# I hand in my resignation today (Friday)



## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

I just finished polishing my resignation letter to hand in when I get to work this afternoon. Everyone at the paper pretty much knows -- except the big editor (because no one talks to him). My last day is Jan. 10 -- and I'm so very excited. I'm a little bummed I have to email my boss because he's on vacation (I'd like to see the look on his face) -- but I am so ready for the next chapter of my life.

Happy holidays everyone!


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## Elizabeth Ann West (Jul 11, 2011)

Yay yoda!!! Now you and I can spend 2015 poking each other to write more lol


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## gorvnice (Dec 29, 2010)

Big congrats.  It only gets better from here…

Also be prepared to experience some temporary post-job confusion and anxiety as your body and mind adjust to no longer having to be ground to dust Monday-Friday.  

Once I got past the first two weeks where I freaked out a little, it's been beyond awesome for close to 4 years.


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

Elizabeth Ann West said:


> Yay yoda!!! Now you and I can spend 2015 poking each other to write more lol


Sounds good to me. I've already put together a schedule that includes a block of time every afternoon to work out. Working eighty hours has me in my fat pants -- and I definitely don't like it (they're just not cute). I just spent hours working on covers because it relaxes me -- and I was too tired from driving home from my mom's to start my next book. Now I'm wasting time on the Internet before I go to bed.


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## Elizabeth Ann West (Jul 11, 2011)

Lol I made my list of titles for next year today too. My slate


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## J.J. Thompson (Aug 10, 2013)

(Doing my best Yoda voice) Happy am I to see this! Kidding aside, congratulations. I'm sure that I'm not the only kboarder that's been waiting for this magic moment. Enjoy your new-found freedom and your FULL-TIME job as an author. Green with envy am I.


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

gorvnice said:


> Big congrats. It only gets better from here...
> 
> Also be prepared to experience some temporary post-job confusion and anxiety as your body and mind adjust to no longer having to be ground to dust Monday-Friday.
> 
> Once I got past the first two weeks where I freaked out a little, it's been beyond awesome for close to 4 years.


I'm already prepared for the confusion. I work nights (Tuesday through Saturday -- I've never been Monday through Friday, lol) and when I come home from work now I usually write until 5 a.m. The first big adjustment is making myself go to bed by 2 a.m. and up by 11 a.m. (eventually adjusted to 10 a.m. -- but I'm giving myself a small cushion for the first two weeks). I don't foresee anxiety. I've decided to put together a list every Sunday of what needs to get done during the week -- because there's a lot to coordinate with the stuff I have going. I have five books in various stages of edit and I'm starting another tomorrow. I don't plan on taking anything but Sunday (Jan. 11) off to rest. Since I've been working eighty hours a week, going down to a reasonable eight hours a day is going to feel like a vacation on Monday (Jan. 12). My first weekend off, my friends are taking me to drag queen bingo as a celebration. I'm very excited.


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## Marina Finlayson (May 2, 2014)

Woo-hoo! Congratulations, that's awesome news.


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

J.J. Thompson said:


> (Doing my best Yoda voice) Happy am I to see this! Kidding aside, congratulations. I'm sure that I'm not the only kboarder that's been waiting for this magic moment. Enjoy your new-found freedom and your FULL-TIME job as an author. Green with envy am I.


Thanks. I still have two weeks. I'm throwing the night crew a pizza party on my dime the last Thursday we all work together. It's not that many people now since the newspaper has been so decimated -- but I figure it will be fun. I've also promised to stop in once a month to hang out with them. One of my co-workers -- who is also one of my best friends -- has more anxiety than I do. He lives two blocks from me -- and I've promised him regular movie dates -- but he's freaking a little. He got smashed at his Christmas party on Saturday and presented me with a 10-point list of reasons quitting is a bad idea. It was on a napkin, but it was kind of cute.


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## MikeDavidson (Oct 5, 2013)

I wish I could have sent in my resignation! It was my wife who got that privilege. Because I quit before I published. Had heart problems and had to be a stay at home dad while I recovered. 

