The Un-balance

*sigh*

You get a lot more done with writing (and your education) if you spent less time posting and more time writing.

And before you think that this is a personal slam directed at you, it isn't. I've said the same thing to legions of young writers who are still in school--less posting, more writing.

That's the best way to accomplish your goals. Seriously.

As for the science part--ANY subject will help your writing in the long run. If you have a love for science, then by all means pursue it. It doesn't mean a career in writing fantasy is doomed--not by a long stretch. A publisher isn't going to care what your background is in academia overall--they want a good, well-written manuscript.

And the best way to make your writing shine? Less posting, more writing. Seriously, the more you write, the more you'll learn about it and the better you'll get.

Less posting, more writing. Get off the internet, sit down at the keyboard, and WRITE something. You'll feel better.

I had this problem two years ago, balancing writing and music, what I love, with chemistry and math, which I hate and which suck my soul. Basically, I just realized that chem and math weren't gonna take me anywhere but to a college of my choice one day, so I worked hard enough to get Bs, but I didn't freak out because of the occasional C.

Now, I'm studying humanities next year at college, so basically my struggles with this are over, but your writing career is hardly doomed. Go ahead and get yourself a career, and use any spare time you can to write. It's been done many, many times. If you like bio, math, physics, chem...there's nothing wrong with studying that instead of writing.

And everything enhances your writing. It's an area of expertise...you can apply that to your fantasy stories, even if only subtly.

Studying writing doesn't necessarily make anyone a good writer and it doesn't help you get published. Look at all the people like Oliver Sacks who is a physician and who has written a ton of non-fiction books or Alexander McCall Smith who is a lawyer-bioethicist and who has written the best-selling series the Number One Ladies Detective Agency and a three other series. Plus, if you want to make a living freelancing, a degree in science can get your foot in the door to some higher paid corporate/newsletter/medical education work. I never had an English class beyond college freshman English. I have a master's degree in biology. This has allowed me to make a living doing bioscience writing, but when I submit to magazines or submit fiction no one cares what my educational background is. All that matters is the quality of the work on the page.

Virector said:

none of these subjects are helping my writing,

Click to expand...

This is where you are wrong. Like, completely wrong.

The fantastic, wonderful, amazing thing about writing is that EVERYTHING YOU LEARN contributes to it. You're studying math, chemistry, physics, and biology... and you think that WON'T help you write fantasy? You think that won't help you create more realistic, believable worlds? You think the things you learn about the physical world won't give you some amazing story ideas? Er... okay. Right.

Will publishers take you less seriously? Heck no, particularly in the area of sci fi and fantasy. SOOOOO many sci fi authors are or were actual scientists.

It didn't bother Issac Asimov.

You know, Virector, I love science, and I am probably going to pursue a career in science when I grow up, but that doesn't mean my writing is doomed. I learnt a lot about writing by reading good, witty, well written scientific non-fiction. Two things that I learnt a lot from reading scientific articles - one, how to make good analogies; two, how to write abstract concepts in concrete terms. No way did it not help my writing.

And I have finished my first draft of my MG novel, in a month, despite only have an hour and a half per day to spend on it.

I was never much of a science person, but I loved Bio 101 and now I see and read things with an understanding I didn't have before. Ditto for math, even though it eats my head. I cannot think of a single class that has not in some way informed my writing, even if I'm not writing about those subjects.

And as my best friend the English prof. says: "the value of a liberal arts education is not in remembering specific facts but in learning to think critically." The difference between the way my brain worked before I finished my degree (only 25 years after starting it) and how I process things now is astounding. So she's right. Again.

I think that one trait all writers have in common is insatiable curiosity. Anything you study can help you in your writing. Everything you read and learn can help you grow. Knowledge is a wonderful thing. Sciences would be so helpful in creating believable science fiction and fantasy.

Enjoy every opportunity you get to understand our world a little better.

...Though, if you don't love bio, chem, etc, why study them?
I did in school. I switched out in college; but the difference I'm seeing is that I loved school level bio, chem, physics, and math, and would have stayed in molecular cell biology if I hadn't had allergy problems in lab.

If you hate them, you're not going to make a good career in them. So why not study what you love?

If you can, get a decent education in whatever interests you. You might love writing now, but you probably don't yet have to live on your earnings and you probably don't yet have anyone to support. Who knows how you'll feel later?

Getting an education doesn't prohibit you learning to write, or publishing. If you have an alternative vocation then you always have something you can fall back on - and more than that, the more non-writing stuff you do the more life experience you get.

Most importantly, a good education will teach you to ask questions, to think methodically and to be confident in researching, finding answers and expressing them. It won't get in the way of you writing - that comes down to how much time you spend writing.

I believe that your publishers will be less concerned about who you are (other than your reliability) and be more concerned about what you've written.

I finished my first novel while working full time and in college full time. And everything I learned in both places contributed to my writing. Even if your education doesn't specifically apply the the study of writing, it definitely contributes. Everything you learn does. Writers are in a--almost--unique position that way; we have to know tons of seemingly useless crap from an astonishing number of fields. It all helps. For us, life in general is research. Going to WalMart is research. Sitting in the coffee shop, working as dishwasher, etc... Why should school be any different?

Seriously, consider how much money you will be content making. Do you feel you have to have all the toys, or can you live frugally? If you can live poor, study whatever you want. I went with English, German and Music. I work a mediocre job with a very mediocre salary, but I have plenty of time to write. No regrets.

Of course, the Bohemian life is tough if you want a family. Families like luxuries, like eating regularly.