Writing for a Living

I have been a writer for two decades now. I've had my highs and lows in the industry, as most writers do. By the standards I set for myself so long ago, I have had a successful writing career.  I retired at one point for health reasons. Those reasons still exist - but we purchased property that I want to pay off quickly. Therefore, I came back to my surest way of making money - writing. This is a career you can leave and come back to over and over again.

So many people want to become writers - of those people some will fail simply because they really did not consider what it is like to write for a living. The perks are great! You can choose your own hours, and often you can choose your own topics. The pay is better than most people realize if you go about your career in the right way. As a writer, you can easily satisfy your need for creativity. This is pretty much where the perks end.

The drawbacks are substantial, but not all drawbacks are drawbacks for all people. For example, writing is a very isolated career. Some people may be put off by the amount of time they will be spending alone, while others will thrive in such an environment - luckily, I'm one who thrives. The work is often not steady. You must provide your own benefits, such as health insurance. You will be faced with deadlines on a constant basis. Writers block is a real thing - and it does happen. You will probably work from home, which means you are always at work. Even though you are working, people will believe that you are free because you are home. The list of drawbacks goes on and on.

With all of that said, if I were to live my life again, knowing everything I know now, I would be a writer. Real writers simply love writing - and if given the opportunity, they will choose writing over any other career. If you are writing for a living and it constantly feels more like a job you hate rather than a craft you love, writing is not for you.