I recovered while she worked and wrote some books. The people she worked with told her I should get a real job and stop sapping off her. Being an author is an unrealistic dream they said. She defended me and encouraged me to write, even though I only brought in a couple hundred dollars a month. She had no reason to believe I could support her with my books, but she supported me anyway. She's always been a supportive wife.

Should have seen her face the day I told her that her dream to be a stay at home mom just came true. -She cried- Left work that day and the boss fell over backwards.  

She quit a little over a year ago, and we've never looked back.

Congrats Yoda! The water's warmer than you think. I know you'll love your new life and I'm ecstatic for you. You deserve it!


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## Colin (Aug 6, 2011)

Congrats! And enjoy your newly found freedom.


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## Bluebonnet (Dec 15, 2013)

YodaRead said:


> I just finished polishing my resignation letter to hand in when I get to work this afternoon. Everyone at the paper pretty much knows -- except the big editor (because no one talks to him). My last day is Jan. 10 -- and I'm so very excited. I'm a little bummed I have to email my boss because he's on vacation (I'd like to see the look on his face) -- but I am so ready for the next chapter of my life.
> 
> Happy holidays everyone!


Give the message to your boss on Skype, and then you can see his face! 

Seriously, congrats on making this tough decision and being ready to implement it a few hours from now.


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

Two week's notice letters are awesome! Congrats and best wishes for a wonderful new year working solely for yourself.


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## Melody Simmons (Jul 8, 2012)

Congrats!  I don't know if it is so much freedom as people here mentioned - it takes a huge amount of self-discipline and courage and strength to work for oneself as after all one has bills to pay like everyone else...but yeah, it is nice to be able to do it from home and not to have a boss...though it leaves one with more responsibility to make decisions.


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## EC (Aug 20, 2013)

Congratulations - great start to the new year


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

Congrats.   Now you have to compose your reply when people ask what you do  "I'm a stay-at-home writer."


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## BG (Mar 19, 2014)

Congrats! What a great way to start 2015! Reading about your journey and the similar stories of others is inspiring!


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## Guest (Dec 26, 2014)

Congratulations, Yoda. So exciting. I was lonely at first when I started full time at home, but adjusted. It's great that you're so organized with your time. I think you're going to do just fine at home.


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## Kate. (Oct 7, 2014)

That's fantastic, Yoda, congratulations! Hopefully this will be a much more rewarding and enjoyable job.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

YodaRead said:


> My first weekend off, my friends are taking me to drag queen bingo as a celebration.


Why has this activity passed me by thus far in my life?


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## AisFor (Jul 24, 2014)

Congratulations! Enjoy your new life!


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

Be prepared for you mammoth production rate to actually go down for a short while! I'm not kidding, I've seen it time and time again from other authors on here who quit the day job to write and found they were suddenly writing less not more. I think it takes a couple of months to really find your writing-only stride.

But I'm SO thrilled for you! Congratulations


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## Edward Giordano (Dec 20, 2014)

Congratulations! I wish you much success, it must be thrilling to start a new chapter in your life!


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## Z. Rider (Aug 15, 2014)

Congratulations! How exciting.


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## R. M. Webb (Jul 24, 2014)

Congratulations! I've read in other threads how careful you've been to prepare for this day. Very happy for you!


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## DawnLee (Aug 17, 2014)

That's really exciting, Yoda.  I can't imagine being able to just write. I've followed you closely on here and learned an awful lot from you - I know you worked your butt off to earn this step.


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## elalond (May 11, 2011)

Yey for you!  It must feel great, and like the above comment said, what a great start of a new year.


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## C. Gockel (Jan 28, 2014)

Oh, it's too bad that you can't resign in person! 

When I quit my day job (to be a designer/coder) my boss said, "Can we offer you more money?"

And I started giggling so hard I almost cried. I was making more than him at the time on my "side" gig.  

It was awesome.


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## elalond (May 11, 2011)

C. Gockel said:


> When I quit my day job (to be a designer/coder) my boss said, "Can we offer you more money?"
> And I started giggling so hard I almost cried. *I was making more than him at the time on my "side" gig.*
> It was awesome.


