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So...my passion doesn't really pay. At least, not yet.
I've known since I was nine that I wanted to be a writer, specifically a fiction writer, more specifically a YA/fantasy or fantasy-ish writer. I have an English/Creative Writing degree, and I got very upset anytime a business/science major would get all snide and say 'enjoy working at Starbucks'. While I don't work at Starbucks, I do work in customer-facing customer service for a data/credit card company, and that is very much not what I want to be doing.
Most of the writing jobs I've found have either required very specific knowledge (medical, legal, etc) or are closely tied to social media marketing for retail brands. The first I don't have and the second I'm not wild about, because I just feel a little icky trying to use search-engine-optimized language to cajole people into spending Even More Money. The writing opportunities on places like Upwork were overwhelmingly ghost writing positions, which frankly I don't know enough about to feel the least bit comfortable with writing something that would have someone else's name on the byline.
I guess my question boils down to: what should I do? My current job takes up a lot of time and I have several other time-consuming responsibilities, and I don't really have a portfolio as such, in spite of writing forever. I'm looking into literary journals and so on, and that seems slightly more promising, but I just...feel stuck. I know what I want to do and I know I'm good at it, but I don't know what that looks like in reality, nor do I have a good way of estimating if it would pay me enough to keep me afloat. Absolutely any advice would be super appreciated!
Jackie RukaProfessionalHappyologist Thrive in your purpose.
2.4k
11/18/19 at 12:42AM UTC
Stephanie, you are in the middle of finding your sweet spot, knowing what you want to do but not sure yet how to get paid for it. Do some research, follow some writers and people you admire or start to. I also suggest reading the blogs on Medium, how to make money as a writer (google it) Also, do not get caught up on what other people think or their judging, you have a talent and a talent needs nurturing, practice and mastery. Which is all about you investing time into your writing skills, which is nobody's business but yours. Take pride in your talent.
So start writing, usually a blog , it's free. Is there an area you can offer advice, or have knowledge about with specific population? So many things to write about but only you know what that is for you. Look through magazines, newspapers , online blogs and see what catches your eye? Everyone has something to write about. If it's a book then perhaps finding a job that offers flexibility while you write your book is an option? The BIG question is what is your ultimate vision? What do you see yourself doing? Who are you corresponding with? How many hours are your working and how much do you want to make a month? Maybe journaling will encourage your writing? Hope this helps!
