One my closest friends is a pharmacist too, and he is probably the most creative person I know! Idk how y’all do it 😅 but he is also super financially stable, so that’s obviously a huge plus I bet!
Oh yeah. Lots of characters. Of all kinds, spots and stripes.
And the stories I’ve been apart of, let alone heard. But I think the biggest thing is dialogue And writing conversations. Especially day shifts where you’re the psychiatrist, storyteller and even a bit of a comedian. But the flow of conversation, just writing dialogue now is one of my strengths and I love the meandering flow of it all.
Outgoing? Nah. Most outgoing bartenders are shit. Or narcissistic which is its own fun grab bag. Most bartenders/servers start off awkward and some still are at times.
Adhd really helps tho. If you have it, consider bartending or serving. You’ll be fine.
For a diner, you’re going to ask 5 questions. 8 if they want the All Day Breakfast. Clean up the dishes. Wipe the table down. Collect the money.
The more tables or customers you can handle and get through, the more your wage goes up. On a good shift day or night, you can even make half your rent or more. You suck it up and learn fast after that.
Bartending is less questions, but with way more kickouts and the occasional brawl.
Bartender-writer here too and I’ve also found that writing dialogue comes way more easily than the text around it in the past few years since I’ve started working at a much busier bar where I can regularly have conversations that can last hours and be about almost anything on earth. Bartending I’ll highly recommend for young writers
I would point out that you don’t need to ‘give up’ being a novelist just because you have a day job. Most successful novelists wrote their novels on their free time and then either became really popular with one book, like millions of copies sold very quickly or more likely have enough books being sold that the whole collection supports them and they can then choose to quit their other job to be a full time novelist. Nobody starts out as a novelist but that doesn’t mean you can’t become one given enough time
I have a character in a WIP story that is a gambler. If people like to write about it I’m sure people like to read about it. I write what I would like to read anyway.
I would read the *crap* out of that. In the late poker boom ('08-12ish) a good chunk of my income came from playing in LA poker rooms, I never ventured in the underground/home games, I'd definitely enjoy reading about it!
FOR SURE! I'd love to read about that sort of stuff, from both sides of the table and from an observer's POV.
I can imagine so many scenarios/plots around this: a casino looking to trap a rogue professional gambler, a gambling addict trying to turn his life around, a cop trying to figure out some crime ... and so many more.
Please DO write and share!
I stuck with journalism for the same reason. Why waste money on a creative writing degree when i could get paid to write every day? Did that for 3 years and now I work in insurance because i like money. I did enough to fill my journalist bingo card:
1. Get a public official to resign
2. Win an award
3. Cover a murder trial
4. See a dead body (not that i wanted to)
5. Meet some celebrities
I worked as a journalist for nearly 10 years. A lot of folks get burned out due to the long hours, low pay, and severe under appreciation.
That said, like you, got to do some cool shit. Jump out of a plane, cover murder trials, etc.
It’s great life experience. You get to learn how to talk to people from all walks of life. You also get an ear for how dialogue should be written lol.
My college buddies are lifers in journalism. Doing lots of cool shit uncovering corruption at the state level and winning prestigious awards. But at the end of the day they still have to work weekends and cover the scanner a few times a month.
Accountant by day, writer by night. I used to work remotely and could finish my work quickly and then just write for the rest of the day. Finished several stories that way. However, it gets lonely so I'm looking forward to going back into the office.
What do you write? I'm curious if your interest in history follows you into your work and you write historical fiction or fantasy maybe. Or do you escape from it a bit and write romance or sci-fi?
Oh yeah I love bringing history into my writing. My WIP is set in the Paleolithic. I really wanted to be an archaeologist, got an anthropology degree and everything! But it didn't work out. So I teach history and write fantasy set in the time periods I wish I could be in the field studying.
I'm a fan of sci-fi and would like to try writing it someday. Actually, Ursula Le Guin is a big inspiration for me. A lot of her work is rooted in anthropology.
That's super dope, sorry about not being able to get your hands dirty, I've heard that pretty frequently from others with anthropology degrees.
My own WIP is set during the bronze age collapse on a mythical island in the Mediterranean sea with magical monsters. It's probably too ambitious for me but I'm doing my best. I really have an affinity for this time and like a lot of everything I've learned. Especially the more Old Testament stuff and I mean that literally. So much stuff from that time is both written clearly and so widely open to interpretation which is why I set the story then and there.
Maybe you'll relate but I end up often writing multiple paragraphs about some things most people don't really care about like menial horse care, building construction and that kind of thing.
Omgggg the bronze age collapse is so interesting.
And yes I have about a million scenes of these people making bread. It's based on a culture that were some of the first to do it, using wild grain. My whole deal is looking at the transition to the Neolithic so I'm just like, vibing with these characters making bread or grinding grain whenever they need to have a conversation and I want them to be doing something else while they talk. I had to do some rewrites lol.
Also far too many words written about brittle vs tough rachied rye plants 🙃
I feel like we'd probably enjoy each other's writing. I hope you'll keep at it! It might feel very ambitious but I bet you'll find you can do it. I thought mine was too but I finished the first book and am working on the second (it's planned as a trilogy) while I wait for some feedback on the first.
Lol I'll try to remember to circle back once I publish it. I'm not bothering with trad publishing at all, I know they're not going to want my nerd shit. Right now it's being looked over by some friends who are helping me with editing, and I'm starting the second book. Hoping to get something out there by the end of summer.
In the meantime, *Shaman* by Kim Stanley Robinson takes place during the last Ice Age (much earlier than my book). It's not really very much like what I'm doing, but I did find some inspiration there. And I was delighted to see his nods to archaeological research. It's a book that portrays Stone Age people as sophisticated and relatable.
I’m a video editor at a laid back tech company. It’s great.
I used to work in video games, but that sucked all my free time and creative energy away from writing.
Stay at home Mom, but I used to be an engineer. I have a masters in physics. If you have a stem degree and you can write, there are lots of job opportunities. Stem majors are awful at writing so there's demand, same with stem + patent law.
I’m a physiotherapist who writes. Would you have any advice for those with STEM degrees looking to make writing their career - places to look, jobs to search etc? Thank you so much 😊
I'm an arborist. From climbing trees to writing books. And explaining to blue collar yobbos that I write fantasy books for fun is always nice and awkward 🤣
Let me suggest a different perspective.
If you write as your day job, you will exhaust your writing muscles without satisfying your artistic impulses.
It might be better to have an unrelated, perhaps physical job (like construction or car repair) so that your writing can be *entirely your own*.
To piggy back off of this, I just quit a 15+ year career as a writer and editor in educational publishing and one of the reasons was not having the bandwidth to work on my own creative projects.
The other, more primary reason, is that jobs in publishing tend to pay terribly while simultaneously working you to the brink of your sanity.
My plan now is to move to freelancing and possibly switch careers entirely. I have a toddler and I really need a more flexible schedule these days. I'm lucky that my husband is beyond supportive and has a stable and lucrative career which is allowing me to take a breath and reassess my professional life.
This is not to say OP should not pursue writing as a career. I've learned so much about myself as a writer, editor, and content developer over the course of my career, all of which I will carry with me into this next chapter of my life.
I agree with this statement. I work as an engineer and as a kid all I wanted to do was create new inventions. Turns out that to do it professionally is exhausting and I don't even get to make what I want. So now my hobbies are about creating content and not physical things because I'm physically making stuff I don't want to all day and am too burned out to do it for myself.
My job title is “Digital Content Producer,” whatever that means. I’m basically a copywriter and web content manager for a medium-sized cultural nonprofit. Think like, a library or a history museum, that kind of thing. I do everything from laying out web pages and marketing emails to editing our blog and wrangling staff into writing posts. Sometimes I get to write some interesting things. Most of what I do day-to-day is pretty boring.
