So I am new to the writing field and learning how to make money as a freelancer! I know about those sites that other writers use like Elance, CopyContest, Odesk and Craigslist, etc, but is there a better place to start for someone who hasn't gotten a lot of experience and would have hard time competing with writers with years of knowledge?
Is there a reason you've chosen writing? Honestly, you'd probably be further ahead getting a minimum wage job somewhere... it's pretty hard to make money writing, especially if you're not confident of your skills.
I started writing because I am passionate about it. People tell me that I have a talent so I want to put it to use.
A talent for writing is not the equivalent of 'income from writing'. Write because you want to, but unless you go into some literary occupation like teaching writing, income from writing can be hit or miss, and if it's a hit, it's generally a delayed event. I see you are 34. What is your current occupation?
You can make decent money freelancing. The sites you mentioned, also talk to local clientele and market to businesses who might use your services. It isn't unusual for it to take a year to 18 months to build up a volume of work so that you consistently make enough money.
Your best bet is to start off writing for free, and only once you have a portfolio, then start charging. Internships where you work for free is also a common way in, and could start you off well if you manage to get an internship with a big newspaper (very, very hard). But either way, it's fairly uncommon to start off in writing being paid, I believe. If you want to make writing into a career, I suggest you think about what kind of writer. Journalist, copywriter, technical writer, blogger, freelancer etc.
As a freelancer I don't recommend you ever work for free (or as a fiction writer). If you get an internship with a reputable publication it may be worth it, but not just doing free jobs for people.
Step 1: Make a blog where you can post examples of your writing, and any other information you want your clients to know about you Step 2: Go out and try and find jobs on the internet (craigslist is a good one) or wait for people to come to you (not recommended unless you know people will come find you) Step 3: ??? Step 4: Profit I'm just saying though you may not want to go into freelance work, because without a good reputation finding good paying writing jobs isn't easy for newbies.
