If it's not too personal....

Serious Desi · Oct 26, 2009

What's your job besides writing?

Are you a full time writer?
Teacher?
Mother/ Father?
Part time waitress/ waiter?
Lawyer?
Nanny?
Are you Bill Gates?

I'm roving around the internet trying to discover what I can do that's more stable than writing, Plan B.
I really want to write, but I'm not sure if I want to spend my soul in loans for a creative writing class.

And when you first started out what were your goals, ambitions, expectations?
And if you did, what did you major in? How did you get where you are now?

willietheshakes · Oct 26, 2009

I'm a lifelong bookseller and promiscuous reviewer, a negligent father and piss-poor husband.

I majored in English -- I started off in Creative Writing, but didn't have a taste for it.

Terie · Oct 27, 2009

Technical writer. Fell into it while still working on my degree (going to school at night while working full-time at a bank). Good money for writing if you can find it, but these days, they're shipping the jobs overseas (because, when you're struggling to make something work, what you really want is instructions written by someone with no grasp of English grammar, isn't it?) and the few left hiring are looking for either experience or academic qualifications in technical communication. But still, corporate writing is a good place to look; you don't know what you'll find until you try.

Linda Adams · Oct 27, 2009

Are you a full time writer?

No. I do PowerPoint presentations and audio visual support.

And when you first started out what were your goals, ambitions, expectations?

I wanted to write full time. But I didn't realize it at the time, but I wanted to write novels. I didn't realize that all writing isn't quite the same. A relative went practical on me and suggested screenplays, so I wrote a ton of screenplays, none of which got accepted. I ended up burning myself out for two years. Once I came back, I continued to write in all different areas. As a result, my writing credits are so all over the map I can't even use them in query letters.

And if you did, what did you major in? How did you get where you are now?

I majored in accounting (numbers are so not for me), threatre, journalism, and broadcast journalism, ending up with a major in general ed. I've only had two creative writing classess--one in high school, and one in college. The one in college was worthless. Then I joined the army, which is truly how I got where I am. They were prepared to offer me a journalism job, and I turned it down. I couldn't explain why at the time, but I know know I would have hated it.

ejaycee · Oct 27, 2009

I'm only 15, so I haven't majored in anything. But I am a web designer/developer, I'm studying art and music and I go to a writer's group every wednesday, with the additions of various other interests.
I can do all this because I'm home-schooled.

kaitie · Oct 27, 2009

I'm currently a teacher, though I have a master's degree in psychology and probably won't be able to continue teaching when I get back to America because of it. Goodness knows what I'll do then.

I love my job, though, in part because it allows me time to write. I've been doing this so long that my lessons are all planned out in advance and I have to put very little time into preparation. That means I've got at least a couple of hours every day that I can write.

I might be way off on this, btw, but I wouldn't recommend majoring in creative writing to be a writer. Major in something else and take a class or two. Personally, I was never fond of them to begin with. That's probably because I'm not someone who likes to follow "rules" when it comes to writing, and in a class setting, often everything is judged by the rules you're placed under. I just don't like constrictions. On the other hand, I picked up a few good things, and workshops are fantastic.

Majoring in something else will not only give you something to fall back on, but also give you experience in other fields and areas, which will round out your writing.

trocadero · Oct 27, 2009

Teacher. Started Law - hated it. Completed a three year program in Performing Arts. finished an Arts Degree in Media and French. Teaching Graduate program. Started psych - hated it. Fell into teaching middle school - love it but would rather be writing full time. I didn't really start writing til my youngest was about 2.

Wayne K · Oct 27, 2009

I've done so many things that I have no idea what I am. I drove a New York City taxicab on and off for 20 years, but that was always between jobs. I worked in bars and clubs when I was young, then I worked supervising frieght at the convention center for a while. My last job was painting houses. I'm real good at it, but I can't do it anymore because of a back injury.

All I do now is write. So money or not, that's what I am.

KTC · Oct 27, 2009

I'm the one who puts the red stripes on the candy canes. I always wanted to make the world a better place. Red stripes certainly help me to fulfill that goal.

Thump · Oct 27, 2009

I did a B.A. in English studies to both better my grasp of English and because I wanted to work in publishing. I completed a Master's degree in Publishing in September and now I'm temping at Reed Elsevier to get experience and hopefully a foot in the door. I'm in England, btw, but you can find publishing courses in the US too, I almost went to NYU actually. It's a very competitive business, hard to break into and doesn't pay very well but being a writer too helps.
It might kill your soul a little though

But I'm enjoying the work and I find that it's given me a much better idea of how to write something that might sell just because I had a chance to look at the slush pile at a big children's publisher as well as read their requested manuscripts (heh, I actually had the power to decline on a manuscript even though I was just an intern, they trusted me because of my degrees, education is good for you!).

Wiskel · Oct 27, 2009

I'm a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

My energies since GCSEs have all gone into scientific subjects and my medical training. I've no qualifications relevant to writing beyond GCSE english and english lit (20 years ago now), but I have a job where I meet lots of people and a lot of experience of trying to sort out their problems.

