Advice for a First Time Author

I've put this in "general writing" because it's the only place I can think that's appropriate for this - I considered "insights and inspiration" but it's essentially the opposite of that so - what I'm saying here is, if you need to move it, please do.

I've been considering putting my writing aside for the last few days. Not because I don't enjoy it, or because I don't want to be a writer, but because I don't know what I want. I'm studying history to be a secondary-school teacher, and the idea was always to keep writing in my spare time and if it could ever earn enough to become a secondary source of income, great. If not, it would just be a continuing quest to get published and have people read my work at the very least. I'm not in it for the money or any kind of reward, but I love doing it. Love doing it. And so recently I considered shifting my focus entirely to writing, doing as much as possible to get my book finished with the new goal of becoming a Writer (and maybe teaching in the background once I've got my degree). Unrealistic aspirations, I know. But that led to me thinking - do I really want to teach? And that led to thinking - do I really want to write?

The answer is yes. But write what? I've tried horror, fantasy, screenplays, and I don't know what my endgame is. I love films. Love them. Do I want to be a film writer? I don't know. Love books. Do I want to focus on prose? I don't know. The problem is - the REAL problem is - I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M HEADED.

What's the point in writing, if I don't know what I want to do with it? I don't know if my writing's good enough to get me published. I don't know if I'll ever be an Author. I love writing, but can I write? I don't know. And I'm 19. I should be focusing on university, right? I need a stable job. A degree. It doesn't matter if I can get my book finished in the next three months, what's the point if it's not good enough to get published?

This is a very long-winded post, thanks for sticking with me so far. I'll get to the point soon, promise.

I asked my dad today what he thinks I should do. I don't have many people I can talk to about this sort of thing. He said - basically - that at this stage of my life yes, I should focus on education. I have "a huge imagination and some talent" (notice the word "some") and his closing question was "How many make it in any form of art straight away?"

So no surprises, that was pretty discouraging. It was helpful, it was honest, and it was probably what I needed to hear. He basically told me the truth - I'm young, and I need to focus on realistic goals until I've achieved something stable. All this means that I'm stuck, now, thinking do I really want to give up on writing? Or even take a break from writing? No, of course not! I mean, the pros of focusing on my degree are fairly obvious. The pros of writing? I love it.

Stable job? Degree. Stable income? Degree. Opportunities for the future? Degree.

Unstable future? Writing. Shattered dreams? Writing.

I'm stuck. I don't know what to do. I know, in reality, I should give up on writing, or at least take a break from it until I'm older. It's an unrealistic dream. But I don't know if I can give up. I need to, but I don't want to. I really don't.

What do I do? Anyone who's ever been in a situation even remotely like this, anyone who's ever struggled to know where they're going or what they're doing or why they're even bothering, please talk to me. I need advice, sage wisdom, constructively-worded insults to kick me up the arse and get me on the right path. I just need to know what the right thing to do is.

Thanks to anyone who stuck this out. Any advice at all, please throw it at me. I'm desperate.

What do I do?

 

At 19? I agree that everyone wants to 'do what they love'. Get the 'business' out of the way first. Choose a degree with some-bang-for-the-buck, and just get it done. Do minor or additional degrees later for something specific when you have more perspective. That is an actual plan. As far as your writing, just keep making notes and getting ideas down, in the moments between academic life, until you're ready to attack. Set yourself some me-time for writing each day, so you won't forsake it. YT documentaries on in the background 24/7 so you'll absorb (subliminally) material to feed the beast that is your creativity. Set yourself up to experience some facet of what you want to write about. At 19? Set yourself up. That's a plan.

 

Focus on school. Write in your spare time because you want to. Enjoy it as a hobby. Let it flourish as a treasure. As someone with serious regrets/parent-directed-bitterness in regards to school, my advice is to go to school now. It's so much harder later on. It's possible, but it's a lot harder. If you live at home especially, take advantage while you can. Writing will not go anywhere. School will not prevent you from writing. In fact, can you take some writing classes at school as part of your degree? If you are going to be a teacher, I imagine your schooling has oodles of writing involved. Work on your writing that way. Let it grow. Write in ways that perhaps aren't the most fun for you but teach you things. Maybe you should consider being an English teacher instead of History, or even do a double major, broaden the old horizons.

