Save our house and start a new business

When I was a kid, I was always writing. I was making up stories, writing my opinion and generally decreeing things. With the exception of a small period of time when I wanted to be a "computer systems analyst" -- which was an ever-so-exotic title my uncle had for a while during his working years -- I wanted to write. What and how and for who changed with the whims of childhood, but one thing remained the same: I was going to write.

I kept writing through grade school and high school and college. Then someone offered me money to do it! Hooray! I was a writer!

I was living the dream, as they say. Then all of a sudden, in 2008, the dream ended. I got sick -- really sick -- and lost my job.

Since then, I'm not going to lie -- it's been mighty hard. It took a long time to fully recover my health. Then, when I did, it was full on recession in America. And being moderately successful in my career, I was faced with no real employment prospects -- "real jobs" weren't available and no one would hire me for lower-paying jobs. No discount store, grocery store, gas station or tutoring service wanted me. Figured as soon as the economy turned around, I'd be out of there.

Thanks to a relative, I finally got a part-time job merchandising books in some of our finer discount retailers. Basically, I have benefits. That's about the net of it.

Fortunately, Sandra has a "real job" with a real paycheck. But we set up our life with two incomes, and so far, I haven't been able to meaningfully replace mine. So I am jumping back into the word game with my own freelance company -- Trenton Word Works -- with a heavy bent on helping folks in my community improve their own literacy.

So, what's a broke writer to do about all this? Swallow her pride and ask the world to help me save my house, that's what! It goes against everything I've ever been taught about "begging," but alas, the world is changing. And frankly, we've gone through all the modifications and adjustments this corrupt system will allow, and we still come up short.

We figure a little help from our friends, in terms of a small infusion from the collective conscious, and it should take the immediate pressure off. It will enable us to pay our mortgage, keep the lights on and let me have a few weeks of getting Trenton Word Works off the ground. And to prove I'm looking for help and not a handout, please choose one of the reward levels and get to know Trenton Word Works!

Sandra and I really appreciate you taking the time to entertain this, and we can't thank you enough! Please, do what you can and I will make you proud!!