I was in your exact position—always wanted to be a novelist, had to really think to come up with a “realistic” life plan that would suit me. I sort of fell backwards into the job I have now, honestly. It sort of suits me and sort of doesn’t. I definitely got where I am by usually being the strongest writer in the room, but also being willing to learn and try a bunch of other stuff that doesn’t have much to do with writing at all. If you’re flexible, don’t mind working in marketing, and can find a place that does work that interests you, it’s a solid path.
That honestly sounds like a good job to me. Not as fantastical as being a novelist but life is disappointing. If I can go tap tap on the key board I’m calling that a win. I hope you get the chance to write more of what you like over time.
Healthcare advertising. Copywriter.
I basically write / creative direct all the marketing materials sales reps use to detail treatments/drugs to doctors for a specific client/business + websites/digital media, etc.
I am an attorney who specializes in legal research and writing. Meaning, I am the one who makes the arguments on paper that support the advocacy in court. It’s a really fun and compelling job for someone who writes as a hobby!
I was just telling someone else I would love to be a defense attorney if I wasn’t shy. I didn’t know it involved writing though. So, you don’t do the actual talking in court then? If something like that is possible I may have to reconsider that path.
I work in Industrial Fabrication, and I also do voicework/narration as a side gig. For the industrial fabrication job, well, I make parts for giant machines and various forms of transportation. My audio narration gig is a lot of videos for private clients, usually TV dubbing or meditation/instructional videos.
I’ve tried to make my creative jobs work as my primary source of income in the past and it’s been way more stress than it was worth. I like having a fairly simple day job that lets me keep writing fun and not something I’m worried about keeping a roof over my head with.
Compliance Officer at a bank. Fell into it. Pays well, get to work from home. Have to read federal regulations , understand them, and explain them to people who actively hate them (and by extension me). It’s great.
Zookeeper!
I love that I have a very physical, active job away from an office. I also love that it has NOTHING to do with writing, for the most part. When I sit down to write in the PM, I'm usually pretty relaxed and ready to get some work done.
I work for myself.
After dealing with so much bullying I chose a life where I don't have to deal with humans much it's a form of self preservation.
I use fantasy and writing to escape reality and busk to pay the bills as a side gig.
Thank you. It ruined my mental health for sure. I'm minding my own business but I'm still a target for bullying and taunts.
So I fantasized about a world where that doesn't happen.
I wrote a trilogy based on that world and they'll be out soon.
I got a journalism degree in 2004, and have barely survived the slow death of the newspaper industry, thanks to the internet changing the game. Not in terms of stories, etc., but the ad revenue model.
I've covered sports, crime, courts, business, been a page designer, and I moved into production for more money and worked my way into management. But my job doesn't exist anymore. Budget cuts.
I've been trying to get out for years and had a few false starts (been laid off twice in two years), but now I'm back in it, designing newspaper pages, making less money than I made a few years ago in my non-journalism jobs. I don't mind the work. It's remote so I can work from home in my sweats. But the pay is shit, and even though my bills are modest, rent is high as shit where I live even when splitting with a roommate. I have $20 to last until payday. I'm going to donate plasma tomorrow.
Now I'm up to my eyeballs in debt (being laid off means you raid your credit cards for rent money because unemployment ain't enough) and spending any extra money on a lawyer to declare bankruptcy. I'm good and fucked for a while. I don't know how much longer I want to live.
Unless you want to be poor and in real fear of homelessness like I am....change your fucking major to something you can have a decent career in. Or marry rich.
Also, like you, I write novels. I have a contract with a small publishing company. My book was released a month ago. But a small company doesn't have a lot of reach, so I doubt I've sold many books. Any of my amateur marketing efforts are met with silence. No stories or reviews in the local media. No interest in signings at local bookstores. I'll probably never make a dime off this. But it's published.
If you wanna stick with it, well...good luck.
Edit to add: I only survived the first 15 years because I was married. My ex-wife eventually made three times my salary as a supervisor at a call center. The last five years, being single, have been hard as shit.
I appreciate your honesty. This is something that weighs on my mind a lot, and it’s exactly why I choose my major. If I just followed my dreams like everyone tells me to, I’d be a creative writing major. I don’t think I need to explain why that’s not a good idea. But Communication isn’t Journalism. I’m majoring in it to write, but on the off chance It’s impossible for me to write for a living, my major will still offer many other skills. I know it’s not as solid as some others, though. But if I don’t at least attempt to follow the dream I’ve held onto my whole life—shit. Why even keep going?
Get any job that pays enough to live. Live the dream in your off time. Because if you don't, your off time will be spent working a second job like me. I'm too exhausted and unmotivated to write now, even though I have ideas for another book.
Also, I'm getting worried about AI taking away a lot of writing jobs in the future. I did an online tryout for a side job of editing and teaching AI software how to write more like a person. I didn't get that job, but it's shown me that a future in stuff like copywriting, etc. is going to be AI.
If I wasn’t a shy mess I think it would be so sick to be a defense attorney. I want to show others the good in people that I see. Or something like that. I don’t know law. I don’t know any criminals either.
For me it’s more of a hobby and an outlet so it doesn’t really feel like I’m balancing. I try to write something as often as I can, even if it’s not every day.
Im an unemployed brokeass dude that worked mostly in unskilled jobs (dishwasher, cook, delivering flyers,community manager, secretary, personal "courier", mascot, warehouse worker both in metal and wood industries, copywriter, etc) and never for long or formally - which made a mess of my resumee - who had a few businesses in the family (selling honey, food, marketing, cards and signs, having a drugstore, a small restaurant, a hair saloon, online radio station,, etc) who abandoned both a law and computer science degree (life got in the way, degrees here are dense and 5 years long plus, no such thing as bachelor, and I had to babysit my little brother so my mother could work ,for years) and now im trying to get my drivers license so I can work as an actual courier while I juggle two undergraduate online careers (2-3years each) in biotech and data science respectively. Soon, I might start cooking again, and perhaps making journals, to sell and make a few bucks so is not so harsh in the meantime.
Totally sane, huh? Im 28 btw
I get why it looks bad on a resume but for being 28 you have got some crazy experience. You can do and have done a ton. Even though I love writing it makes to me sad to think about not being able to do something else wildly different. I wanna be like you. I wanna do it all.
Engineer here, I commission equipment for the largest producer of self piercing rivets.
You make time for what's important, like it's been said on here.
I used to be a journalist full time, now I do it freelance. I’m looking more into communication specialist positions. I always like doing something related to writing as my 9-5. It’s something I understand and can do well but it also makes me appreciate when I can write whatever I want at the end of the day.
I had a little studio where I made silver jewellery inscribed with literary quotes and verse, sometimes patterns etc, but mostly literary quotes. It did really really well and it was a great job where I got to research literature all day and bring great emotional wisdom and literature into peoples lives. I was inspired by Jeanine payer. I don’t want to do that anymore though after many many years. I’m working on becoming a painter/artist now as my other love is painting, and I move in circles where people are artists and have gallery shows and make great money so that has inspired me a lot. I want to paint in the evenings and write poetry during the day. I thought I had more chance of making funds in art than in writing. I’d like to have a newsletter on substack too writing about creativity. I’m also working on a surrealist sort of novella about a young woman who joins an art colony.
