Being a Writer is Hard

So today I did a lot of first steps. I signed up for a freelance writers website and I have looked into article writing to build a portfolio and checked out a couple job listings that I am not yet qualified for. I love writing, always have, and I am already a little overwhelmed.

Now, part of my issue is that I am not an article writer. I am a creative writer. I spin stories and create characters and live inside of my own imagination. I write fiction and short stories. This is the kind of writing I want to do. But it is not the kind of writing that you get to make a living doing unless you are JK Rowling, James Patterson, or Stephanie Meyer.

I am trying though. I really am. I'm trying to find things to write articles about so I can build a portfolio and at least do some entertainment content writing. Review and discuss TV shows and movies that I can talk about for ages. Getting started is just...a lot. Especially since any form of journalism like this is just not what I have always done. I am trying not to take one look at all this new copy-writing kind of stuff and quit before I even start.

I might sound picky, but I'm not just being choosy, I swear. I just don't know where to start when I'm trying an entirely new genre of writing. How do I go from short stories to brief content reviews?

I'm not giving up on the creative writing on my path to be a paid-for-writer. I couldn't if I tried. I've started looking more into writing contests too, some even with prize money.

I am really trying. I am really trying to at least get my foot in the door before I can say that these kinds of writing jobs aren't what I do. It is just different. So so different.