I quit the day job! Dance with me!

MarlynnOfMany

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It’s been a long time coming. I get to take my best shot at living off my writing the way I’ve dreamed of since childhood. I’m not fooling myself that anything is guaranteed, but even if I end up having to get another day job down the road, I get to TRY, and that is a glorious thing.

I have a lot of different balls in the air in terms of income, including a Patreon that just went live. High hopes there (fingers crossed)! I try to be the kind of person that I’d want to follow myself — I share SFF writing and art, discuss what-ifs and generally have a fun time. I’ve found a sci-fi niche that I’ve loved since before it became A Thing: the “humans are weird” trope. Wow, there is a lot of fun to be had when humans are seen as the strange alien. I’ll be doing a lot more with that, and looking forward to it! Hopefully I can gather a number of like-minded folks interested in paying me monthly for the fun stuff.

No matter how this turns out, I will have a blast writing and drawing new things. *happy dance*
 

Anne_B

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I remember that feeling! (Although, full disclosure, the job quit me and moved a few states away.) Such a relief those first glorious months until I unwisely accepted a freelance research project that dragged on, and on, and ON. Learn from my mistake! Guard your creative time! Have halberds at the ready, and a posse of orcs on call!
 

MarlynnOfMany

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Thank you! I am doing my best in all regards. The Patreon is off to a slow start, but I know that I'm making good content, so hopefully more people will join up soon. Onward and upward!
 

mccardey

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Thank you! I am doing my best in all regards. The Patreon is off to a slow start, but I know that I'm making good content, so hopefully more people will join up soon. Onward and upward!
Asking as an old person - what are you expecting from the Patreon?
 

WeaselFire

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You didn't quit your day job, you chose a different day job. Stop dancing and get your butt back in that chair and write!

:)

Jeff
 

MarlynnOfMany

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Asking as an old person - what are you expecting from the Patreon?

I'm hoping for as much income as I can get, really. I'm keeping my expectations low, since I know that it's the kind of thing that works best when you have a huge fanbase just waiting for a chance to give you money. (And what doesn't work best with that?) But I've got enough people signed up in the first few days to pay half the water bill, and that's somewhere to start! Now I just have to keep making good stuff and entice more people to join. Most folks don't like to sign up for monthly payments without being fully confident that (A) it's content that they like and (B) it's a creator who they want to support. That's what the social media is for: free samples!
 

MarlynnOfMany

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You didn't quit your day job, you chose a different day job. Stop dancing and get your butt back in that chair and write!

Yessir! I wrote three short stories yesterday, for cross promotion with various creative friends, and I have more creativity on the schedule for today! Busy busy, but in a good way.
 

stephenf

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Hi
i have been supporting myself most of my life . In truth I am incompetent at most things and found it impossible to hold a job. I have learnt to be independent and use my money to maintain it , rather than enjoy a materialist life style . By living an alternative life I have become reativly wealthy by mistake . We are all facing difecult times , good luck.
 
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Naomi

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Wow. Living the dream - good luck and keep us posted on how you get on! Breaking down income into, "This pays for half the water bill," is a great idea. I would find that so motivating.
Keep writing and here's to you and being brave enough to take the leap.