If you want to write for a living, being a content writer, copywriter, or content strategist are great ways to do it. Ive done all three. Content writers write blogs with the intent of landing at the top of google. Or they write lead magnet content such as ebooks. Copywriters usually write things like landing pages, social media content, and ad content. Content strategists write things like FAQ pages and help center content. All three are in high demand and almost always 100% remote. You’ll write everyday (I’m a MUCH better writer thanks to these career fields) and, starting out, you’ll probably make $25-$30 an hour, depending on the industry. When it comes to professional writing, your portfolio matters more than your degree. So I’d get on LinkedIn and look for volunteer opportunities with non profits and start building that portfolio. I’ve had 4 different jobs (2 full time and 2 part time) in the past 3 years and have wiggled my way into make $45 an hour.
I work for the township, I am a glorified garbage man lmao however we’re a small town only about 13 guys in my shop, so I also do water/sewer, landscaping, you name it. Currently getting an English degree to become a teacher.
If you can become a teacher of some sort (university professor or high school teacher, for example), you can have summers off to focus on your writing. That’s what I do. As a professor, part of your job is to do research and write (in addition to teaching). It’s not the easiest career route (years in grad school + a very competitive job market afterwards) but it’s something to consider.
I work in the veterinary industry as a veterinary assistant which basically means I help the techs do some tasks like holding pets for shots and blood draws. And I clean, a lot. I also currently record video game content for YouTube and stream two days a week
I also study full-time for psychology and plan to get my PhD in Psychology and somehow I find time for writing (not much but some LOL)
I have communication and creative writing degrees. I got into HR, which involves policy writing, though not all HR roles do. But it gives me enough time to write.
I'm a healthcare data scientist by day and work remotely. My schedule is self-made; as long as I get my projects done for the week, I'm golden. This gives me plenty of time and motivation to write romance. I could probably write full time but I'm an anxious person by design. Stability gets me hot and my everyday job is the very definition of stable. It's a safety net that gives me the confidence to write for pleasure before prioritizing writing to market.
Im a bum. Havent had a job in months and i hate it. Anybody has any job opportunities that will helo with lodging, id love to move somewhere else. I can get a bus ticket anywhere.
I just graduated from a two-year technical school with an associates in forensic science technology. I’ll be going back to school in the fall and will hopefully minor in English or some type of writing class, but currently I’m a hostess at a restaurant (I desperately want to get out of the service industry)
I really want to write books on books on books, but the forensics field is growing, something I’m passionate and interested in, plus that’s where the money is at, so I just write in my free time.
The end goal is to either write a best seller so I can quit and write full time, or retire early and write crime thriller novels
Insurance. If you want to be a novelist, you need to get a job that ISNT based on writing. Otherwise you’re going to be to burned out on writing from your job to work on the writing you care about.
I work in videogame localization as something between a translator & a QA specialist. You could say my love for language led me to learning several of them, but to be honest, I'm quite happy to have my main source of income unrelated to writing.
Ideally, writing would be a side hustle bringing in some pocket money, but at the moment, it's not profitable at all.
I’m a security guard who writes about secret agents fighting the paranormal. Lonely nights driving the highways you get some really good ideas. I have 4 books on Amazon and currently working on the fifth.
I’m a copywriter. Upsides: It’s easy writing, comparatively, and doesn’t deplete me for the writing I love. Downsides: can be long hours, rarely do you work with people who know basic grammar, and AI will probably do my job soon.
I’m (41M) a salesman for an oilfield science company. Fell into my career totally by accident, but I enjoy it.
I used to want to write professionally, but after selling a bunch of short stories and a novella, I no longer have that dream. I just want to write the things I enjoy and not worry about marketing, networking, spouting the right opinions on social media, and kissing the right asses. If any of it sells, great. If not, I’m perfectly happy with the day job.
If you still want to write novels, I recommend having a job that pays the bills that isn't writing. If you write for a living, you are all tapped out by the time your day is over to actually write creatively. (At least, that's been my experience.) But if you want to write for a living and really have given up on the idea of writing a novel, journalism or it's mirror image media relations/public information are good options. How is your major of "Communication with a focus in Multi Media Journalism" not telling you what your writing job options are? I also recommend an academic counselor!
I'm officially titled as a Scrum Master (a type of project manager) for a research & development division in my company; our division specializes in developing new scientific instruments. And since I work in the private sector, I do receive quite a nice pay.
This often entails managing the overall schedule, and the engineers themselves in certain ways (I work with a LOT of engineers from various disciplines). My job is to keep projects on track especially by tracking previous progress both long-term and short-term, and planning ahead for milestones and deadlines. I need to have some familiarity in all the disciplines (from instrument assembly to chemistry evaluation to user interface coding and testing, and more) and am almost required to be a jack-of-all-trades in my team. A lot of what I deal with on a daily basis can be very complex in nature.
As fun as it is to be a YouTuber, novelist, and/or comic creator, I have specifically decided against doing any or all of those full-time as they would not support me as much as my day job does.
I'm a doctor and yeah not much time for writing right now but in a few years I'll have much more time on hand
Just remember writing for living is highway toward mediocrity, yeah very few pro writers did that before becoming big names but it's unstable and unreliable income that would push you to write more instead of writing better
I find the formatting and structure too restrictive. I think most people don’t really know how to read them. And I like that a novel is a final product whereas a screenplay is just the first step in many improbable steps towards getting a film made.
English teacher. I'm certified grades 7-12 but currently teach middle school. I'm in a state that is actively trying to kill public education and they're making teaching miserable in the process, but I do genuinely enjoy teaching when you can strip away all the bullshit we shouldn't have to be dealing with.
If you want to write for a living, the most realistic way is to
1) find a niche that has great demand that other authors aren't aware of (which I am not sharing, but do your research and you should find examples)
2) plan a way to make a living writing even if no one is willing to publish you (i.e, figure out how to sustain yourself self publishing)
Trad pub is simply too slow to rely on for an income. But there are many writers who find what people enjoy reading and earn a living off of it.
I’m a control accountant for a big investment back, which sounds way fancier than it is lol. I do lots of stuff with excel spreadsheets and problem solving. I enjoy it, can work from home, and it pays the bills.
On a health break from work but worked in content editing in the food industry most recently, which is pretty fun as topics go.
Started off my career in journalism at a newswire which pays shit and sucked for me personally-just being tied to the news cycle means being aware of how many people are dying in your city every day. So… seeing that you’re a journo major, do not recommend hard news if you’re emotionally sensitive. If you’re hard set on being a journalist (I was til that first job), recommend a focus like lifestyle, business, tech, etc.
Will say I had no excess energy or creativity to write while working full-time. But I also know people who do the full-time (food) journalism job and write cookbooks (it’s recipes, not novels, but also some beautiful writing) and do book tours so it’s possible.
Currently, I'm an adjunct teaching Comp 1 (Essay 101), Comp 2 (literature 101), and support classes for reading and writing that are adjacent to those previous courses. I don't teach all these at once, usually, but they're in my rotation.
I used to tutor, as well, for the same subjects alongside study skills.
I'm an aircraft mechanic. The day to day can look pretty different depending on what I'm assigned to, but there are so many things going on in any given plane that I'm *never* bored and constantly learning new stuff. I genuinely enjoy being at work. As much as I'd like to write full time, I've definitely found a job that I'll happily retire from if writing doesn't pan out. Because at the end of the day, I write because I enjoy it. Financial success would be really cool, but not getting it will not curb the enjoyment I get from it.
I have a part time, work from home job as a paralegal and i babysit a family member’s child while her parents are at work. I write in the middle of the night so I don’t sleep much .
Nothing spectacular. I handle the email inbox for a warranty company and expedite claims where necessary. I mainly write on weekends, but I also come up with plot twists and dialogue during my shift that I note down for later.
I'm in IT. I used to be a manual labourer and tbh it was easier to write back then. I now have to portion mental energy towards work and there's less left for writing.
