Writers! What do you do for a living (besides write)?

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Alex R. Encomienda, Nov 16, 2016.

  1. PBrady

    PBrady Active Member

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    Building manager, safety officer, radiation protection officer, leader of a large team of technicians and technical specialist within a University. I also get to go and help out on a dairy farm occasionally.
     
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  2. Historical Science

    Historical Science Contributor Contributor

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    Manage the wine department in a bigger liquor store. Hoping to move onto something else soon though.

    Happy Beaujolais Nouveau Thursday, anyone?
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2016
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  3. Alan Lincoln

    Alan Lincoln Active Member

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    I was a Prison Officer. It provided plenty of 'material' for my writing.
     
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  4. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Fangs also help.
     
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  5. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

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    I'm a student.
     
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  6. Scot

    Scot Senior Member

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    I spent 40 years working in some pretty unsavoury/exotic places around the world commissioning onshore and offshore oil and gas fields. I've met some utterly fantastic, unbelievably weird and downright dangerous people. I know whores and killers, men of God and men of none. I've drank with the best of them, and the worst. I've been jailed, shot at and robbed at knife-point. I've eaten food from a communal bowl in a tent at 40 degC and in a yurt at -40. I've ran from snakes, spiders and howling mobs.
    Somehow, I always managed to come home to my wife and family, without whom my mental health would be a lot worse than it is.
    I'm retired now and spend my time renovating an old house, visiting grandchildren, sailing and writing.
    My life is blessed.
     
  7. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Lots of grist for the writing mill, then?
     
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  8. Scot

    Scot Senior Member

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    Yup. I've written an unexpurgated autobiography to be passed on to my grandchildren when I pop my clogs. It's a work in progress as things come to mind. I've even had to email former colleagues and ask, "Did this really happen?" Madness, so many near misses. I'm lucky to be here.
     
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  9. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    One of my best friends wrote such an autobiography for her grandchildren (who are young adults now) and it's one of the most fascinating things I've ever read. She won't publish it, because she said she was honest and some people either still living or their offspring might not be pleased that she aired some family secrets. But it's certainly written to a publishable standard. She had copies printed and bound, so each of her grandchildren has one, complete with photos, etc. It truly is a treasure, as she lived an interesting life. Not quite as epic-filled as that of @Scot, but similar in some ways. She did a lot of different stuff.
     
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  10. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Federal Interpreter & Translator, USDOJ, District of Puerto Rico.
     
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  11. NoGoodNobu

    NoGoodNobu Contributor Contributor

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    I help manage & run my family's small ranch (like it's probably nothing like the romantic picture painted in your head at the word; it's impressive in that it's in a city and 5 minute drive to a major mall, so all my rich ritzy mansion friends are all dazzled by the drastic rural contrast, but any ranchers or farmers know it's merely a tiny little plot and nothing much to admire).

    In high school, I worked as a production assistant at Omation Studios (an offshoot of Nickelodeon) which was probably my favourite job—not for the work (as interesting as designating & filing visual effects, etc., was) but because they had unprovoked nerf gun wars and you could watch films/television on one screen while doing whatever duties on the other and so on. They had a video game console room, pinball machine, garage band & karaoke, a lounge with a stage, and random free snacks, clothes, comics, and whatever

    I find I'm inspired to ideas or stories when I'm constantly intellectually stimulated, when I should be learning one thing but I get distracted by the material in question and delve a direction different than the pre-arranged course (I've ADD) but I find I "write" (formulate the narrative sentences or the dialogues) when I'm doing mindless busy work and a peculiar mood comes over me.

    I don't fit time into a schedule; it tends to hit me or it doesn't.

    So still working on figuring out how to summon a muse on my time upon command, but she's a strong, independent goddess who doesn't like being told what to do. Also have never gotten a sandwich out of her, and—upon reflection—the request might have been what led to her not returning my calls. . .

    Food for thought (or lack thereof)
     
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  12. Optimism Senpai

    Optimism Senpai New Member

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    Attend high school and hack Super Mario World pretty much. I also play video games in my spare time if I'm given any time to do that.
     
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  13. TheWriteWitch

    TheWriteWitch Active Member

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    I started off in proofreading (for a tool company - as in should upright butt-welder be hyphenated or not), moved on to copywriting (for an insanely eclectic online retailer that sold such things as a stone goose statue that came with holiday-themed apparel), became a production editor (during the onset of ebooks), and then realized I loved creating the material more than adjusting the lay-out. Ugh.

    So, it seemed natural to go back to my second degree and start teaching. Again, ugh. After getting laid-off from teaching not once, not twice, but three times, I took the hint.

    The last lay-off happened when I was nine months pregnant, so I did some desperate searches on ye old internet and lucked onto a good freelance site. I started by editing people's thesis papers and then suddenly fell into fiction writing. Now I'm trying to balance stay-at-home-mother insanity (two toddlers, 2 & 4) with full-time ghostwriting. I finally feel like I'm on the right track and getting paid to practice my passion.

    My resume might look like road-kill but I count myself very, very lucky. :)
     
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  14. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Well, there won't be any SPAG errors in your stories, for sure. You're way ahead of the game on that one. :)
     
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  15. cydney

    cydney Banned

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    I work hard. But it's really no one's business what I do, right?
     
  16. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    It must be difficult being a CIA agent ;)
     
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  17. cydney

    cydney Banned

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    Oh my gosh, how did you know? Please don't tell anyone. :)

    Actually, I just have an obsession with internet privacy & take every opportunity to remind myself & anyone who wants to know. People are so fucking nosey. Oh well. Whatever.

    But this is just a thread to promote activity - I realize that. Just a little touchy. :superhello:
     
  18. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    Just lying arrouses less suspicion than refusing to say . I don't really work for the national trust, i'm actually a deniable operative for MI6 but obviously I wouldn't admit to that online....



    oh shit :D
     
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  19. cydney

    cydney Banned

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    Speaking of ... you know what really cracks me up? I read some of these threads & I KNOW it's like one or two people with a zillion accounts pretending to be other people & I'm thinking, now really, who do you think you're fooling? And then I remember what insanity looks like. Just another reason I don't fit in around here. I'm not crazy enough. :)

    However, I do like the writing prompts & the lounge.
     
  20. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    I opened the snail factory with @123456789, and you people said we were crazy.

    Today, ten years later, with our total investment in perimeter security, we provide you the juiciest supplies of king-size mollusc bites for takeaway, and for the street-vendor markets worldwide.

    ...
     
  21. cydney

    cydney Banned

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    I don't know who you are but if you did anything with who/whatever - you ARE crazy. Sorry dude.
     
  22. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    I have to ask are you really a self employed photographer called Daryl from the Talk photography forum ? I ask because on one of those threads over there he was saying in great detail that he runs a dating service for squirrels :)
     
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  23. FlyingGuppy

    FlyingGuppy Member

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    Snap. Narrative design for an indie. Formerly Activision.
     
  24. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    You know that you don't have to post if you're not interested, right?

    And that this thread is in the lounge...?

    (for what it's worth, I think you're absolutely crazy enough to fit in)
     
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  25. cydney

    cydney Banned

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    Thanks @BayView -- the ever-balanced one. :) Not sarcasm. I'm serious. But how in the heck do you stay that way?
     

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