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Writing- A lonely profession?

TheokinsJ

Troubadour
I've not got long left at school, another year and I'm finished and I haven't got the faintest idea what I want to do. I originally thought game design, and now I have come to the conclusion that I love writing want to be a writer. If I could become a writer full time I would, but two major reasons stop me from wanting to do this. The first is money, of coarse you can't live in today's world without it, and everyone knows that writers don't exactly earn enough to live on. The second is loneliness. I often think of writing as me sitting at a desk at home for six hours a day, not talking to anyone, not having any social interactions with other people. What do you guys think? Is writing lonely and is it something that a young person should aspire to do? Or is full-time professional writing for older people? I'm thinking of going to university and studying to become an engineer or something, and write in my spare time. Just wanted to ask you guys what you thought about full-time writing as a profession, and see what the ups and downs are.
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
Yes, writing is lonely. But forums like this help us deal with our loneliness. :)

It's good to have significant others and family that support your hobby/career/whatever the case may be. Writing fiction isn't typically something you can just get out of college and start doing. However, cases differ. If you want to be a full-time writer, by all means try, but understand it's not easy.

I would suffice to say that 99 percent of us that frequent this forum do not survive solely by money earned from writing. Most of us either have day jobs or have people supporting (parents, spouses, etc.) us. That said, there are people who earn enough money from their writing to make a living at it. But they usually write everything.

My suggestion? If you love writing, get a career that involves writing in some capacity. Journalism, teaching, and countless other jobs require strong writing skills. Write your fiction on the side and hone your craft. Then if you make enough money from your writing, you can quit your day job.

Don't become an engineer just because you feel like you need to. Sure, you'll probably make decent money, but if it's not your passion, what's the point?

Short version: try to write for a living if it's your passion, but be aware it's not a cake walk. It takes lots of hard work, dedication, and sometimes, luck.
 

Chilari

Staff
Moderator
I suggest you go to uni. Why? Lots of reasons.

1. You've got a career path within traditional professions available to you if writing doesn't work out. Engineering in particular is generally a solid choice (unlike, say, art history or philosophy) which is almost always in demand the world over, depending on the type of engineering you do - civil, structural or geotechnical engineers are much in demand.

2. Three or more years at university gives you more time and energy to write than most day jobs you'd be able to get without a degree, for most degree courses, at least in the first year.

3. University gives you an opportunity to mix with a huge variety of people, depending on how involved you get in university life. What you learn at university, both in terms of classes and in a more general sense such as responsibility and meeting different people and hearing different perspectives, will undoubtedly be useful in your writing. Day jobs tend to be fairly stagnant and unchanging (those I've had anyway) - you do basically the same things with the same people all the time, week in week out. At uni, you have a wider breadth of experience.

4. You can put off earning money for a while. If the Aussie system is anything like the British system, you won't have to pay for tuition up-front, meaning you can focus on studies (and writing) and not worry about money. Believe me, worrying about money is stressful and can undermine focus and motivation. If you have the opportunity to put that off a few years as you get to grips with greater responsibility and independence, I'd say go for it.

5. Most universities, or at least university cities, have some sort of writing group already established. Join it. Relaxing with like-minded individuals is valuable. There's nothing like a writing friend you know in person. Online writing friends are great, but you just can't get the banter and the sidetracking and sitting in a cafe with netbooks and coffees talking about characterisation or that building across the street that's been empty for four years but is utterly beautiful.


Writing is lonely, but that doesn't make it an "old person" profession. Whether you go to university or not, make a point of spending time with friends and family on a regular basis. Get out of the house when you can. I often find a walk into town on a Saturday morning really reinvigorates me - it's a 10 minute walk so not too much effort, and even if I am on my own the sense of being part of a community when I buy stuff from local shops or take a book back to the library or whatever drives out the loneliness (though popping into the White Lion pub on the way back and chatting with the barman or one of the locals, or fussing over someone's dog, is good too).

But writing as a professional is hard work. It takes time and effort to become good enough to publish, and more time and effort to publish enough to generate a decent income. When I was 18 and finishing school I thought perhaps I'd be a published author before I finished uni. I'm now 24, still unpublished (unless you count a short story in Myths Inscribed) and have earned no more money from writing than I had 6 years ago. In fact it's cost me - I spent money on NaNoWriMo when I was an ML, I've spent money on my website and on books on writing and for community space as part of various writing groups. At this point, I'm actually about £150 down. I'll spend even more money by the time I've got something published - ongoing website costs, cover and editing for my novel, various other miscellaneous bits and bobs when I self-publish.

So unless you've got something written now that it good enough to publish and good enough to make money off, you might just want to put other career options first, because writing takes a long time to bear fruit.
 