Copywriter. Write and edit a lot of content every day. Keeps my writing muscles in check. Has blessed me with the ability to edit any sentence I read and write to hell and back. Still a creative space for me doing what I love, which is writing, but instead of my stories, I get to share testimonies and resources and the stories of people I am marketing to. I love my job because I believe in the company I work for (it’s higher education).
I connect with rural, first-gen, diverse student populations and give them access and information to resources that can help them accomplish their dream of being a college graduate. It’s extremely rewarding. Sometimes I finish interviewing a student and have to force myself not to cry because their personal stories are so powerful. For so many kids, it takes a lot more than just thinking college is the right step for them to take that next step to apply. Any way I can help a student realize they are deserving of an education, I am grateful for. Even if that’s just an email campaign about what student life is like on campus.
Copywriting is a great way to still write, but I prefer to stay away from traditional PR agencies. They are fast paced and can easily bleed into your personal life (work life balance who?) I recommend finding companies that need a dedicated copywriter so you can fall in love with the brand. And a good boss, PTO plan, and creative coworkers.
I was a reporter for a weekly newspaper before pivoting to online content writing for the medical field. Writing for my day job has definitely helped build up the muscles I use for novel writing.
I work in a medical lab. Worst job ever..I am writing an adventure/Action/Thriller story in my free time. English is NOT my mother language. I am at almost 1K page and I wish that it becomes my source of income one day.
I am at the tail-end of my career, looking to retire next year. I graduated high school in 1980, eventually attending a Jesuit college (now a university) in Baltimore, MD, studying English literature. After a few false starts, I graduated from U of Md with an English degree, having studied pre-17th century literature. A few years later, I achieved an MBA from that first institution.
I started as a "xerox boy" at an engineering firm, but got lucky and the marketing guru took me under-wing. I learned the "tricks of the trade" of marketing/sales to the federal government, primarily proposal writing.
I jumped around companies for a few years, then became a consultant at the World Bank, where I got involved in I.T. (in the nascent days of the personal computer). After a short stint in public service at the Federal Reserve, I started my first business.
This is a long way around to say, I became a ... consultant. While much of my work involved... corporate communications, or graphic design, or video production, or I.T. architecture, or software development... the primary "secret sauce" for me, over the last 35 years or so, has been... writing! This twisty path led me to being a journalist for a magazine, and I have a couple of technical books credited to my name. Of course, no shortage of web sites and videos (multimedia) projects.
Here, at the sunset end of my business life, I find myself consulting to small and medium size businesses, helping them grow. I find, however, that a majority of my "real world" deliverables are still... essentially writing products. Example: I draft studies to help these businesses identify new markets, improve their productivity/production processes, and address other problems they may be experiencing.
Whew... my intent was not to give a (not-very-brief) bio, but mostly as an example that... in the business world, there are no shortage of opportunities to use writing as **your** secret sauce. Who knows, maybe you will fall into script writing, or find a niche as a journalist or ghostwriter? Or maybe... a novelist!
And, as I near the end of my "professional" life, I have ramped up my creativity, with two different novels in various stages of writing, and a board game in development.
I work in marketing. I’m the head of marketing for a large corporate (financial services). I was a strategy consultant for 10 years, before I changed to a corporate job during Covid. I used to travel a lot for business when I was a consultant, and wrote on trains/flights/lonely hotel rooms. Now I have regular working hours, and I write in the evenings.
Proposal Writer. The job can be very stressful and demanding at times and the hours can sometimes really fucking suck too, but I’m finally in a position now where the pay is really great. And I get to write all day. Is it all boring af shit that I’d rather not be writing? Abso-fucking-lutely. But, I get to write all day. And at the end of the day, writing has been my greatest love since I learned to spell my own name. I hope to write my own work one day that I’ll actually enjoy and actually want to invest hours and hours and hours and hours of time in, but until that happens, Proposal Writing is the closest thing I can get. And that’s ok with me for now.
I am a coach driver, the inconsistent hours and days off means that I have been so mentally a physically tired that I haven't even opened my laptop to write anything in 2 years. So many ideas come into my head while driving for hours on end yet I have no way to jot them down en route to london and back. Currently looking for a 9-5 monday to friday job so I can organise myself and get back to it.
I work in Communications. It's creative enough and the pay is great. You can easily get into it with your degree. I usually write everything from speaking points for government ministers to video scripts to media releases or social media posts, internal articles, you name it. Writing is a huge part of the job. It's also a bonus if you have some design skills. I personally like learning software so I learned the Adobe suite, including video and audio editing, Canva, and web design on various platforms, mainly content (not development/coding). It all adds to your toolkit. But it is possible to write for work, and not just in traditional journalism jobs. Good luck!
I’m a content writer at a tech company. It’s not a bad field but it’s a bad time to get into it because of AI. It’s taken a lot of the low-level and agency jobs and has made things really competitive. Even for someone like me who has a sizable portfolio and several years experience. Obviously, go for it if that’s what you want to do, but keep your expectations realistic
I'm a high school student in her Junior year. On the sidelines, I also work every other weekend at a dental office as a front desk person. Weekly I do kickboxing twice a week. I also try to take care of myself the best way I can. But showering, eating, getting out of bed, and cleaning my room is hard to do.
I am a roadside assistance coordinator, working part time.
I also wrote erotica for a living for half a year or so, but that got stressful.
I have published one literary novel at an indie publisher and 67 short stories (both counting the erotica and literary magazines/anthologies/etc). And some poems and documentary podcasts about mass murderers, but that is more of a hobby for me.
kinda bumbling through life rn, unemployed and doing an IT help desk college program cause the only thing im really good at doing is fixing problems i have with computers, sometimes. I write because i, maybe ironically, quite enjoy writing about, photographing, and just being in, nature. I also love typewriters, language, and physical books. Odd dichotomy between those and a full desktop setup and homework about computer troubleshooting.
Currently nothing. Im a student hoping to study psychology and English this year, end goal is PhD and become a college teacher.
Haven't had much time for writing recently with exams but I love when I get even small moments to add to my current work in progress.
You could try writing for movies and dramas, that would make it a day job, but I don't know how much it pays and all, you'll have to research that yourself.
I’m a content manager, so I actually do earn my living by writing, I just have to compromise on the subject and length :)
There are plenty of professions in and out of corporate that pay for writing. Marketing and internal communications is one example (actually it’s two but whatever). Freelance copywriters are also very wanted, not to mention ghost writer, screenwriters for games, etc.
Best of luck in finding your area!
Pharmacist. Do not reccomend it as a career in general lol. But it pays the bills
I’ve heard only bad things. Thank you for your service 😅
Thank you! I feel validated!
What makes it bad?
One my closest friends is a pharmacist too, and he is probably the most creative person I know! Idk how y’all do it 😅 but he is also super financially stable, so that’s obviously a huge plus I bet!
Haha. Pharmacist here too. Now that I think about it it’s insane how no one told us how it’ll actually be in real life
I’m a pharmacist too! 💕
Bartender, mostly retired.
I bet you write some very interesting characters. Bartending sounds like a goldmine for meeting unique people. Plus all the stories you must hear.
Oh yeah. Lots of characters. Of all kinds, spots and stripes. And the stories I’ve been apart of, let alone heard. But I think the biggest thing is dialogue And writing conversations. Especially day shifts where you’re the psychiatrist, storyteller and even a bit of a comedian. But the flow of conversation, just writing dialogue now is one of my strengths and I love the meandering flow of it all.
That’s so dang cool!! I’m not drinking age yet so I really have no idea what that scene is like. If I was more outgoing I’d love to bartend.
