No. However, it is also worth noting that I'm not trying to make writing my full time job. I'm not saying I would succeed even if I tried. But it definitely isn't going to happen without that effort.
here are some examples of 'the awful truth': http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090817080931AAisZlP http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/advancesroyalties.html http://authoritypublishing.com/writing-nonfiction/publishing-reality-most-ny-times-best-selling-authors-have-day-jobs/
This is a significant point as well. I have a friend who works 20 hours per week doing search engine evaluation work from home. He makes $20,000 per year and lives simply. The rest of the time, he is a freelance illustrator who makes peanuts from his art. So, he gets to dedicate a large portion of his time to his art. I work in risk analysis and insurance fraud detection. I work 50 hours per week. While my income is three times that of my artistic friend, I have significiantly less time to dedicate to my writing. For him, $20k is perfectly livable. For me, i need more. I have an MBA to pay off and I enjoy eating in restaurants and traveling. So the amount of money a person "needs" in order to write full time varies. How comfortable you live on that money varies. I, personally, would prefer a day job with the ability to buy a cigar on a whim to writing full time and having to go back to eating ramen. Other people may prioritize differently.
Personally, I'd love it. But it just doesn't seem realistic unless you're practically a famous author. Edgar Allen Poe tried it and essentially ended up in poverty with a heavy drinking habit. If it was possible it would be awesome though.
As my job description says technical writing, I'd say yes. But the actual writing is just a small part of it.
I write nearly 100 pages of technical project documentation per year as part of my job. That is work. Creative writing I consider to be more like painting, or making music in so much as it is done for personal growth, and probably shouldn't be motivated by money. But that is what works for me. I have to admit that it would be an ultimate form of flattery for someone to want to pay for it though... Cheers,
Haven't even made a blip in the bank account with my writing yet. Even if I get published, I'm definitely keeping my day job, if only to keep wearing these spiffy corporate power suits.
Even if I did get published, I would still keep my day job so that I can... A) Have finances that way, in case something goes wrong. B) Have something to do during the day. I'm a huge hermit, so if I decided to stay home and write all day, I'd develop depression from lack of human interactions, and likely die of bordeom.
Having a day job is not necessarily a bad condition that you have to put up with to be able to pay your bills. A day job, such as teaching English or writing for a newspaper, would be aligned with your passion for English and writing.
I would not want to be in a situation where I wasn't doing artistic things (work or hobby). However, I would also not want to be in a situation where I wasn't doing extreme techie things. Nor would I want to be in a situation where I wasn't doing scientific things.
One can hope, one can dream! Just don't give up your day job, as the famous quote goes But for me, I'd just like to see my name on the shelves. Fortunately at the moment, my day job is a freelance job, which leaves me with plenty of time. Few writers have that luxury.
I haven't made any money writing and if I did, I'd think that it wouldn't be enough to live on. I have heard and read that writers don't make a lot of money, only the rare exceptions. I'd rather have a steady day job over a meager, sporadic income. It's a dream, even with the knowledge that I could never make writing fiction my full time job, I would still love to have one of my stories published.
with what kind of writing are you making a living? ditto the question, mckk... if you don't mind saying...
I write fiction and obviously hope to be published, but as yet I don't make any money from that since I'm still working on my MS and even once finished, have no idea if it'll make the cut you know. My freelance job is English teaching in Prague - there're many adults and children who want/need private English lessons either one-to-one or in small groups. If I were on my own, my freelancing could make me enough to live on, just about, but the standard would be quite low. But since I'm married and my husband has a full-time job, it ends up being enough even to eat out occasionally and fly back to England to visit family etc But yeh, definitely couldn't do it without my husband. Freelancing is a little too uncertain to live on, I think, without a back-up.
I would never quit my day job unless I became the next J.K. Rowling or Stephen King career-wise. And honestly, I like having a steady income. I am in nursing school, and as a nurse, I can work as little or as much as I want. A part-time job as a nurse could pay me 30k/yr, enough to live on while still being able to dedicate my time to writing.
I don't really have a desire to quit my day job per se. I enjoy the corporate grind. I like wearing a suit to work and having lunch with people I intend to trample over on my climb to the top. I love meeting these people and interacting with them because that gives me more fodder for writing.
I would quit my job in a heartbeat if I was ever to make a substantial amount from writing, because I don't like routine. Making Money from writing would allow me to live how I want to, but I don't ever see that coming to fruition. I still can't even work out what makes a hit, when there are so many other books just as good that don't fair so well. Today I reached the final chapter of my first ever novel, and today it will be finished. I have no idea what I'll do next, but if nothing comes of it, I admit it'll really put me off writing.
Most of writing is routine. Sitting at the computer, typing, or whatever is your preferred choice; for hours, days, weeks. First draft, revisions, rereading, editing. Yes, you get to choose in which order to type those letters, but there's a lot of routine in it anyway.
I don't see it as routine. Maybe because I enjoy it, but I don't have any set times that I write, no days on, no days off. I write when I feel like it, it's a hobby really. A hobby I've enjoyed.