So awesome. Let's hope that more and more writers (including me) would go through such wonderful experiences.


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## Drake (Apr 30, 2014)

Congratulations on beginning a new chapter in your life!


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## I&#039;m a Little Teapot (Apr 10, 2014)

Hooray! Here's to a massively awesome 2015!


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

So inspirational!  Congrats on this well-earned step, Yoda!


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Congrats!!!


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## Lisa Grace (Jul 3, 2011)

Congratulations! 
I quit my corporate job eons ago to work my own business from home, and I did have the pleasure of seeing my boss' face. He couldn't believe it. He thought for sure I was lying and going to work for a competitor.
I had nightmares/and momentary panic attacks for a year or two, that my beeper (yes, it was a long time ago, cell phones had just been invented and they were very large) had gone off (when I heard others go off like at restaurants).
Happy writing, and bank some for rainy days or years.


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

Awesome news, Yoda! congratulations!


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## dalya (Jul 26, 2011)

Cool beans! I hope 2015 is amazing!


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## hardnutt (Nov 19, 2010)

Well done! Your new life. Starts. Here.


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

Thanks for all the well wishes. I emailed the boss at 4 p.m. (he's on vacation) and he emailed me back fifteen minutes later and said "we'll talk when I get back from vacation." Um, no we won't, lol. He then proceeded to call two of my co-workers and tell them (while telling them not to say anything to everyone else) but both of them were like: "We've known for a month." I think he's starting to freak out.


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## wtvr (Jun 18, 2014)

Congratulations!! You are going to kill it!!

Oh and isn't a little boss freak out sooooooo delicious?


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Congrats, Yoda!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

YodaRead said:


> My first weekend off, my friends are taking me to drag queen bingo as a celebration.





Lydniz said:


> Why has this activity passed me by thus far in my life?


Seriously!

Congrats, Yoda! Live long and prosper! (to mix sci-fi references!)

Betsy


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## Mike McIntyre (Jan 19, 2011)

I used to be in your (ex) field. Never found the sap to write at night after writing all day. Sounds like you've worked extremely hard to be able to break free of the newsroom. Good luck on your new path!


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## Scott Daniel (Feb 1, 2011)

As a former newspaper person, I'm curious where you've been working 80 hours a week. Let me guess: A weekly or small daily where you write most of the copy, shoot photos/video and design pages?


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

Scott Daniel said:


> As a former newspaper person, I'm curious where you've been working 80 hours a week. Let me guess: A weekly or small daily where you write most of the copy, shoot photos/video and design pages?


I only work 40 hours a week at a daily newspaper in Michigan. The other 40 is spent writing my books. I make more than enough to easily make it on the book money now -- so I'm lopping off the 40 hours (plus the commute) I work at the day job.


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## SarahHope (Dec 26, 2014)

Congratulations that's great news!


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## Victoria LK (Jan 31, 2014)

Super big Congrats!!  Wish I could, but I'm the boss, so I'd have to SELL the business!  Not ready for that one yet, this has been my baby for the last 15 years.  Someday....


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## sela (Nov 2, 2014)

Congrats! It's a sweet feeling! 

Give yourself a few weeks to decompress and then if you're like me you will have to create some kind of production and daily work schedule in place with slots for everything else you want to accomplish or else find yourself losing productivity. I thought I'd have time to spend on the house, the yard, fitness, etc but now it seems all i do is book promotion and all the extras I barely squeezed in when i was working full time and writing on the side.

It's a great life!


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## vlmain (Aug 10, 2011)

Very excited for you (and just a little bit envious)! Congratulations.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

I put my research skills to work and was able to find a picture of YodaRead's boss.


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## vlmain (Aug 10, 2011)

Crayola said:


> I'm glad I wasn't eating or drinking anything when I read this


No kidding! That was brilliant!


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Congratulations, Yoda! That first step is hard to make, I know. The first Monday after that, you'll have some stress about whether you did the right thing. Having read many of your posts, you needn't worry. It's the right thing for you. Then you'll suddenly feel like a huge weight has been lifted.


