I'm assuming most of you, fine people, have other jobs?

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Stephanys

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Until just over a year ago I worked in the interactive department at a media giant. After a few rounds of layoffs, it was my turn. No new job yet.
 

AlwaysJuly

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Yes, I have a day job - a pretty intense one. I sometimes take a day off and spend it writing, but usually I wake up early so I can write for an hour in the morning before work (perhaps not my finest work, but it's something). Then I try to write a little bit in the evenings, although it's touch with gym and homework (I'm also going to grad school part time).

I can't imagine just writing every day. It sounds like bliss to me.
 

Darkwing

I am a grad student and teaching assistant. I have a really interesting situation with writing. Most grad classes in my major are night classes, so I have most of the day on Monday and Wednesday to do whatever. And then I teach a 4 credit hour class. Last quarter I had to create a lot of my lesson plans from scratch, but this quarter I'm able to just tweak things. Next quarter will be different since I start teaching English 102 (oh joy).

Theoretically, I should have plenty of time to write, and during my preferred hours of 10am-1pm too. I'm hoping it'll work out like that this quarter, but I have a lot of homework and then teaching duties, so we shall see.

I'm just grateful not to have an 8-5 job. I'm not a morning person, so getting up at 5am to write is ick, and I can't write at night when my brain is in primetime television mode.
 

BradCarsten

practical experience, FTW
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im in the fortunate position where i can write full time. I do a little graphic design on the side, but from sun up till sun down i can focus on my story...
 

Sentosa

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All of us can claim to be busy. Whether or not you can manage to fit in everything you want to do can vary according to many things, including work loads, other commitments, children, motivation, health, concentration spans, etc.

I'm a very firm believer in: I can do anything I want to do, if I want to do it. I've proved that over and over.

I'm retired now, but my day has never been busier, so I still need to schedule things. I want to briefly relate how I managed to fir in everything about 40 years ago. I'm not boasting here. I'm a pretty ordinary fellow with an average set of skills, and I just want to demonstrate that we can often fit in more than we think.

At that time, I was married with 3 school-age children and a toddler at home. I was the sole income earner. I had a full-time job in a senior management position in a large university library. That took more than 40 hours each week. Concurrently, as a part-time student I was studying law at another university a few miles away. That involved the usual lectures, tutorials, assignments, etc. Then of course there were the usual family commitments. So, I guess you'll understand when I say I was pretty busy.:D

My day started at 6AM. Work from 8.30-5.00. Study from 6-9pm; assignments and reading 9pm-1am. Except for emergencies that was rigid Mon-Fri. Saturday and Sunday morning I devoted totally to family activities. Sunday afternoon was mine -- I relaxed by playing lawn bowls from 1-6.

When I look back at that schedule, I marvel at how I survived the 8 years I stuck to it. It was probably hard at the time, and I probably hated it. Honestly, I remember none of the bad things. Interesting, isn't it.;)

Strict organisation helped me, perhaps it might help you.
 

jallenecs

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I am a complicated person. On my IRS forms, it says homemaker, but I suck at the actual housekeeping part of it. I have four children (one married, the other three in their mid to late teens), and an aged mother that I look after.

Though I share ownership of our farm with my sisters and my mother, I'm the primary farm worker, looking after the animals, dealing with the garden, etc. In the past few years, however, as my own health has deteriorated, my children have been picking up the slack on this, thank goodness. We do not farm for profit (there's just not enough land); it's a subsistence thing, raising enough food and animals to feed our own family.

While my husband is the primary bringer-in-of-cash, I do make some money playing piano in church, for regular services, for weddings and funerals, that kind of thing (which actually makes more money than you might imagine).

All this mostly means that I can write whenever I damn well please, for as long as I please. As long as the animals and kids get fed, and the laundry gets done occasionally, I can set my own writing schedule.
 

rainsmom

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Yep, I have a job -- and unlike most people, I absolutely love it. I work from home, am paid obscenely well, my hours cap at 40 (or I'm paid time and a half), and I adore the people I work with. Being home leaves me the flexibility to be here when a workman comes by or the dogs need something. When we had horses here, it was especially nice to work from home.

I *am* tired when I'm done with my work day, though. I try to do my writing before work or during lunch, because I'm usually brain dead by 5PM. We also choose to go out to dinner fairly often, because that's pretty much my only "away" time.
 

jaksen

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I was a teacher for many years, but managed to write a create/write a short story series in that time. I am now retired, but that doesn't mean I have all this 'free time.' I watch a grandson during the day and have a mentally-disabled, adult son.

That plus a husband, two adult daughters, two elderly parents who rely on us, and wow...

I am more busy than I realized. :D
 

Harry Douthwaite

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Currently, I'm unemployed. However, I have had a few part time jobs while I've been working on my novel - two jobs dishwashing at restaurants and one at Tim Hortons. None of these jobs lasted very long at all, so I constantly find myself with no money at all. It's a good thing I'm still living with my parents...
 

tammay

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I went through that a while back when I finished my BA in English and had to work administrative support jobs to make a living. I was thinking about my writing all the time and very frustrated and depressed that I couldn't just "be a writer". I did try to steal off hours to work on my writing but it wasn't always possible since as an admin support person, you're micromanaged like a hawk.