 

Here's the realistic advice that everyone hates, but it's true. The overwhelming majority of writers have to have a day job to pay the bills because writing simply doesn't pay well. There are some exceptions, but even big name authors often have to work non-writing jobs to survive. That means, focus on getting an education and a worthwhile degree first, then if you have time to write, go ahead. Now here's another bit of reality. History is one of the worst degrees you can get. There are no jobs. There are more graduates every year than there are available positions. It's like anthropology, it's one of the worst degrees you can get if you want to be successful. Check out the Occupational Outlook statistics over at the BLS. It's pretty bleak for historians. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/

 

You don't have to give up writing or even take a break from it to pursue your degree. If you really want to change your degree to something related to writing ask your school counselor what sort of degrees coincide with your passion. If you don't want or can't have such a degree keep writing your stories while working on your current one.

Everyone keeps a hobby on the side, even through college. Sometimes it's partying, sometimes it's fixing a car, and sometimes it's writing. Why can't you do both?

ETA: Don't worry about what genre/media you write for; just write the stories that are in your mind and work on "perfecting" them. I put "perfecting" in quotes because artists are our own worst critic, and I doubt any of us really feel like what we do can be perfect.

 

The eternal question - when to persist or desist...

 

Thanks to everyone who's replied so far you're all so helpful. Honestly you're all telling me exactly what I didn't want to hear but it's what I need to hear! Priorities are important and at this point I guess I need to focus on the things that'll give me stability and opportunity. If I can, I'll keep writing, even if it's a hobby forever and never comes to anything. But it looks like a pretty resounding vote for focusing on a career that can actually lead somewhere and I think that as unpleasant as that is to realise reality is what it is and I basically need to get a bit more of a grip! Thank you again.

 

You can take breaks from school if your life allows that. Take a semester off, get a part-time job, save some money and focus on writing for the summers if you can. Just don't put the breaks on school entirely. If you can't take a semester off, maybe consider a smaller caseload for one semester. There is some wiggle room. And there are probably things that will happen in school, people you will meet and things you will learn that will inspire your writing.

 

Most writers don’t make a living from their own writing. (As opposed to writing assigned by others.)

I see zero reason for that fact to stop you from writing. Sure, you’re going to need a day job. Hopefully it will be a day job you enjoy. But that’s not a reason to stop writing.

 

I would say, keep a journal for your ideas, any random thing, just write it down.

focus on your career and get a stable footing in the field you wish to go into, it won't be your end point, but it's important to have a steady starting point to adventure out from. Get a job, and once you are established, or have a good rhythm going, write... but remember, write for yourself first. Use the journals to form your notes and then your synopsis to go off of as you write.

and again, write for yourself first, once you have a nice draft, rough, etc. Then rewrite it again and again, then share it with us so we can tear it apart. . Then rewrite it.

taking it from me, it is something you need to hear, something I wish I heard back in the day. Instead my head was filled with garbage and delusions. Like a said, get a stable footing then do writing in your free time. At this moment in time, your resume is more important than your writing, as far as the real world is concerned. But that doesn't mean abandon nor stop writing, always be doing that in your free time.

 

Going for a career is sensible and keep writing as a hobby (with potential)

But do you need to know where your headed? Why not just sit back and let writing take you were it wants to take you. Try writing a screen play for TV or theatre. Try different aspects of writing. Finish your degree. You can always take side classes later. My local uni does joint degree and history with Creative writing is an option later on.

 

@The Piper


I see people in this thread giving you good advice. It's really good advice--advice you should meditate on. Advice you should really, truly take to heart.


I'm going to give you different advice.


