How do you write? (And other Very Important Life Questions)

Fun poll! I’ve been thinking for years I’d like to rent a hotel in Edinburgh (my favourite British city) for a week and just wander the streets on my own in the morning and writing all afternoon and evening. I seriously mean to do this one of these years. Or that beach would work, either one

A question I’d be interested in poll answers to is how people finance their writing I would LOVE to write 40 hours a week. I’d give my right pinkie for that opportunity (guilt-free, that is). Right now I get up, check my job listing RSS feeds and apply to any potential jobs for the first hour or two in the morning, then apart from any chores/errands, spend as much of the rest of the day writing as I can. But I’ve been looking for work for about a year now since graduating. I would LOVE to just be able to write, but unfortunately my boyfriend has the responsible, adult (ie well-paying and stable!) job, and if I was independently wealthy I’d just write all day long without guilt. But I need to get a pay check again.

I’d love to know how people who need to work balance their work and writing, when their writing – like me – is the priority and thing they want to say on their deathbed they gave their best efforts to!

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Susan Reply:
April 11th, 2011 at 2:11 pm

I financed my writing in a similar way to you for the first year. I let my husband support me, and I worked all day, everyday until a year later, I got my agent, and then a few weeks after that, I sold my book.

I had a REALLY hard time at first because I have always had a job, and the thought of not working, of possibly not seeing any payoff for many, many years–well, it was daunting. But, the Frenchman has been wonderfully supportive and insisted time and time again that it was fine.

I actually only turned to writing because I wasn’t allowed to work in Germany and I knew I was going to have a lotta time on my hands…and it had always been my dream, but I’d never actually tried my hand at it. So I worked my butt off learning the craft and the industry, and I treated it like a career–even if it wasn’t paying at first! If you have all this time, then you’re lucky you can devote so much of it to writing!

Have you ever considered freelance work?

Of course, hopefully your job hunt will pay off and then you’ll be working and writing. Most writers are in this boat–in fact, I don’t personally know anyone else who writes full-time. Lots of people make the limited writing time work, and I think it all boils down to sticking to a schedule. There are lots of books/blogs out there about this exact thing! And if anyone else has some suggestions, I’d also love to hear them!

GOOD LUCK WITH THE JOB!

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Cheyenne Reply:
April 11th, 2011 at 8:20 pm

Thanks for the reply Susan, and the good luck The Frenchman sounds like a fantastic kinda guy! The Scotsman (haha) has been supportive beyond my expectations – and I know if we owned our own house he’d probably be cool with me throwing all my energy into writing, but since we’re working to get on the property ladder, me earning would help a lot. The difference is you’ve got impressive and useful qualifications and if you wanted to work you could get some kick-butt jobs I imagine, whereas film degrees are, well.. chocolate teapots

I have thought about freelancing. Need to do more research. Been writing for a magazine regularly since 2008 (unpaid) and might be able to get some jobs off the basis of that. As for sticking to a schedule, I’ll have a nose around for some useful blogs and ideas. In the meantime, it’s slowly taken me about 8 of my 10 months unemployed to realise – DUH – I don’t have to job hunt all day. I can do it in the AM and when I’ve done all I can for the day I actually CAN write for the rest of the day! I let guilt take me over for too long :-/

And yeah, I totally love your workspace! Very bright and cheery and inspiring!

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This was fun! I also write full-time, first due to health reasons, then because my hubby wouldn’t let me go back to work. We live on his grad-student stipend, so it’s tight, but we’ve made it work for several years (someday, someday, he may graduate and be a professor;))

If my novel sells for enough money that I feel like I can splurge some of it, I am totally taking a writing vacation in a pretty spot with either a waterfall or the ocean. A pretty spot with fantastic food.

An author I’d like lunch with is Elizabeth Gaskell, a contemporary of Dickens whom he admired. Not only was she an author in the mid-1800′s, she was an active minister’s wife and mother of five.

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Susan Reply:
April 11th, 2011 at 6:47 pm

Ooh, waterfalls and good food! nice!!

And I LOVE Elizabeth Gaskell! I almost added her to the list, but I didn’t think enough people would know who she was!! HAHA!

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Amity Reply:
April 11th, 2011 at 6:50 pm

The BBC put together a four-part miniseries in 1999 of Wives and Daughters (and it’s great!). I think people are slowly discovering Gaskell through it.

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Susan Reply:
April 11th, 2011 at 6:51 pm

!!! I just watched that last week! It is SO well-done. I enjoyed North & South a lot, but I think they did a better job with Wives and Daughters!

Ack, Molly is such a great character!

oooo I’m so envious of your writing space! I would love to have a serene, cozy nest that I could crawl into and create from. I have three kids, and my writing time is usually at a coffee house after preschool drop off. Needless to say, I have learned to block out the crazy ambient noise that surrounds me every morning. Who knows, maybe I wouldn’t know what to do with peace and quiet!

Besides the kids, I’m really lucky not to have to hold a job right now, but with my husband starting up his own bakery it has been busier than ever. (He is Basque form the French side:) ) So, often it is late at night when I can get back to my story and/or blogging/reading/learning/internet stuff.

But if Elizabeth Gaskell can do it with five children in the 19th century, then I can do it with three in the 21st– inspiration!

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Susan Reply:
April 11th, 2011 at 7:22 pm

Okay, first of all: BAKERY? Um, can we say AWESOME!?

Second of all: I used to love working at coffee shops, but since we live in the middle of nowhere, there is nary a coffee shop or library in sight. I do miss working in public–though I also love my office.

Third: HECK YEAH you can do it! Inspiration woot!

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I love your writing space. A window! Plants! Mine’s either on my bed or couch. Lame.

I spend over 40 hours a week writing, but a good portion of that is for my day job. I do a ton of writing for my story on weekends or at night during the week. Still, it somehow always works out that I’ll get the itch to write during the day and have no time to actually do it at night.

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Susan Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 1:04 pm

What do you do when you “get the itch”? Do you keep a notebook handy or anything? I try to keep paper with me at all times because whenever inspiration seems to strike, I can never remember it later!

And you’re not the only writer I know who sits in bed or on the couch!!

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Ilove your office! Someday I will have one.Now I write wherever I can.(Even the bathroom). I work as a Pharmacist so have to squeeze writing in whenever I can,even if it’s late at night.I love my job too, & we need the income.My husband urged me on when I first felt the need. I’m looking forward to sitting outside this summer.
Love your topics & fun things you do.
Thanks for the great information-I save them for future reference.:}

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Susan Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 1:06 pm

That’s great you love your job! I loved marine biology, but it wasn’t option when we moved Germany. Fortunately, my new career is something I love even more!!

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