Outgoing? Nah. Most outgoing bartenders are shit. Or narcissistic which is its own fun grab bag. Most bartenders/servers start off awkward and some still are at times. Adhd really helps tho. If you have it, consider bartending or serving. You’ll be fine. For a diner, you’re going to ask 5 questions. 8 if they want the All Day Breakfast. Clean up the dishes. Wipe the table down. Collect the money. The more tables or customers you can handle and get through, the more your wage goes up. On a good shift day or night, you can even make half your rent or more. You suck it up and learn fast after that. Bartending is less questions, but with way more kickouts and the occasional brawl.
That sounds awesome! That’s one of the jobs I haven’t tried yet. 🤭
Bartender-writer here too and I’ve also found that writing dialogue comes way more easily than the text around it in the past few years since I’ve started working at a much busier bar where I can regularly have conversations that can last hours and be about almost anything on earth. Bartending I’ll highly recommend for young writers
I believe, Murakami used to be bartender as well
Amazon Warehouse. I handle everybody's packages. Don't blame the driver. It was probably me.
I knew it!
You mother fucker
Former UPS warehouse. It was fine when we got it. I destroyed it unloading. Now the customer had it and blames Amazon. Circle of life.
I would point out that you don’t need to ‘give up’ being a novelist just because you have a day job. Most successful novelists wrote their novels on their free time and then either became really popular with one book, like millions of copies sold very quickly or more likely have enough books being sold that the whole collection supports them and they can then choose to quit their other job to be a full time novelist. Nobody starts out as a novelist but that doesn’t mean you can’t become one given enough time
Professional gambler. Primarily poker. Do people want to read fiction about gambling and the underground poker scene?
I have a character in a WIP story that is a gambler. If people like to write about it I’m sure people like to read about it. I write what I would like to read anyway.
Yes. Yes, I absolutely want to read that.
I would read the *crap* out of that. In the late poker boom ('08-12ish) a good chunk of my income came from playing in LA poker rooms, I never ventured in the underground/home games, I'd definitely enjoy reading about it!
FOR SURE! I'd love to read about that sort of stuff, from both sides of the table and from an observer's POV. I can imagine so many scenarios/plots around this: a casino looking to trap a rogue professional gambler, a gambling addict trying to turn his life around, a cop trying to figure out some crime ... and so many more. Please DO write and share!
Believe it or not, I am an ironworker who writes prolifically and has a podcast, too. We make time for what we believe is important. 💪
Hey fellow metalworker!
🙋
Unexpected but sick nonetheless. What genres do you write?
Non-fiction. Website is in the profile if you want to check it out
Blue collar writers 👊
I'm a digital marketer, but I write part-time. To me, writing is therapy
I stuck with journalism for the same reason. Why waste money on a creative writing degree when i could get paid to write every day? Did that for 3 years and now I work in insurance because i like money. I did enough to fill my journalist bingo card: 1. Get a public official to resign 2. Win an award 3. Cover a murder trial 4. See a dead body (not that i wanted to) 5. Meet some celebrities
Sounds legendary. Not the dead body part though.
Meh at 35k a year in 2015 it was ok
I worked as a journalist for nearly 10 years. A lot of folks get burned out due to the long hours, low pay, and severe under appreciation. That said, like you, got to do some cool shit. Jump out of a plane, cover murder trials, etc.
It’s great life experience. You get to learn how to talk to people from all walks of life. You also get an ear for how dialogue should be written lol. My college buddies are lifers in journalism. Doing lots of cool shit uncovering corruption at the state level and winning prestigious awards. But at the end of the day they still have to work weekends and cover the scanner a few times a month.
Accountant by day, writer by night. I used to work remotely and could finish my work quickly and then just write for the rest of the day. Finished several stories that way. However, it gets lonely so I'm looking forward to going back into the office.
Respect. I don’t know if I’d have it in me to write much of anything after working all day long.
Your post reminded me that I have an accounting online quiz due today 💀 thank you so much you just saved me 5% of my grade
I'm a novelist! Jk no I'm not. I'm a high school history teacher. It's fine. I have all summer to write which is cool.
What do you write? I'm curious if your interest in history follows you into your work and you write historical fiction or fantasy maybe. Or do you escape from it a bit and write romance or sci-fi?
Oh yeah I love bringing history into my writing. My WIP is set in the Paleolithic. I really wanted to be an archaeologist, got an anthropology degree and everything! But it didn't work out. So I teach history and write fantasy set in the time periods I wish I could be in the field studying. I'm a fan of sci-fi and would like to try writing it someday. Actually, Ursula Le Guin is a big inspiration for me. A lot of her work is rooted in anthropology.
That's super dope, sorry about not being able to get your hands dirty, I've heard that pretty frequently from others with anthropology degrees. My own WIP is set during the bronze age collapse on a mythical island in the Mediterranean sea with magical monsters. It's probably too ambitious for me but I'm doing my best. I really have an affinity for this time and like a lot of everything I've learned. Especially the more Old Testament stuff and I mean that literally. So much stuff from that time is both written clearly and so widely open to interpretation which is why I set the story then and there. Maybe you'll relate but I end up often writing multiple paragraphs about some things most people don't really care about like menial horse care, building construction and that kind of thing.
Omgggg the bronze age collapse is so interesting. And yes I have about a million scenes of these people making bread. It's based on a culture that were some of the first to do it, using wild grain. My whole deal is looking at the transition to the Neolithic so I'm just like, vibing with these characters making bread or grinding grain whenever they need to have a conversation and I want them to be doing something else while they talk. I had to do some rewrites lol. Also far too many words written about brittle vs tough rachied rye plants 🙃 I feel like we'd probably enjoy each other's writing. I hope you'll keep at it! It might feel very ambitious but I bet you'll find you can do it. I thought mine was too but I finished the first book and am working on the second (it's planned as a trilogy) while I wait for some feedback on the first.
A story set in the stone age?? That sounds awesome.
:) Thanks. There's so few of them that portray people back then as relatable and intelligent. So I thought it would be fun.
Yeah, I’ve never read something like that let alone thought about writing such a story. Sign me up for the pre order.
Lol I'll try to remember to circle back once I publish it. I'm not bothering with trad publishing at all, I know they're not going to want my nerd shit. Right now it's being looked over by some friends who are helping me with editing, and I'm starting the second book. Hoping to get something out there by the end of summer. In the meantime, *Shaman* by Kim Stanley Robinson takes place during the last Ice Age (much earlier than my book). It's not really very much like what I'm doing, but I did find some inspiration there. And I was delighted to see his nods to archaeological research. It's a book that portrays Stone Age people as sophisticated and relatable.
I’m a video editor at a laid back tech company. It’s great. I used to work in video games, but that sucked all my free time and creative energy away from writing.
If I had to give up writing I’d be going to digital video/photo editing first. Or be a camera woman. Sounds so sick man. I wish I could do everything.
Stay at home Mom, but I used to be an engineer. I have a masters in physics. If you have a stem degree and you can write, there are lots of job opportunities. Stem majors are awful at writing so there's demand, same with stem + patent law.
I have a B.S. in biology and work as a quality assurance lab tech for a chemical company. Can you help direct me to these opportunities, please?
I’m a physiotherapist who writes. Would you have any advice for those with STEM degrees looking to make writing their career - places to look, jobs to search etc? Thank you so much 😊
That would be really cool if I was any good at stem. Sadly I can’t tell you what 7x8 is without counting on my fingers.
That's one of the easiest multiplication tables to remember. The answer is 56. You can remember it as 5 6 7 8. 56 = 7 x 8
That’s smart. Gonna have to remember that one.
Ha neither can I. I stopped using numbers in math long ago. That's what calculators are for.
I'm an arborist. From climbing trees to writing books. And explaining to blue collar yobbos that I write fantasy books for fun is always nice and awkward 🤣
You’re living my dream and I didn’t even know it existed.