You're young. I don't say that lightly, or with any sort of haughty, looking-down-on-you sort of tone. It's a blessing. What's more, you're a university student. You have, at your disposal, right now, more freedom than you will likely have ever again in your life. You have time on your side--but it won't be that way forever. No matter what you chose, the best advice anyone can give you right now is to hurl yourself at whatever you choose with every ounce of your passion and determination. Gather your grit, find a direction, and head for it like a hungry beast. Find something, stick to it, and destroy it with competence. Learn to be competent. WHAT to be competent in is up to you, but you have three years of university time left to gather skills. Don't waste it! Do you have any idea how deadly you would be if you devoted every waking hour of your free time to learning how to write for the next three years? What if you read one book on writing every month? What if you honestly did that? You have no idea how absolutely, insanely good at writing you would be. Alternatively, apply that same logic to your degree. It doesn't matter what you decide to pursue, what matters is how you decide to pursue it. The answer to that is: with every fiber of your being.

That's okay. Really. You don't have to know where you're headed, and in some sense, no one ever really does. There is no right answer. The only thing resembling a 'right' answer is to choose a direction and throw yourself at it. Tackle it with everything you've got. Learn. Whether you choose school or writing, learn what it takes to excel at it. You're not a good writer? That's okay, you probably haven't dumped thousands of hours into learning to write. You know what would fix that? Dumping thousands of hours into learning how to write. You could be a good writer, just like you can be a good university student, if that's what you want. Choose a direction and hurl yourself at it with all your might. It's not a permanent choice. You can change it any time, and you'll probably have to. That's okay.


More importantly.


Nothing in this world is stable. Nothing. Not jobs, not career paths, not life. Some things are more stable than others, I guess, but nothing is so stable that you should rely on it entirely. You learn that when someone you love dies. Tragically. In front of you. If you're looking for security, that's the wrong thing to look for. If you're trying to please your father, or your family, that's the wrong thing to do. You should be looking for meaning. You have a moral obligation to pursue what is meaningful to you: what you love to do.


You have until you graduate to get really, really, really good at something. Choose something, and get so good at it that it blows your peers away.


I was in your shoes, once. I chose to stay in university. But I didn't give up any creativity--not when people told me to, and not when I told myself to. I found time for it, in little places here and there. I kept the flame alive. I got my degree, and I'm glad I did. It didn't get me a job, but it taught me what I didn't want to do. I used that degree to go abroad, to live in foreign lands, and learn even more lessons--about myself, about other people. Then I came home, and started a business. I didn't want a normal job, and I didn't want to sit at a desk. So, I made something new for myself. And it worked. The degree didn't help with that, but the process of getting the degree did. It made me competent. Competent enough to work for myself. Now I work four hours a day, at something I created, bringing happiness to people, and make enough money to live comfortably. I spend the rest of the day creatively. It's very nice, and I'm very lucky.


Finally,

I don't know. No one in this forum knows what you should do. They know what's worked for them, or what they wish they'd done instead. They can give you advice, stories, share their wisdom--they have a lot of it. But part of being an adult is realizing that nobody knows what you should do any better than you. And you already know what to do, if you'll only admit it--if you'll only be brave enough to listen to yourself. If you'll only dispense with trying to do what you 'think' is right, and instead focus on what you already know you ought to be doing.


How diligent are you? How hard are you willing to work? How much of your precious YouTube browsing, video game playing, time-wasting behavior are you willing to sacrifice? You have to make a sacrifice some day, you know. You don't get to avoid it, and if you try, it'll be the worst possible sacrifice you can imagine. But if you do it consciously, at least YOU get to choose what it is. Are you going to sacrifice writing? University? Or maybe something else?


Think hard. Really. Go sit out under the stars and think about what you want. Take the next month to go over what options you have, and what you're capable of. Try to get to the bottom of yourself. Decide what you want to get absurdly competent at--you get to decide that, by the way, so that's fun. Then activate that beast mode, and rampage towards it.


