Xenophile

I'm a newbie to the board, and in addition to being a novelist-in-progress, I'm a professional writer. For the last five years I've been a full-time editor and writer, and the last three of those years, I've been a freelancer. I write news stories, tech manuals, advertorial pieces, and pretty much anything else that anyone will pay me to write.

I think I'm getting burnout, though. I lost several clients due to the recent downturn in the economy, and I've been plugging away at finding more for several months. I've found a couple of possibilities, but I just don't have the enthusiasm I did when I first started. Even before my clients' businesses folded or shrank, I was starting to feel that way, so it's not just due to the economy.

I also wonder if, by being a full-time nonfiction writer, I am in a sense leaching the creativity away from my novel, which has always been my highest goal for writing. Have any of you had this happen?

Right now I'm considering getting a day job unrelated to writing so I can take a break. I have advanced degrees (in English). I have already tried teaching at a community college and ruled it out. It just wasn't for me. Also, the pay was terrible. I'm open to suggestions, especially from folks who have been in my shoes. Thanks much.

Eli Cash

I've felt like this, too. When I first got a journalism job, I thought, "Great! This lends legitimacy to my creative writing, I'll improve my mechanics, and I can finance my lifestyle while still submitting creative stuff."

But it's hard. You write 45 hours a week to make a buck, then have to come home and write your own stuff.

It takes a lot of discipline, for sure. And it helps to really love it, I guess.

I'd have to think we've all thought about giving it up at one point or another, those writing professionally or otherwise.

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lin

I'm with both of you on this one. My opinion is that I poured my creativity down the tubes of freelance magazine writing and that some ("whoever will pay me to write whatever" rut.

I always tell young people who want to be novelists or poets to avoid writing jobs. And writing programs. Get a nursing degree. Learn a trade. Become a property manager. Anything to pay the rent without burning out your itch to write.

Not to say you can't work past this, xenophile. But I think your suspicions are correct.
God know what you can do about it. Writers are seldom fit for much else

You might start looking for another way to pay the rent, though, ease over. (Best, I found is to NOT pay rent: look for work that provides lodging, which is the most over-priced thing in the States. Aparment manager (especially if you have a significant other and can be a "team"), storage unit manager, forest service lookout (like Gary Snyder, Keouac, a lot of writers) Night watchman type jobs also allow you to make money while having time and calm to work.

Goodl luck, whatever you decide to do.

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JosephB

I think our situations are somewhat analogous. I studied painting in school, and I was pretty good at it, enough to sell some work when my classmates weren't able to, and enough to win a grant based on my work. So I was hardly a dabbler.

I panicked at one point and changed my major to graphic design and advertising. I was worried about school loans etc. and I supposed I chickened out in a way.

My thought was, of course, that I would paint in my free time. But my work just took too much of my creative energy. And while I applied my talent in a way that allowed me to make money, I really never painted seriously again.

I work with copywriters every day, and have had this conversation with several of them over the years. I think most would agree with lin and eli on this one.

You think you will have the best of both worlds, but it seldom works out that way.

I write now as my creative outlet, although someday I hope to paint again.

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"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
-- Albert Einstein

"I am really only interested in a fiction of miracles."
-- Flannery O'Connor

NaCl

"took too much of my creative energy"

Joseph B, I completely identify with your comment. Creativity demands energy. And, there are many energy poisons in our lives; competing work requirements, family emotional needs, financial strains, negative internal dialog, personal health, etc. Sometimes it seems like there is very little energy left for creativity.

My mother is a successful painter selling dozens of watercolors and oil paintings every year. As a binge painter, she may go two or three months without entering her studio followed by a couple months of painting obsessively, often six or seven days a week. She explained to me that when she is not painting she is gathering her energy...and ideas. The only time I ever saw her struggle to paint was when she signed a contract to produce a series of theme-oils for a mansion in Los Angeles. It was hell for her as she was forced to paint based on a deadline instead of following her own natural rythyms. In essence, she ran out of "creative energy". Ever since, she has turned down all offers for assignment painting.