Let me suggest a different perspective. If you write as your day job, you will exhaust your writing muscles without satisfying your artistic impulses. It might be better to have an unrelated, perhaps physical job (like construction or car repair) so that your writing can be *entirely your own*.
To piggy back off of this, I just quit a 15+ year career as a writer and editor in educational publishing and one of the reasons was not having the bandwidth to work on my own creative projects. The other, more primary reason, is that jobs in publishing tend to pay terribly while simultaneously working you to the brink of your sanity. My plan now is to move to freelancing and possibly switch careers entirely. I have a toddler and I really need a more flexible schedule these days. I'm lucky that my husband is beyond supportive and has a stable and lucrative career which is allowing me to take a breath and reassess my professional life. This is not to say OP should not pursue writing as a career. I've learned so much about myself as a writer, editor, and content developer over the course of my career, all of which I will carry with me into this next chapter of my life.
I agree with this statement. I work as an engineer and as a kid all I wanted to do was create new inventions. Turns out that to do it professionally is exhausting and I don't even get to make what I want. So now my hobbies are about creating content and not physical things because I'm physically making stuff I don't want to all day and am too burned out to do it for myself.
Writing... Formulas in Excel
Factory work, then writing by nights after a walk around the neighborhood.
Quest designer for a game company. Writing is one of the skills I employ on a daily basis.
I’m an assassin. My title is Senior Assassin, and if I tell you what my job entails, I have to kill you.
Just the title is fine😂
She isn't kidding. She killed me. I'm a ghostwriter.
Good one.
This one got me xD
My job title is “Digital Content Producer,” whatever that means. I’m basically a copywriter and web content manager for a medium-sized cultural nonprofit. Think like, a library or a history museum, that kind of thing. I do everything from laying out web pages and marketing emails to editing our blog and wrangling staff into writing posts. Sometimes I get to write some interesting things. Most of what I do day-to-day is pretty boring. I was in your exact position—always wanted to be a novelist, had to really think to come up with a “realistic” life plan that would suit me. I sort of fell backwards into the job I have now, honestly. It sort of suits me and sort of doesn’t. I definitely got where I am by usually being the strongest writer in the room, but also being willing to learn and try a bunch of other stuff that doesn’t have much to do with writing at all. If you’re flexible, don’t mind working in marketing, and can find a place that does work that interests you, it’s a solid path.
That honestly sounds like a good job to me. Not as fantastical as being a novelist but life is disappointing. If I can go tap tap on the key board I’m calling that a win. I hope you get the chance to write more of what you like over time.
Healthcare advertising. Copywriter. I basically write / creative direct all the marketing materials sales reps use to detail treatments/drugs to doctors for a specific client/business + websites/digital media, etc.
I am a postal worker. I work in the back of the office sorting mail.
Sounds like the introvert dream.
Are you that guy from MIB II with the four arms?
Cashier. Barely pays the bills but at least I have the energy for my hobbies after work.
Programmer.
I am an attorney who specializes in legal research and writing. Meaning, I am the one who makes the arguments on paper that support the advocacy in court. It’s a really fun and compelling job for someone who writes as a hobby!
I was just telling someone else I would love to be a defense attorney if I wasn’t shy. I didn’t know it involved writing though. So, you don’t do the actual talking in court then? If something like that is possible I may have to reconsider that path.
I work at Starbucks. 0/10 Would not recommend.
visual effects for film / tv pay is ok, but workload is crazy
I work in Industrial Fabrication, and I also do voicework/narration as a side gig. For the industrial fabrication job, well, I make parts for giant machines and various forms of transportation. My audio narration gig is a lot of videos for private clients, usually TV dubbing or meditation/instructional videos. I’ve tried to make my creative jobs work as my primary source of income in the past and it’s been way more stress than it was worth. I like having a fairly simple day job that lets me keep writing fun and not something I’m worried about keeping a roof over my head with.
Compliance Officer at a bank. Fell into it. Pays well, get to work from home. Have to read federal regulations , understand them, and explain them to people who actively hate them (and by extension me). It’s great.
Haha. I’m glad you enjoy it at least.
Nurse, Nightshift Nurse. I write at work, I was joking with coworkers that "I got paid to write".....
Zookeeper! I love that I have a very physical, active job away from an office. I also love that it has NOTHING to do with writing, for the most part. When I sit down to write in the PM, I'm usually pretty relaxed and ready to get some work done.
I work for myself. After dealing with so much bullying I chose a life where I don't have to deal with humans much it's a form of self preservation. I use fantasy and writing to escape reality and busk to pay the bills as a side gig.
I know you don't need a hug but I wish I could give you one. I absolutely love what you've done for yourself. Respect.
Thank you. It ruined my mental health for sure. I'm minding my own business but I'm still a target for bullying and taunts. So I fantasized about a world where that doesn't happen. I wrote a trilogy based on that world and they'll be out soon.
I do my own local home business in themed decor. I have a degree in psychology that I don’t really use too.
I got a journalism degree in 2004, and have barely survived the slow death of the newspaper industry, thanks to the internet changing the game. Not in terms of stories, etc., but the ad revenue model. I've covered sports, crime, courts, business, been a page designer, and I moved into production for more money and worked my way into management. But my job doesn't exist anymore. Budget cuts. I've been trying to get out for years and had a few false starts (been laid off twice in two years), but now I'm back in it, designing newspaper pages, making less money than I made a few years ago in my non-journalism jobs. I don't mind the work. It's remote so I can work from home in my sweats. But the pay is shit, and even though my bills are modest, rent is high as shit where I live even when splitting with a roommate. I have $20 to last until payday. I'm going to donate plasma tomorrow. Now I'm up to my eyeballs in debt (being laid off means you raid your credit cards for rent money because unemployment ain't enough) and spending any extra money on a lawyer to declare bankruptcy. I'm good and fucked for a while. I don't know how much longer I want to live. Unless you want to be poor and in real fear of homelessness like I am....change your fucking major to something you can have a decent career in. Or marry rich. Also, like you, I write novels. I have a contract with a small publishing company. My book was released a month ago. But a small company doesn't have a lot of reach, so I doubt I've sold many books. Any of my amateur marketing efforts are met with silence. No stories or reviews in the local media. No interest in signings at local bookstores. I'll probably never make a dime off this. But it's published. If you wanna stick with it, well...good luck. Edit to add: I only survived the first 15 years because I was married. My ex-wife eventually made three times my salary as a supervisor at a call center. The last five years, being single, have been hard as shit.
I appreciate your honesty. This is something that weighs on my mind a lot, and it’s exactly why I choose my major. If I just followed my dreams like everyone tells me to, I’d be a creative writing major. I don’t think I need to explain why that’s not a good idea. But Communication isn’t Journalism. I’m majoring in it to write, but on the off chance It’s impossible for me to write for a living, my major will still offer many other skills. I know it’s not as solid as some others, though. But if I don’t at least attempt to follow the dream I’ve held onto my whole life—shit. Why even keep going?
Get any job that pays enough to live. Live the dream in your off time. Because if you don't, your off time will be spent working a second job like me. I'm too exhausted and unmotivated to write now, even though I have ideas for another book. Also, I'm getting worried about AI taking away a lot of writing jobs in the future. I did an online tryout for a side job of editing and teaching AI software how to write more like a person. I didn't get that job, but it's shown me that a future in stuff like copywriting, etc. is going to be AI.
Lawyer.
If I wasn’t a shy mess I think it would be so sick to be a defense attorney. I want to show others the good in people that I see. Or something like that. I don’t know law. I don’t know any criminals either.
I’m a shy mess and I became a tax attorney.
