Thanks for sharing. I've been wanting to write for a while, but it wasn't until recent times that I thought I should do something about it! For me, at the moment, i'll be taking small steps. I started a blog on GA (not quite ready to make a really 'public' one yet) and i'll experiment with stuff there. I think if we just do what we can do to make sure that we work at it hard, then that's good. When that's done, then the reception of your work from the public is out of your control. Good luck!

As a wise man once said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  What he didn't tell anyone that the first step is always the hardest.  Way to go!

I've found GA a good place to develop writing skills whether through blogging or fiction.  Overall a good community here, light on criticism and long on support.  You've got a good start here with the blog post.

You haven't said what kind of writing you'd like to do professionally. Do you want to be an author of narrative fiction?

I'm a math guy with a terminal degree in the discipline. But there was a story inside me (an autobiography, actually) that was aching to get out. I couldn't hold it back, and I was aware of venues that would be receptive to that kind of writing. Venues that had such low standards that nothing I threw out there could shame me (I'm talking about Nifty) lol.

One I'd established a presence at Nifty, I got noticed by a blog owner whose blog was devoted to higher-quality LGBT narrative fiction, and he asked if he might host me. I was blown away, and after voicing a few misgivings to him, I eventually agreed. His blog has since died, because he had neither the time nor capital to keep it going...but there were a couple of other sites interested in hosting me, and I ended up saying "yes" to them as well.

Eventually Gay Authors was willing to host me, and now I consider this place my "home" for my narrative writing.

I've learned so much about writing on the way, From feedback and from self-study. In fact I do well enough to have made a business from writing. Not as an author of narrative fiction, but rather as a commercial free-lance writer. And all because I threw myself out there on free gay-fiction sites.

If you enjoy writing and are willing to do it in compliance with the needs of the multitudes of businesses who are hiring freelance writers, you can become a "professional writer" with relative ease. The market certainly isn't shrinking.

If, on the other hand, you'd like to become a published-and-paid author of fiction, then the odds of success are much, much longer.

Either way, places like Gay Authors are good venues to get your feet wet. For one, you can forget about being embarrassed that people will think you suck. There are really very, very few discriminating readers here or anywhere else. Most of them wouldn't recognize the difference between good and bad writing if it came up and bit them on the face, and some of the most popular authors here wouldn't know that difference either. On the other hand, there are a handful of really astute readers here who are also willing to be of genuine service to writers by providing them with quality feedback, and gently.

Given that I make the bulk of my living by writing these days, I'd be happy to help you out with a look at your stuff. But in any case, take the jump and throw some narrative at us. See how it feels. See how the crowd responds. Do you have a story or three in you? That's why we're all here, and you're among friends.

Do it.