Leck

This has always been my dream, being able to quit working and just write full time, but then the question comes, where do I get money from? Cause I've never had anythign published, and people don't exactly pay you when you're half way through a book

So I want to know if anyone has any tips or advice on a way to do what I love doing, writing, full time, and actually supoprt myself, or is that impossible?

blackswan

Well, you could work as a freelance writer, journalist or columnist to get the money (plus you'll be writing! Full time!). Or, you can work a different part time job that you can get free time during work to write, like the manager of apartments or something...or you can keep on buying those lottery tickets and hope you win!

But actually, that's about all the bright ideas I have.

Lucky_Joe

This is my dream as well, unfortunately I think unless you're very successfull (as a novelist anyway. I'm sure it's different in other disciplines) or just don't care about having things, it would be pretty hard. I plan on working part time soon so that I can spend more time writing. I figure I can do this for a couple of years and if I don't get anywhere I can always go back to full time work later to pay for things, you know, house, bills, family, food, just general stuff.

I think we should all go out and find patrons, somebody to support our art.

__________________
www.leecarlon.com

gabriella

I can't remember if I had posted here thirty days ago, before their server shut down, so what the heck. Here's to a new post =]

I may only be a fourteen year old girl who's never published anything in anything more than a school newspaper, but I can tell you this:

Do not stake all you have on a writing career you MIGHT have.

Stake it on a writing career you DO have.

Meaning, unless you are making the money CONSISTENTLY - not just a few lucky stories: This has to be long enough to keep a steady lifestyle, without being kicked out of home every couple of months until a new masterpiece comes along - then you can do the math: Do you still need the money from your job, or can you manage without it?

But if you don't have the writing success streak that'll give you the money to live off of, don't take that chance. Stick to your job.

Sometimes I want to drop school altogether and spend my entire days writing, but where would that bring me? No friends, no exercise, nothing to bitch and complain about to the friends I still have, nothing to relate to them with... Having a job probably isn't much different. Stick around.

But if you downright hate your job - as in, you're fourty five and working at McDonalds - then aim higher. Get a job that you like, something that requires writing because that way you'll not only be doing what you want, but getting a consistent paycheck, too.

__________________
You write by sitting down and writing - Bernard Malamud.

Robert Berry

No. It isn't feasible.

As the poster above me pointed out: if you're not already a successful author, don't think you can support yourself with a dream that has not yet come to light. Not only is such an action pretentious, it's self-indulgent, and will quite likely land you in a state of debt. The greatest writers of our time (Stephen King for instance) worked full time while producing their earlier masterpieces; these people wrote because they enjoyed writing, not because they wanted to have something published. If the only reason you write is to be published, give it up now—you don't have the mentality to write.

__________________
One who writes for the sake of having written will neither enjoy it nor profit from it; one who chooses to write for the sake of writing, while not sure of publication, will uncover riches unimagined by his fame-seeking brethren.

Savien

as long as we have a 14 year old girls opinion, I might as well throw in my 14 year old boys opinion.

Its every writers dream to wake up and throw on a smoking jacket and type away with a cup of hot coffee at your palacial estate in the sierras. Truth however, is that 90% of devout career writers will die unhappy and penniless, my suggestion is

1) be good, be damn good
2) have a backup plan.


Thanks for letting me throw my piece in

Fides Custos

Now that the rational world has placed forth its hand and smote your dream to all hell. I will offer you some solace.

I'm curious as to how many of you sit around dreaming of being a full-time writer or if your dreaming of something so fantastic and great that the only alternative is to put it down on paper. Maybe something so horrible and painful that your only release is writing?

Do you picture yourself writing a story or do you picture the story itself?

I ask this simply because that question determines alot.
If you think about it, writing isn't a career, the career is something else, for novelist it is dreaming and thinking. For journalist its finding and questioning. Writing itself is just a way of taking what we do and passing it onto others for a pay-check. So to answer your question, based on my opinion. You can write-full time as far as your willing to go. If your simply dreaming about writing in front of a computer, well, your already lost.

Cheers.

__________________
Faithic Grace - Bleeding Radiance

I'm not afraid of God.
I'm not afraid of Good.
I'm not afraid of Evil.
I'm not afraid of me.
I'm not afraid of you.
I'm afraid I cannot save you all.
But I'm not afraid of trying.

VixenRED

I think there is a difference between wanting to be noticed and wanting to write. I agree with the 14 year old boy, you should always have a backup plan. If you get a agent and you find yourself selling books by the millions, rejoice. there is a lot of competition out there, like the books next to yours to put it frankly.

If you try to be a published writer, do it for the love of writing, and not for the recognition. *though they both are delightful when mixed together. ^^* I also believe you should budget work wisely as well. Working part time for the hope of being an eminent writer is a little sticky.

I guess what I’m trying to scramble together is, never give up the hope, but do be aware if you do not succeed. It doesn't mean your a terrible writer, its may be the wrong time or what ever the case may be.

Good luck to those who choose to try to be known for their work!

__________________

beautiful things
ice like dreams
melting now
dripping from
the core
that burns
inside a chamber
so stark
close and near
to thy heart.

Savien

yes, let's all agree with the 14 year old boy, he'll lead u right!

but yeah, it's a gamble, like anything, its a pro and con matter, weigh your interests.

Leapord

Ah, the wisdom of 14-year olds. They seem to be pretty wise, too. As Terry Brooks said in his book Sometimes the Magic Works, don't quit your day job until you have a year's salary in the bank and a few books published.

__________________
Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard, be evil.
People would sooner die than think. In fact, most of them do. -- George Bernard Shaw
Leapord is my name, leopard is the animal.

Leck

** sighs and throws away his smoking jacket **

The onyl reason I want to write full time is so I can write more often. My job takes up too much time, and I'd rather spend that time writing all day, cause that's what I enjoy.

And yes I love writing and all that stuff. I write cause I have millions of ideas in my head that just won't leave me alone!!

Anyway, thanks all for the advice. I'll keep at it.

Savien

*picks up smoking jacket, throws it in bag labelled "articles of writers whose dream's ive shattered" it settles somewhere in between a scratched Nobel prize and the remains of a tattered copy of "steinbecks secret memoir"*

Pawn

*puffs meditatively on his pipe*

__________________
C.A
Carpe Noctem
superlatenight.com

Gundampilotspaz

I want to express my thoughts and opinions creatively though the art of writing. Thats all a novelist need to write a good book, I hope. I really can't see myself doing anything else then writing novels. Maybe I'll also become an agent, or work for a publishing company.... its all coming together.

Savien

well, all I can say is Good luck, and inquire as to ur name. I know someone named Paz, lives in the bay area, maybe its you. (yes, that sounds stupid, I know)