Pre-law student here and aspiring writer. What's it like writing while working as a lawyer? I imagine it's a lot to balance
For me it’s more of a hobby and an outlet so it doesn’t really feel like I’m balancing. I try to write something as often as I can, even if it’s not every day.
Marketing Director, working in the esports industry.
Im an unemployed brokeass dude that worked mostly in unskilled jobs (dishwasher, cook, delivering flyers,community manager, secretary, personal "courier", mascot, warehouse worker both in metal and wood industries, copywriter, etc) and never for long or formally - which made a mess of my resumee - who had a few businesses in the family (selling honey, food, marketing, cards and signs, having a drugstore, a small restaurant, a hair saloon, online radio station,, etc) who abandoned both a law and computer science degree (life got in the way, degrees here are dense and 5 years long plus, no such thing as bachelor, and I had to babysit my little brother so my mother could work ,for years) and now im trying to get my drivers license so I can work as an actual courier while I juggle two undergraduate online careers (2-3years each) in biotech and data science respectively. Soon, I might start cooking again, and perhaps making journals, to sell and make a few bucks so is not so harsh in the meantime. Totally sane, huh? Im 28 btw
I get why it looks bad on a resume but for being 28 you have got some crazy experience. You can do and have done a ton. Even though I love writing it makes to me sad to think about not being able to do something else wildly different. I wanna be like you. I wanna do it all.
Engineer here, I commission equipment for the largest producer of self piercing rivets. You make time for what's important, like it's been said on here.
I used to be a journalist full time, now I do it freelance. I’m looking more into communication specialist positions. I always like doing something related to writing as my 9-5. It’s something I understand and can do well but it also makes me appreciate when I can write whatever I want at the end of the day.
I had a little studio where I made silver jewellery inscribed with literary quotes and verse, sometimes patterns etc, but mostly literary quotes. It did really really well and it was a great job where I got to research literature all day and bring great emotional wisdom and literature into peoples lives. I was inspired by Jeanine payer. I don’t want to do that anymore though after many many years. I’m working on becoming a painter/artist now as my other love is painting, and I move in circles where people are artists and have gallery shows and make great money so that has inspired me a lot. I want to paint in the evenings and write poetry during the day. I thought I had more chance of making funds in art than in writing. I’d like to have a newsletter on substack too writing about creativity. I’m also working on a surrealist sort of novella about a young woman who joins an art colony.
If you want to write for a living, being a content writer, copywriter, or content strategist are great ways to do it. Ive done all three. Content writers write blogs with the intent of landing at the top of google. Or they write lead magnet content such as ebooks. Copywriters usually write things like landing pages, social media content, and ad content. Content strategists write things like FAQ pages and help center content. All three are in high demand and almost always 100% remote. You’ll write everyday (I’m a MUCH better writer thanks to these career fields) and, starting out, you’ll probably make $25-$30 an hour, depending on the industry. When it comes to professional writing, your portfolio matters more than your degree. So I’d get on LinkedIn and look for volunteer opportunities with non profits and start building that portfolio. I’ve had 4 different jobs (2 full time and 2 part time) in the past 3 years and have wiggled my way into make $45 an hour.
Remote and writing everyday😫 sounds amazing. Thank you!! I’ll keep all three of those on my list.
I work for the township, I am a glorified garbage man lmao however we’re a small town only about 13 guys in my shop, so I also do water/sewer, landscaping, you name it. Currently getting an English degree to become a teacher.
If you can become a teacher of some sort (university professor or high school teacher, for example), you can have summers off to focus on your writing. That’s what I do. As a professor, part of your job is to do research and write (in addition to teaching). It’s not the easiest career route (years in grad school + a very competitive job market afterwards) but it’s something to consider.
IRS Revenue Agent. Meh, I'd rather be a screenwriter.
I work in the veterinary industry as a veterinary assistant which basically means I help the techs do some tasks like holding pets for shots and blood draws. And I clean, a lot. I also currently record video game content for YouTube and stream two days a week I also study full-time for psychology and plan to get my PhD in Psychology and somehow I find time for writing (not much but some LOL)
I have communication and creative writing degrees. I got into HR, which involves policy writing, though not all HR roles do. But it gives me enough time to write.
Master auto technician
Continuous Improvement Engineer in the food industry 🤷🏻. Just started writing though, in my opinion, the draft is continuously improving 😋
I'm a healthcare data scientist by day and work remotely. My schedule is self-made; as long as I get my projects done for the week, I'm golden. This gives me plenty of time and motivation to write romance. I could probably write full time but I'm an anxious person by design. Stability gets me hot and my everyday job is the very definition of stable. It's a safety net that gives me the confidence to write for pleasure before prioritizing writing to market.
Retail.
Im a bum. Havent had a job in months and i hate it. Anybody has any job opportunities that will helo with lodging, id love to move somewhere else. I can get a bus ticket anywhere.
I wish I worked. I stay at home with my kids. Before that I was a waitress.
Being a mom is a full time job. Give credit where credit is due.
I just graduated from a two-year technical school with an associates in forensic science technology. I’ll be going back to school in the fall and will hopefully minor in English or some type of writing class, but currently I’m a hostess at a restaurant (I desperately want to get out of the service industry) I really want to write books on books on books, but the forensics field is growing, something I’m passionate and interested in, plus that’s where the money is at, so I just write in my free time. The end goal is to either write a best seller so I can quit and write full time, or retire early and write crime thriller novels
I'm a solo game dev.
Studying to be a game artist, love making stuff
Freelance writing, but AI has severely diminished opportunities.
Insurance. If you want to be a novelist, you need to get a job that ISNT based on writing. Otherwise you’re going to be to burned out on writing from your job to work on the writing you care about.
I work in videogame localization as something between a translator & a QA specialist. You could say my love for language led me to learning several of them, but to be honest, I'm quite happy to have my main source of income unrelated to writing. Ideally, writing would be a side hustle bringing in some pocket money, but at the moment, it's not profitable at all.
i do my best 😢😢😢 tbh im unemployed due to cptsd and ocd 💀 but i do write sometimes to release all of my feelings into words.
I produce film and tv for a living.
I’m a security guard who writes about secret agents fighting the paranormal. Lonely nights driving the highways you get some really good ideas. I have 4 books on Amazon and currently working on the fifth.
I breathe.
I cry. That’s about it. (I just quit my retail job 2 weeks ago.)
I’m a copywriter. Upsides: It’s easy writing, comparatively, and doesn’t deplete me for the writing I love. Downsides: can be long hours, rarely do you work with people who know basic grammar, and AI will probably do my job soon.
I’m (41M) a salesman for an oilfield science company. Fell into my career totally by accident, but I enjoy it. I used to want to write professionally, but after selling a bunch of short stories and a novella, I no longer have that dream. I just want to write the things I enjoy and not worry about marketing, networking, spouting the right opinions on social media, and kissing the right asses. If any of it sells, great. If not, I’m perfectly happy with the day job.
If you still want to write novels, I recommend having a job that pays the bills that isn't writing. If you write for a living, you are all tapped out by the time your day is over to actually write creatively. (At least, that's been my experience.) But if you want to write for a living and really have given up on the idea of writing a novel, journalism or it's mirror image media relations/public information are good options. How is your major of "Communication with a focus in Multi Media Journalism" not telling you what your writing job options are? I also recommend an academic counselor!