I do not write for a living like some of you so I guess I am unqualified to offer advice on this matter but here is my two cents worth. What can you do to reduce stressors in your life? In physics, there is a concept of "conservation of mass and energy". In essence, you can't create more of one without diminishing the other. I wonder if a writer's energy is similar. If you devote most of your effort to work, will it come at the expense of your pleasure? Is there any way you can achieve a better balance?

Please accept my apology if my naive ramblings offend any of you more experienced writers.

.....NaCl

archer88iv

Pretty much any "real" job will remind you why you became a writer in the first place--or, at least, that's what I'm finding. Although writing fueled by hatred for your day job may not be the best in the world, I suppose it's better than nothing.

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-J

BOURBON

One writer with burnout here. I spent one summer/autumn inundated with commissions for projects I didn't care about, having to contribute in meetings to stuffI had no enthusiasm for, having to rewrite to the demands of internal power-struggle between producers. All the while trying to write my own stuff between the cracks. My hands started siezing up, my neck hurt like fuck and my shoulders cramped. I was driving home one night and it crossed my mind to play kiss with the oncoming headlights rather than write another ON CRAP CHARACTER'S SURPRISE
CUT TO:
INT. ANOTHER SCENE OF IMPLAUSIBLE WANK

I thought 'ey oop, I'm in trouble...

I am currently on a six month unpaid chunk of time, writing my first novel at last, thanks to a partner who thinks I'll deliver the goods. I'm looking for a new agent...one who gives a little bit of a shit what they take a percentage of...AND am working on (don't laugh) learning to meditate so I can let some shit go over my head. I've tried the non-writing day-job and its great for a while, but writing is what I do. I'm good at it and can make decent money. I'm just hoping after the break I can find a way to balance it all....

I hope you find an answer to your own plight. Good luck with the novel.

BB

cpickett

I can also relate to these stories. I started out writing for local newspapers and really enjoyed it. Due to lots of downsizing in that industry, I rarely do that now. I have also written for some online mags, done some copywriting, but find much of it to be a struggle.

In the past, my writing was also supplemental, but after being laid off (from a very unique position) two years ago and a struggling MI economy, getting something else I'm even mildly interested in doing has been tough. I also spent ten years in the insurance/sales industry and hope to not have to go back.

Bottom line, even though I have lots of time to write (something most would kill for) I'm no where near as productive as I thought I would be in trying to do copywriting and other freelance stuff.

In trying to figure this out, I've learned the following so far:
Part of what I liked writing for the papers was the feedback/interaction that I had from local readers.

I don't like trying to find customers as a copywriter and I don't care for the subjectivity of that kind of work (can we rewrite this...)

When I do work on freelance pieces, I find it's much easier on certain topics rather than trying to write stuff I don't care about.

I've found renewed interest as I've switched to working on my first book and info-products and potentially coaching others (which combines some of what I like/have been looking for).

As for another day job, if one comes along that's a reasonable fit, it will help ease financial stress which is definitely a creativity buster, so maybe that's a reasonable option for you too.

Lastly, some people have one passion throughout life and that's great. However, remember this, common stats say most adults will change careers-not jobs- up to 7 times in their life. Give yourself permission to step away if you are feeling the pull toward something else. It's not necessarily giving up, people change. There's nothing wrong with investigating and trying to grow and improve.

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Cheryl Pickett

http://www.publishinganswers.com
http://www.publishinganswers.blogspot.com

Xenophile

I really appreciate all these honest answers, and you have helped me decide to go back out into the world and try to find a job unrelated to writing, and focus my creative energies on fiction rather than journalistic assignments. So now, I need to decide what kind of day-job will be best for me. Thanks to all of you!

Wadatrip

The Junior college gig has worked well for me. You might reconsider it. I'm in California, and the pay is pretty good.

Take care