I’m sure
everyone realizes that an academically engaging setting such as a University
can be a haven for young writers. Being
surrounded by books day in and day out is something I definitely enjoy, and as
young writers reading this post, I’m sure that you do as well. However, once graduation comes, most of us
will be thrown out into the real world.
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| ...yup. |
With a pen in
hand and a smile on your face, you will dance toward this new environment with
great expectations. There is nothing
wrong with this move. However, you’d
do well to prepare yourself for an uphill battle.
The fact is that
most authors don’t make their living from writing alone. What this means is that you will need to hold
down some kind of employment during the day to pay the bills. This lifestyle probably won’t lead to riches
right off the bat, so don’t expect to be on the Fortune 500 list if you choose
this career path.
Until you score
that international book deal, here are some words of advice from (respected
Canadian author and UNB Writer-in-Residence) Douglas Glover: “The truth is it
doesn't matter what [job] you choose as long as you are disciplined and make
yourself work on your writing no matter what day job you have”. As young authors, we need to realize there is
no set formula for success. Mr. Glover
mentioned that snagging a job as a newspaper reporter is a great way to hone
your craft. Yet, for those of us with no
Journalism training, the job doesn't really matter so much in the long run. What matters is the work you put in
after-hours. Looking back at the history
of great writers proves this point. Some
writers have been monks, sailors, farmers, athletes, and virtually everything
in between. For example, John Steinbeck was
a construction worker for a time. So, when
choosing a day job, pick the one that is best for you. Don’t be ashamed or discouraged if you aren't able to write full time.
As Douglas Glover will tell you, part-time writing is “the life for 95%
of the world's writers."
To get an idea of what a writing scene is really like, head over to Douglas Glover’s monthly online magazine Numéro Cinq: http://numerocinqmagazine.com/. There’s no better place to start.
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| Up to you! |
Some additional advice from someone who has been around the block a few times. One of the key parts of finding happiness throughout life is finding a job that you love. Loving what you do makes your days pass by quickly...hating your job makes it really feel like work, makes your days endless, and feels like a chore equivalent to washing a sewer with a toothbrush 8 hours a day. Always do what you love wherever possible. If you love writing and reading, find a job that allows you to do that such as working in a library, communications, journalism, editing, publishing, teaching, or even writing documentation such as procedural manuals. Life is too short to do something you hate 40 hours a week.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad somebody posted this. I have been watching the show Castle and I have been skeptical that Nathan Fillion's character scored a huge deal straight out of college like he claims he did. It's great to have some ideas on how to support ourselves and our "addiction". :)
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