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## Dobby the House Elf (Aug 16, 2014)

I've been watching your progression with interest, Yoda, congratulations! Living the dream


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Seriously!
> 
> Congrats, Yoda! Live long and prosper! (to mix sci-fi references!)
> 
> Betsy


Drag Queen Bingo is a thing they do in Royal Oak, Michigan. I'm sure they do it elsewhere, but it is up to legendary levels here now. You have to reserve spots months in advance. They encourage you to bring flasks (which I love). Apparently, and I haven't gotten to do this in person yet, but the drag queens insult the clientele and mess with you as a floor show. That's right up my alley. I'm thinking of wearing a Star Wars jersey to the even to give them plenty of ammunition.


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## Scott Daniel (Feb 1, 2011)

Yoda - How long did it take you to get to the point of going full time? How many titles do you have and it want genres?


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## dgrant (Feb 5, 2014)

Yoda, 

This is so awesome! Congratulations! I know you've worked hard to get here, and it's so awesome to see good things happen to good people!

And Becca, you're going to teach me to put down the tea before I click on the thread, aren't you?


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

Scott Daniel said:


> Yoda - How long did it take you to get to the point of going full time? How many titles do you have and it want genres?


I have 15 books under my main name -- cozy mysteries and young adult paranormal -- and three titles under a pen name I just launched (romantic suspense). I honestly look at the first two years of my writing career (started in the middle of 2011) as a complete and total waste because I had no idea what I was doing. Oh, if I could launch myself all over again, lol. I started seeing real traction in 2013. I made about $3,000 a month every month for the entire year. Then, in 2014, I spent 11 out of 12 months with earnings of more than $10,000 a month. My highest month so far has been $33,000 -- just this past November. It's a learning process, and there are ebbs and flows, but I know so much more now than I did then. I'm already adding another series under my pen name as soon as I'm done at my day job -- and I'm adding erotica to the mix under two other pen names (one for straight, one for gay) just because I want to experiment.


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## Guest (Dec 27, 2014)

YodaRead said:


> I just finished polishing my resignation letter to hand in when I get to work this afternoon. Everyone at the paper pretty much knows -- except the big editor (because no one talks to him). My last day is Jan. 10 -- and I'm so very excited. I'm a little bummed I have to email my boss because he's on vacation (I'd like to see the look on his face) -- but I am so ready for the next chapter of my life.
> 
> Happy holidays everyone!


Congratulations!

I'm already writing full-time, but my goal is to get rid of the article writing part by the end of 2015. I'm certain I can do it.


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## Kassidia (Sep 14, 2012)

Congratulations, and well-deserved!


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## 69959 (May 14, 2013)

Woohoo! Congratulations!!


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## RN_Wright (Jan 7, 2014)

Congratulations! You and several others posting in this thread are quite inspiring.


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## LyraParish (Aug 27, 2013)

Wooohoooooo!!!!!! This is awesome!!


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## Nomadwoman (Aug 25, 2011)

Absolutely Fabulous Darling!!
You've been so super productive on THAT other thread and I'm not surprised you've done so well- inspiration to all so Thx


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## funthebear (Sep 26, 2014)

YodaRead said:


> I have 15 books under my main name -- cozy mysteries and young adult paranormal -- and three titles under a pen name I just launched (romantic suspense). I honestly look at the first two years of my writing career (started in the middle of 2011) as a complete and total waste because I had no idea what I was doing. Oh, if I could launch myself all over again, lol. I started seeing real traction in 2013. I made about $3,000 a month every month for the entire year. Then, in 2014, I spent 11 out of 12 months with earnings of more than $10,000 a month. My highest month so far has been $33,000 -- just this past November. It's a learning process, and there are ebbs and flows, but I know so much more now than I did then. I'm already adding another series under my pen name as soon as I'm done at my day job -- and I'm adding erotica to the mix under two other pen names (one for straight, one for gay) just because I want to experiment.


I've said it before, but you're my idol. I have your profile bookmarked, and whenever I need motivation to write, I just read your latest posts. You've done fantastically well, fantastically consistently, and I hope to be like you when I grow up (but I'm aiming for _now_).


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