A book excerpt from "Look Ma, No Hands"

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How to Make a Living as a Writer, Gabrielle Drolet, The Walrus

This excerpt from The Walrus makes me want to read Gabrielle Drolet's debut memoir on chronic pain, Look Ma, No Hands.

As I started writing more freelance pieces, I was, in a way, living the life I’d always wanted. I was a writer. It was my actual job. I balanced deadlines, rotating between articles and editors. I sent out more and more pitches. I worked late into the night, fuelled by instant coffee and bad music.

It wasn’t enough. The number of pitches I was landing couldn’t comfortably sustain me. And it often took ages for me to get paid for my work. A fully written article might be put on hold—it would sit and collect virtual dust, and I wouldn’t be paid until it was published. I knew I needed more consistent work. I longed for some sort of paycheque I could rely on month to month. My savings dwindled as I paid for rent, pricey physiotherapy appointments, and adaptive tools. I moved to Montreal, where the cost of living was lower, but I still struggled to get by.