After a conversation with a publisher.

The fun thing about writing is...that it's fun. The problem with doing fun work is that getting paid for it is sometimes seen as a bonus.  You know what's really fun?  Food writing.  I do a lot of that. The way food writing generally works is someone sends me some food to try, or I go somewhere and try the food, and then I write about it.  Yay!  Free food!  And writing is fun!  I'm so lucky to get to do this and then I'm even luckier that someone wants to publish my food-writing somewhere that lots of people will read it, so I'm superlucky because I get to share my fun food writing with the world.
But see, this is still work.  A job being enjoyable, does not make it any less a job, nor does it make me any less entitled to being paid a living wage to do it.  For my last restaurant review, I went to lunch and then dinner, had long talks with the owners of the restaurants and researched online.  That article took about 8 hours of work for which I'm getting a begrudged hundred dollars and comments about how there are other writers who would love to do this job for free.
So, what is the definition of work, then?  Work is an activity performed for pay, disliked by the worker.  Am I asking too much, to get paid *and* enjoy the time spent?  Is it only worth the paycheck if I earn it while miserable?  Does that give me more leverage?  I hated writing this crap! Cough it up!
But there's the rub!  I write best and do the best work when I am interested, invested in, and enjoying what I am doing.  So, if I am to be paid for my highest quality work, I should be paid for what I enjoy the most.
Right

The ~*~BIG~*~ plan

The ~*~BIG~*~ plan

I just wrote the first page of my book proposal.  One down, anywhere from nine to nineteen to go.
I have started my sample chapter.
I'm organizing my table of contents. 
This is absolutely gut wrenching.  The process of turning grief into literature is like turning flour into dough, but I'm the mixer. I'm measuring, adding and stirring with all my strength. I'm pulling and pushing and kneading.  I'm reliving every moment as I write about it, revising it to make it more readable, more fluid, add perspective from where I now stand.  It is the hardest writing I have ever done.  I have to not only get myself into the creative space, but I have to write, then pause and rest my heart, then go back to it. I know, in the end it will be the most rewarding, but what a journey it will be to put this together.

...I also revised my resume, you know, just in case.