You'll thank yourself in five years for that kind of determination.

 

If you wait to start a career, you may be screwed. Employers look at years spent without a job negatively.
If you wait to start writing, you'll be fine. And you'll have more experiences to use when writing.
But don't stop writing, if you enjoy: treat it as a hobby.
Sometimes, it's people's hobbies that bring them success in the long run.

 

At nineteen, you have decades to develop a serious ambition in writing. "Some talent" is plenty enough talent to work with. Trust it, harness it, work with it, don't give it up. You don't need to be a 'great artist' to craft great imaginative stories well - in ways that get your reader turning the page. That's a skill, and most skills can be learned with sufficient study and application. Great imagination, I think less so.

My own thinking is that most success in any field is a mixture of a modest amount of talent, combined with a lot of work, and sufficient luck / good fortune / right place right time / knowing the right people. Time is hugely in your favour with the latter.

Definitely do your degree. Degree level study is valuable in so many ways. It forces your brain to work, to learn how to think, to observe, to research, to argue, to analyse, to reason, to pay attention. All things that will be useful in writing. History especially so, there's a lot of story telling in history. History is basically one big story book. Apply the skills developed from your academic discipline, creatively. They can only make you better.

I quit art in my late teens because I couldn't imagine having a successful career in art. Entered education, worked in a variety of areas that I've enjoyed or not enjoyed so much. Twenty five years later, I've picked it up again, finally. I was all or nothing too back then, I've mellowed now. Wish I'd kept it up. How much better would I be now, if I hadn't abandoned it as a hobby? No idea.

Do your degree, keep writing, enter your chosen field, keep writing. Enjoy it all. Good luck.

 

Also, if you haven't, you should read Stephen King's On Writing. Basically the first third to a half of his book is about writing as a kid, getting rejection slips, going to university, writing, getting rejection slips, getting married, working in a laundry, writing, receiving rejection slips, working as a teacher, just about making enough money to raise a family, writing, receiving rejection slips. And then he writes Carrie, and it gets published, eventually. He doesn't make a big deal of it, but it is a lesson in patience and endurance.

 

And if you haven't chosen a field, think about fields that might fuel your writing.
Not an MFA or anything like that: that might tune your writing engine, but it won't provide the fuel. A field that puts you in the thick of what you want to write about.
And not a field you hate, either: Even if it pays well, having a job you hate can suck the life out of you, robbing you of the vitality you need to write.

Me, I've had two very different careers so far (went back to college for a graduate degree when I was almost 50) and both provide fuel for my writing.

 

Why not an MFA? I think an MFA is a great thing for writers. I got plenty of "fuel" from being in my program. People always say to study something more practical and write on the side. Well, I don't really buy into that school of thought. I say study what you love, what you want to do. For me, that was writing. And I will say I don't think I stood much of a chance at any sort of success had it not been for getting an MFA. I also had a writing degree from undergrad. And I was a writer after that. I think people stand a better chance at reaching their dreams if they're actually reaching for them. If I had studied something else and thought I had to be something else, I don't think I would be much of a writer. Your education is an investment in your future. What sort of future do you want? I get that the OP is young, but I see no reason to not put what you really want at the center of your life and really go for that. Another thing to keep in mind is that there are plenty of people studying writing and they are probably going to graduate knowing a lot more about writing and be a lot more prepared than those who studied other things. A lot of people like to take jabs at the whole MFA thing, but it was the best thing I could have done for myself. It changed my life. And I am a writer.

 

I remember when I was pregnant with my first child and I thought: you know, I just need to put creative writing to the side for a while.
It was primarily because I didn't want to write at that period of time. If it was something I was interested in doing while going through everything else, then I would have kept at it. Perhaps not frequently or very successfully at all but I'd still be pining after my writing dreams and making attempts. Instead I felt a desire to "forget" about writing for a while and pick it back up some time in the future when I felt ready again. So, I think you are the one that has to answer your question. Do you want to put writing on hold?

