Writing Full Time is a Terrible Goal

An Unpopular Opinion

I’ve been nervous to post this article, afraid about how unpopular the content might be, imagining contrary and even angry comments.

But reading Natalie Poulson’s Substack note changed my mind because if she can say it, so can I!

So here it goes …

If someone starting out ever asked me, “I wanna be a writer, do you have any advice?”

I’d answer, “Quit writing for a few years and educate yourself in a career that is far away from the writing and publishing industry. A career that allows you to dictate your own schedule, work less than full time, and is the opposite of writing. Meaning: earns decent money per hour, is people facing, and needs you to move your body (sitting is the new smoking). Then work that career part time and start writing again.”

Here’s why …

The first writing course I ever took was at Simon Fraser University, FICTION SERIES FOR THE WEEKEND STUDENT. The great Nancy Lee opened the class with, “Success in writing is like buying scratch-and-win lottery ticket, working really hard for ten years, then scratching off the coating to see if you win.”

Of course, I didn’t believe her. I was going to be the next Stephanie Meyer of Twilight fame with a net worth of forty million. (And I’m not even a money chaser.) Many years later, I’m writing my fourth unpublished novel and have only been paid for a few short stories.

But in my defence, of those who start writing a novel only 1% finish. Of those who finish a novel a mere 1% get published. Of those who get published one book deal is not a lifetime income and doesn’t mean you’ll ever get another book deal. I wish it wasn’t so, but only about 0.0000000000000001% of authors are able to make a decent living with their writing.

My socials are swamped with “full time” authors complaining that they don’t make enough to live on, squeaking out subsistence working minimum-wage jobs, and/or selling their opinions, courses, podcasts, speaking engagements, and yes sometimes even their books.

Their target market: other struggling authors.

Not the best business plan.

I could sell our tiny condo (Vancouver = expensive) and spend everything rather quickly on all things writing. Everyone has their hand out. It gets irritating. So I spend (almost) nothing.

If I were to spend our hard-earned money on opinions, courses, podcasts, speaking engagements, or craft books, I’d spend it on information from industry professionals: literary agents, career editors, and owners of literary magazines and small/medium publishing houses. These industry professionals need to bolster their income through selling their opinions, courses, podcasts, speaking engagements, and books.

I don’t understand why so many think there are only two options: writing full time or working in a capital “C” 9-5 career. There are many amazing part-time (half-time, three-quarter-time) careers.

Plus, most authors write productively, really, for only about two to five hours a day.

Why not spend your working stints in a properly-paying career arranged into less than full time hours. It’s a fantastic way to fill both the information and creativity funnels while providing yourself the income and life experience needed to create great art.

Imagine:

• A police officer writing crime fiction

• A nurse writing medical mysteries

• A clinical counsellor writing romances

• A high school teacher writing young-adult novels

• An esthetician writing chick lit.

A very unpopular opinion: writing is indulgent. Yes, it’s an important way to feed the soul, but nonetheless, it’s all me, me, me.

During COVID I was ecstatic that I could try writing full time. Instead:

• I wasted a lot of hours

• Had little reason to leave the condo

• Moved less

• Gained weight

• It narrowed my world

• It diminished my empathy and understanding of others

• It was terrible for our finances

To remain grounded and empathetic, it’s essential to put yourself aside — your hopes, your dreams, your aspirations — on a consistent basis for just a little while and focus fully on others.

I help my clients with their healthcare through exercise and try to keep my writing fun. Placing financial strain on such a precarious art would be so stressful that it’d definitely impact my health … and my writing.

Writing should be a fulfilling artist pursuit, not an economic necessity.