I finally came to the realization that the fact that I was miserable in my work was affecting my writing, as I couldn't seem to finish anything and must have started 20 different projects. So I went back to school, got my MA in English and started teaching college English courses. I then got into teaching online and that's what I do now. Although I work sometimes more than 40 hours, I love my work and I find that even though I don't have writing on my mind all the time, when I do write, I am much more focused and I have more fun with my writing.

I know that's probably not the answer you're looking for, but for me, I just couldn't do a "day job" that I hated just to pay the rent. I had to go to something that I felt worthwhile and happy with to allow myself the psychological and mental space to write.

Tam
 

gothicangel

Toughen up.
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I'm currently unemployed, but intending to take advantage and get the last 20,000 words down on paper.

O yeah, and a little something called a dissertation. :D
 

Chris P

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My day job is pretty flexible. I eat lunch at work so I can write for the hour (or hour and ten minutes--shh! don't tell) when I have an idea burning.
 

unruley700

save us from sleep and what we are
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I quit my day job in November to focus on my writing career. Just kidding. Although that is what i told them. It just didn't seem appropriate to tell them the truth. Unemployed since...and lovin' it way more than I should
 

dangerousbill

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By the time I get to work - I'm very ready to write, and sketch, and take notes. I can't quite do that, seeing that I have a job to do.

I'm retired, but there are dozens of people who figure that because I am, my time is available to them anytime. So I tend to be tightly scheduled anyway. But someone on these forums is a mother of three kids under five, and still writes novels.

Suggest you invest in a voice recorder. Some cells phones and mp3 players allow voice recording. You just need to record teasers or keywords, and you'll remember the rest when you get to your computer later on.
 

Esmeralda

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I'm an administrative assistant in an investment firm. Busy all day. I take notes when ideas hit me and write on the weekends.
Cut my right forearm to the bone just before Christmas. 25 stitches and surgery to repair 4 slashed tendons. Currently in physical therapy, but still working. Everything just takes longer...much longer.
And yes, I'm right-handed.
 

Rowan

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I have a demanding job but I keep a little notebook at my desk for any stray thoughts / ideas. And I use my time on the treadmill (lunch) for plotting / planning. I do some of my most productive thinking while in the gym! :D
 

ryannj5

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I go through stages when it is nearly impossible for me to concentrate on anything other than the current writing project, and that's not very helpful when you owe 40 hours of your time elsewhere. As I'm driving to work, I get images and ideas, and "listen in" on my characters having an argument. By the time I get to work - I'm very ready to write, and sketch, and take notes. I can't quite do that, seeing that I have a job to do.

My brain is being torn in two opposite directions! :e2hammer:
I can definately relate. I work 45-plus hours per week and come home from work and write and on weekends usually devote 8 hours each day to writing but yet, its never enough time. Especially when there are so many good blogs to read.
 

Shringarey

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I am a consultant earning x $/day. Every time I take time off, I see those "lost x $". That was OK, because I would write to take my mind off "here and now problems". I write short stories. Writing about a character/action takes my mind off from "work issues". It worked well, as I never thought of publishng.

Since the last 4 months, I got hit by "publishing bug". So this is what I have done. I said I will work only 4 days a week across assignments. Three days are to myself, family and kids education. If a new assignment comes in, I quote a very high price. I have never got it. If I do get it, it OK I guess because then the money would be very high.

I have just started this schedule. Lets see how it works.
 

Jennasis

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A day job you say? My job is day, night, afternoons, and everything in between. I am a horseback riding instructor, horse trainer, and own/manage a large boarding farm (approximately 25 horses). The horses do not take a day off from eating and crapping and therefore I never get a day off either. The plus side is that I can usually set aside a few hours a day to devote to my writing.

Before I was knee deep in shit, I was a cameraman/editor at a large 24 hour cable news station in NY.
 

ganstream1

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Translator. I work 2 hours a day and spend the rest of the day writing. If I find myself unable to write, I'll do more work instead.
 

James_Senior

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Please don't judge me but I write, and I only write. People ask me, "why don't you get a job like normal people?" My only reply is, "I'm an artist! An artist doesn't work!"
 

SafetyDance

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I'm a stay-at-home mum to a three year-old. My husband works insane hours, so it's likely that I'll be at home for some time. The husband doesn't finish until midnight so I have long evenings to fill with writing :)

Before becoming the princess in the tower, I worked in an art gallery and taught English at high school. I've got asbsolutely no idea what I'd do if I went back to work (except from "no more teaching" :p).
 

SafetyDance

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Please don't judge me but I write, and I only write. People ask me, "why don't you get a job like normal people?" My only reply is, "I'm an artist! An artist doesn't work!"

I think people only judge when somebody says "I'm a writer," and what they technically mean is "unemployed" (ie, no writing sales and being paid by the state) :p
 
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