on monthly terms I could afford. I got machine and course with the idea of writing a romance novel. Well, that is still in the making, but the computer opened up a whole new world for me.

I found other people, writers like me, to correspond with. I found critique groups, especially the Internet Writing Workshop, and I found places that liked what I wrote.

I've never stopped writing, but my focus has changed. Now I write short articles for the Web. When my husband was diagnosed with sleep apnea, I began writing about sleep disorders for the web site About.com and continued to do so for eight years. I'm now doing the same for Health Central. I also write the Well Woman Blog.

If you love to write and don't care about remuneration, lots of web sites would love to hear from you. Most pay a very small amount or you depend on what you can earn from affiliates like Amazon and Google. Suite 101, Allinfo About and Bella Online are three that I've had favorable experience with.

Some magazines have web sites that take articles not offered in the paper issue. Check out your favorites and you may be able to sell an article or two.

These may not be high paying markets, but, once you have an in with them, they are a sure source of income. Using email is faster than using the post. Cheaper, too. Even some of the print publications are beginning to accept email queries.

I look back on those days with my scratchy pen or old typewriter and I don't miss them a bit. I couldn't do without my webby world.