I've a pretty busy job that includes clinical work and management, and work 9-5 plus some evenings and weekends covering emergencies.

My hobbies are about as far away from my job as possible so I'm lucky to be able to say that thinking about stories and writing don't feel like work. The downside is that because writing is a hobby it doesn't get the time I'd like to spend on it.

Freelancer · Oct 27, 2009

Full time writer / graphic artist. On this week, I'm running in writer mode, but it's mostly depending on my mood and the requests.

TrixieLox · Oct 27, 2009

Full-time journalist / web editor. Have always wanted to write so my whole career path has been dictated by this desire. I basically get to interview people, go to events, write and sub articles alllll day long (then write some more in the evenings when working on my novels)...

Pepper · Oct 27, 2009

Serious Desi said:
I'm roving around the internet trying to discover what I can do that's more stable than writing, Plan B.

My personal advice is to do whatever it is that you think you can handle. Don't think that you have to spend 4+ years in uni for a "Plan B" job. I used to work in a cake shop (kitchen duties only- I made the cakes) and still long for it now, years after I left. It was average pay, but it was a stable wage and a stable job. I went to work knowing exactly what was expected of me for each shift and there was never a shortage of work to do. Best of all, it didn't ignite the creative juices whatsoever, so when I got home from work, all I wanted to do was WRITE.

Find a job that you're comfortable with. Of course it should also give you enough money to live off. If you're truly passionate about writing, don't believe that you can find a "Plan B" job that is equally fulfilling. Work so you can write.

My humble (drunk, tired and rambling) opinion.

gothicangel · Oct 27, 2009

Full time Scottish Lit student and part time waitress.

Calla Lily · Oct 27, 2009

HIV research, the forms and data side.

In the past, I've been a nun, an English teacher, a typesetter, a Direct Marketing copywriter, and various versions of CS rep/inside sales/retail.

scarletpeaches · Oct 27, 2009

I'm a cryptozoologist.

YAwriter72 · Oct 27, 2009

Business and Marketing Manager for a trade publication.

My degree is in Business Administration and I did full charge bookkeeping for 12 years first. I love my job and plan to keep working where I am even if I get a 6 figure advance (Ok Ok, I'm up off the floor now, LOL) My benefit package is amazing and not one I could give up. I'm the primary breadwinner and the hubs works P/T.

Never had planned to be a writer, but discovered I had a knack for it a year and a half ago.

Maryn · Oct 27, 2009

I'm the last stay-home mom in North America. Odd, because the kids no longer live here. In the old days, I worked various office jobs, all of them beneath me. It's no small source of pride that at every single one, they hired two people to replace one me.

Maryn, making cookies and costumes today

Gemnyc · Oct 27, 2009

I’m a real estate novelist (thank you Mr Billie Joel) spending time showing apartments in the city and writing on the subways and in parks between appointments. It is commission based, so I have to put the work in to make money, but it also affords me a flexible schedule if there is a conference I want to go to or I’m on a hot writing streak. I love my job, I meet lots of fun characters and get inspired but different parts of the city. I find that I need the job to get me out the house and amongst people - otherwise I would just write and be a hermit!

Previously, I worked in HR and have a degree in Psychology and Management. I did take a creative writing course at University, but it sucked the fun out. My teacher said my writing was too dramatic and she didn’t like fantasy. So that put me off for ten years - but I always wanted to write, I just lost my confidence. Now I self teach by buying writing books, reading threads on AW and other internet sites. The fun is officially back.

CaroGirl · Oct 27, 2009

I majored in English and journalism. And then I discovered you can't get a job with an English degree and my personality is tragically unsuited for journalism. So I fell into technical writing. It's good money when you can find work but it can be more boring than watching Monday night curling.

If I could win the lottery and write fiction full time, I would. But I guess to win the lottery you have to buy a ticket, so I guess I'm doomed in that regard.

MGraybosch · Oct 27, 2009

Serious Desi said:
What's your job besides writing?

I work as a programmer, specializing in databases. I got into computers because I knew I wouldn't be able to hack it as a professional musician, and I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to do for a living.

Red-Green · Oct 27, 2009

I majored in English then got an MFA, and I knew all along I'd need a backup plan to be able to write. I opted for a series of fairly low-effort secretarial jobs. That's still what I do--I'm a secretary for an academic department at a university. The job only takes me about 20 hours a week to do, and I spend the other 20 hours writing. So, unwittingly, my employer pays me to write.

seun · Oct 27, 2009

I work in the cataloguing and acquisitions department of a library. Which is nice.

icerose · Oct 27, 2009

I'm a mother and a writer. Screenwriting specifically is where I've made all my money. I hope it continues and I also hope my novel side picks up soon. I have a book I need to edit badly, one that is out on submission, two that are WIP and the rest of my finished novels are trunk novels. They were the poor things that had to endure my steep learning phase.

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