Creative Burrow

BunnyWarren => WritingChatter => Topic started by: QuirkyJessi on 11:25pm Tue, Mar 11, 2014

Title: 10 questions writers should ask before quitting their day jobs
Post by: QuirkyJessi on 11:25pm Tue, Mar 11, 2014

Now I know a lot of you are already full time writers or freelancers at this point, but this is still a really good piece. You should consider a lot of these questions regardless of it you're already writing full time, I think:

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/10-questions-writers-must-ask-before-quitting-their-day-job

I think #2 is one that a lot of writers don't really consider thoroughly enough and then they get burned out way faster than desired.

Title: Re: 10 questions writers should ask before quitting their day jobs
Post by: Sofieb529 on 04:05pm Thu, Mar 13, 2014

This is a really good list of considerations. Its so important to stay grounded and realistic about your writing goals. Of course everyones ideal would be to write full time and be able to just live off that! A totally romantic thought that I am sure we have all entertained at some point. However I would hold on to your day job for a while!

Title: Re: 10 questions writers should ask before quitting their day jobs
Post by: whisperingspirit on 04:28pm Thu, Mar 13, 2014

#2 was something I really considered while deciding what I wanted to do in college. As much as I enjoy writing, I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it full time or not. It's more of a hobby to me.  :D

Title: Re: 10 questions writers should ask before quitting their day jobs
Post by: Rainman on 01:45pm Sun, Mar 16, 2014

It's great advice I have to admit but there's just one complication. Unless you burn your bridges behind you, what's there to prevent you from turning back when things get hard and it feels like you aren't going to succeed?

IMO, the advice given by the writer should be used by the writer who is yet to decide whether they want to get into the race or not to weight the risks involved before making their choice. If they choose to give full-time writing a try then it would be in their best interest to forget everything else, at least for a specified period of time. That's how I'll do it when I decide to be a full-time freelance writer.

Title: Re: 10 questions writers should ask before quitting their day jobs
Post by: QuirkyJessi on 07:09pm Sun, Mar 16, 2014

Quote

Unless you burn your bridges behind you, what's there to prevent you from turning back when things get hard and it feels like you aren't going to succeed?

Well I don't know about you, but it's not exactly easy to get a good job these days. And it's highly unlikely that you're going to be able to go back to your exact same position because they would fill that while you're gone.

I agree that you could potentially go back to working a "regular job" at some point if it doesn't work out for you, but during the transition in either direction, it's certainly not going to be easy.

Title: Re: 10 questions writers should ask before quitting their day jobs
Post by: angelicagapit on 02:54am Tue, Mar 18, 2014

It's extremely difficult to have a job as a writer. First of all, there's so much competition, and second of all, there are more freelance writers than there are full-time writers.

To become a writer is to be very dedicated to your job of writing.

Thanks for the link! Hopefully people do consider those tips and advice before quitting their jobs to become writers.