Alexandra

Closed Account
Is writing lonely and is it something that a young person should aspire to do? Or is full-time professional writing for older people?

Writing is not lonely, tis an activity. Some writers are lonely, some are not. I've never been lonely and have been writing professionally for at least twenty years. Some painters are lonely, some musicians,... I suspect most solitary artists run the risk of loneliness, just as they run the risk of rejection. But you can be alone in a crowded room so...so what. If you wish to think of writing as an occupation you can think of loneliness as an occupational hazard. Is writing full time just for older people? Forgive me dear but I laughed out loud when I read this. Writing full time is just for writers who are able and ready, age has little to do with it.
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
I think writing is lonely meaning that you do it by yourself. It's not usually something you do with a bunch of other people. You don't have to be a lonely person if you're a writer, but the act of writing itself can be lonely if you want to get anything done. For me, it's hard to be in a busy place and focus on my writing. So lonely in practice, but not necessarily for lonely people.
 

DSCroxford

Scribe
I think it can be a lonely activity in as much as other posters have commented it is generally something you do on your own. Though as also pointed out, a community like this helps take a percentage out by giving you the outlet to share your ideas or to take time off to help other people etc.

I agree that it is not feasible to solely go straight in to writing, as money will dictate so much of your personal life.
Something I almost did when I was younger and if it was not for family problems would have was to work a year or two in a reasonably paid job (best you can get maybe for your qualifications/experience) and save up as much as you possibly can. In this time do what you need in respect to planning/outlining or even filling a few notebooks with ideas, characters and plot lines and then take a gap year (secondment(SP?)). This then is your year to dedicate to the writing, compiling all you have written etc and make a go of it.
Your year or so working also gives you the time to decide whether this is really what you want to do, or even if you can do it. A year can be a long time or it can whiz by but as long as you stay as much within your plan I feel you would have a good idea on where you should go.
Heck if it doesn't work out you are still young enough to pursue a differing career entirely.

Now this could never be described as a full proof plan, you just cannot see what is around the corner as prime example was the way my life went but its just another avenue to maybe give consideration.
 

morfiction

Troubadour
My current... er... my newest project is working on a scifi story with a friend from RL. It was his idea. I've always written things by myself and at times I felt lonely and wanted to have someone be a co-author. But he doesn't want this "exercise" to be about universes we might have created separately.

This is something we are doing together. Starting fresh. Being SCIFI, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm used to a very loose Fantasy approach where I toss in modern elements where I wish. The settings are in the "past" but some things are direct and intentional anachronisms.
 

Tumbleweed

Acolyte
I've met some of my best friends through writing :). It doesn't have to be lonely although of course the actual writing tends to be done alone. I find when I'm focused on a story the hours fly by too fast.

However, given that it may take a while to get published and earn enough to live on solely by writing it would be best to go to uni and train in other areas of interest. I have a part time job and four kids and I've just written the first draft of a novel in six months despite all the other demands on my time so it is very possible to write and work in other areas at the same time. You'll know when your writing has reached a stage where it'll be publishable.
 
I've not got long left at school, another year and I'm finished and I haven't got the faintest idea what I want to do. I originally thought game design, and now I have come to the conclusion that I love writing want to be a writer. If I could become a writer full time I would, but two major reasons stop me from wanting to do this. The first is money, of coarse you can't live in today's world without it, and everyone knows that writers don't exactly earn enough to live on. The second is loneliness. I often think of writing as me sitting at a desk at home for six hours a day, not talking to anyone, not having any social interactions with other people. What do you guys think? Is writing lonely and is it something that a young person should aspire to do? Or is full-time professional writing for older people? I'm thinking of going to university and studying to become an engineer or something, and write in my spare time. Just wanted to ask you guys what you thought about full-time writing as a profession, and see what the ups and downs are.

Writing is indeed a lonely profession. To put it simply, i highly suggest you go to a university to you're liking. Doing something writing-related and possibly video game design can go neck and neck for you and lent you some nifty benefits along the way. If you deeply enjoy both, i think you should go for it. Having game design/writing along with a career in writing you're own novels seems pretty fantastic to me. But do what you feel is best. It's you're life. :)
 

Addison

Auror
Uh...if you plan on writing novels and short stories for your writing career then yes, you won't make enough money to get by. But there are several careers that involve writing that do make money. One of which is a copywriter.
As for a small to zero social life, I don't know where you got that from. Any writer who doesn't get out and talk, hang out and all that will never grow as a writer. The best way to write full stories, to get ideas, is to experience life. It's the best way to beat any writer's block or keeping things from going stale, by living.
I too am finishing my education. The profession of writing is many things, challenging, interesting, surprising, but never lonely.
 
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