 

Do you keep in touch with the other people in the programs you got your degrees in?
How are they doing?

 

History should be an easy major to double major with. If OP was into that idea.

MFA... Okay it can seem a little frivolous but there are jobs that call for that. Teaching is the only thing that comes to mind.... Honestly, I have a BA in creative writing and wouldn't dream of a master's in it. It's not the smart choice for most and at this point if I'm throwing money and time into more classical education it would be for something with a big financial benefit. I'm glad that others can pursue it though. My BA is useful enough though and think it was a good choice.

 

You can always write, no matter what. And if writing really matters to you (not 'being a writer' but actually writing, whether anybody buys it or not) you will continue to write. To learn, to improve, to create stories that you want to tell.

However, what you can't control is what will happen to these stories. Will you get published? Will you make money? Will you become such a popular author that writing will become your real job? Those are not certainties. You can only create the work and get it out there in some way and see what happens.

Meanwhile, you need to be able to earn a living. And it's interesting that MOST writers who get published have regular jobs and keep them, too—even after they are published. Needing to work your writing schedule in around a job can actually be a plus. It makes your writing time more precious, and less likely to be wasted by procrastination, etc. You will look forward to writing, because it's something YOU want to do. Nobody is forcing you to do it. Your next meal doesn't hinge on selling it.

However, you also asked, "Do I want to teach?" Teaching is NOT easy. It's probably not the kind of job you want, if you cherish the idea of coming home from work and getting stuck into your creative writing. Teachers need to put in a lot of work outwith the school day. So consider that very carefully. If you're having doubts, listen to them. Think about other career choices, where you could apply what you've already been studying, etc.

I'm speaking as a person who did get a teaching certificate, and discovered, shortly afterwards, that I really didn't like teaching. I decided in high school that I wanted to become a teacher, because, hey, I saw teachers every day. I thought I knew what the job was like, I liked kids, I liked my subject. Seemed like a logical thing to do. I did well at college, won a couple of scholarships, graduated high in my class, did very well at my teacher placement. But when it came down to the nitty gritty, I felt very much out of my depth in front of a classroom. It just wasn't 'me' after all. I wish now that I'd pursued something else at college. I did quit teaching after my first year, and found other kinds of employment for the rest of my working life—which I enjoyed very much—but I never used my degree.

 

I have more than one degree and don't have a stable job. I'm not saying ignore your education, because that's the opposite of how I feel, I'm just saying, nothing in life is guaranteed.

 

It sounds like you're assuming that the most normal career for a published writer--having a day job and also writing--is impossible. But it's not only not impossible, it is indeed normal. Writing just doesn't pay that well in our society.

Now, there are still decisions to make. Ideally, you'll have a day job that you enjoy, maybe even a day-job career that you enjoy, but one that also leaves you some mental and physical energy for your writing. Ann Patchett, for example, has often discussed the fact that teaching consumed all her time and mental energy, while waitressing consumed all her physical energy.

So my two pieces of advice are:

1) Keep writing.

2) Don't assume that you can pursue a degree and day job that you find dreary, and get all your personal fulfillment from the writing. I chose the wrong career, out of an excess of practicality. (Nothing to do with writing.) Looking back, I can see that there were classes that I found fascinating AND that could have led me to a career, but since those possible careers weren't the most stable and best-paying ones, I just regarded them as a treat in the middle of my "real" education. That was a mistake. Don't ignore practicality, but don't ignore everything else, either.

 

I do keep in touch with them. And I do believe I'm one of the few that does not have an agent or a book coming out. Some of them went onto PhD writing programs. Pretty much everyone is and has published. I do know that one of the girls went onto something unrelated to writing, and I don't know if she is still writing. But, for the most part, everyone from my program is a writer. I'm not saying that people need to get an MFA, but the degree is not useless. And, yes, people do graduate standing a better shot at publishing than the probably did before. For me, it would have been a huge mistake to study anything else both when it comes to an MFA and my undergrad studies.