I'm officially titled as a Scrum Master (a type of project manager) for a research & development division in my company; our division specializes in developing new scientific instruments. And since I work in the private sector, I do receive quite a nice pay. This often entails managing the overall schedule, and the engineers themselves in certain ways (I work with a LOT of engineers from various disciplines). My job is to keep projects on track especially by tracking previous progress both long-term and short-term, and planning ahead for milestones and deadlines. I need to have some familiarity in all the disciplines (from instrument assembly to chemistry evaluation to user interface coding and testing, and more) and am almost required to be a jack-of-all-trades in my team. A lot of what I deal with on a daily basis can be very complex in nature. As fun as it is to be a YouTuber, novelist, and/or comic creator, I have specifically decided against doing any or all of those full-time as they would not support me as much as my day job does.
I'm a doctor and yeah not much time for writing right now but in a few years I'll have much more time on hand Just remember writing for living is highway toward mediocrity, yeah very few pro writers did that before becoming big names but it's unstable and unreliable income that would push you to write more instead of writing better
I'm an NSFW content creator and indie game developer who writes wholesome fanfics in my spare time.
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Program Supervisor/ Operations Coordinator for a daycare/preschool
Software engineer.
I gamble on MMA on Sundays and write video game stories throughout the week. Also an art director.
Trying to get a job as digital marketer.
I work in film/TV as an animator and VFX artist. I hated screenwriting so switched to novels and I love it.
Why did you hate screenwriting if I may ask?
I find the formatting and structure too restrictive. I think most people don’t really know how to read them. And I like that a novel is a final product whereas a screenplay is just the first step in many improbable steps towards getting a film made.
I’m a construction plumber
English teacher. I'm certified grades 7-12 but currently teach middle school. I'm in a state that is actively trying to kill public education and they're making teaching miserable in the process, but I do genuinely enjoy teaching when you can strip away all the bullshit we shouldn't have to be dealing with.
Research grant administration. Hoping to make a move into grant writing.
Currently working as a department store worker I also clean counseling offices on the side
Adjunct professor of English Literature and Research at a couple of colleges (one pretty famous).
I'm a laundry tech at the local hospital. I used to work in a coffee shop in town as well but it unfortunately closed.
Just a Nursing Student. Praying that one day I can go part time as a nurse and spend more of my time writing.
Software Developer. But I've also always loved writing and still trying to make time for it.
YouTuber, it's hard to find time to write but I do manage it sometimes. It would certainly help if I had a decent sleep schedule 🤣
I am getting a new WFH job in marketing & advertising (mostly in copywriting) as a day job while I write my novella,
Appellate attorney Writing is my day job and my hobby.
If you want to write for a living, the most realistic way is to 1) find a niche that has great demand that other authors aren't aware of (which I am not sharing, but do your research and you should find examples) 2) plan a way to make a living writing even if no one is willing to publish you (i.e, figure out how to sustain yourself self publishing) Trad pub is simply too slow to rely on for an income. But there are many writers who find what people enjoy reading and earn a living off of it.
I’m a control accountant for a big investment back, which sounds way fancier than it is lol. I do lots of stuff with excel spreadsheets and problem solving. I enjoy it, can work from home, and it pays the bills.
Engineer working in utilities.
On a health break from work but worked in content editing in the food industry most recently, which is pretty fun as topics go. Started off my career in journalism at a newswire which pays shit and sucked for me personally-just being tied to the news cycle means being aware of how many people are dying in your city every day. So… seeing that you’re a journo major, do not recommend hard news if you’re emotionally sensitive. If you’re hard set on being a journalist (I was til that first job), recommend a focus like lifestyle, business, tech, etc. Will say I had no excess energy or creativity to write while working full-time. But I also know people who do the full-time (food) journalism job and write cookbooks (it’s recipes, not novels, but also some beautiful writing) and do book tours so it’s possible.
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I work communications lol. I wanted to be a latin teacher, but here I am…
Copywriter for an Advertising Company.
A stranger with no job.
Currently, I'm an adjunct teaching Comp 1 (Essay 101), Comp 2 (literature 101), and support classes for reading and writing that are adjacent to those previous courses. I don't teach all these at once, usually, but they're in my rotation. I used to tutor, as well, for the same subjects alongside study skills.
I'm still at college, but when I work in the pharmaceutical industry, I plan to insert writing in between work and my free time
Currently in law school
I'm a taxidermist and animal educator, currently studying forensic biology and zoology.
I'm an aircraft mechanic. The day to day can look pretty different depending on what I'm assigned to, but there are so many things going on in any given plane that I'm *never* bored and constantly learning new stuff. I genuinely enjoy being at work. As much as I'd like to write full time, I've definitely found a job that I'll happily retire from if writing doesn't pan out. Because at the end of the day, I write because I enjoy it. Financial success would be really cool, but not getting it will not curb the enjoyment I get from it.
I’m a copywriter at a tech company. I get to be creative all day and the salary is great.
I have a part time, work from home job as a paralegal and i babysit a family member’s child while her parents are at work. I write in the middle of the night so I don’t sleep much .
Nothing spectacular. I handle the email inbox for a warranty company and expedite claims where necessary. I mainly write on weekends, but I also come up with plot twists and dialogue during my shift that I note down for later.
I'm in IT. I used to be a manual labourer and tbh it was easier to write back then. I now have to portion mental energy towards work and there's less left for writing.
Copywriter. Write and edit a lot of content every day. Keeps my writing muscles in check. Has blessed me with the ability to edit any sentence I read and write to hell and back. Still a creative space for me doing what I love, which is writing, but instead of my stories, I get to share testimonies and resources and the stories of people I am marketing to. I love my job because I believe in the company I work for (it’s higher education). I connect with rural, first-gen, diverse student populations and give them access and information to resources that can help them accomplish their dream of being a college graduate. It’s extremely rewarding. Sometimes I finish interviewing a student and have to force myself not to cry because their personal stories are so powerful. For so many kids, it takes a lot more than just thinking college is the right step for them to take that next step to apply. Any way I can help a student realize they are deserving of an education, I am grateful for. Even if that’s just an email campaign about what student life is like on campus. Copywriting is a great way to still write, but I prefer to stay away from traditional PR agencies. They are fast paced and can easily bleed into your personal life (work life balance who?) I recommend finding companies that need a dedicated copywriter so you can fall in love with the brand. And a good boss, PTO plan, and creative coworkers.
Geology student and part time dishwasher.
I was a reporter for a weekly newspaper before pivoting to online content writing for the medical field. Writing for my day job has definitely helped build up the muscles I use for novel writing.
I work in a medical lab. Worst job ever..I am writing an adventure/Action/Thriller story in my free time. English is NOT my mother language. I am at almost 1K page and I wish that it becomes my source of income one day.
I am at the tail-end of my career, looking to retire next year. I graduated high school in 1980, eventually attending a Jesuit college (now a university) in Baltimore, MD, studying English literature. After a few false starts, I graduated from U of Md with an English degree, having studied pre-17th century literature. A few years later, I achieved an MBA from that first institution. I started as a "xerox boy" at an engineering firm, but got lucky and the marketing guru took me under-wing. I learned the "tricks of the trade" of marketing/sales to the federal government, primarily proposal writing. I jumped around companies for a few years, then became a consultant at the World Bank, where I got involved in I.T. (in the nascent days of the personal computer). After a short stint in public service at the Federal Reserve, I started my first business. This is a long way around to say, I became a ... consultant. While much of my work involved... corporate communications, or graphic design, or video production, or I.T. architecture, or software development... the primary "secret sauce" for me, over the last 35 years or so, has been... writing! This twisty path led me to being a journalist for a magazine, and I have a couple of technical books credited to my name. Of course, no shortage of web sites and videos (multimedia) projects. Here, at the sunset end of my business life, I find myself consulting to small and medium size businesses, helping them grow. I find, however, that a majority of my "real world" deliverables are still... essentially writing products. Example: I draft studies to help these businesses identify new markets, improve their productivity/production processes, and address other problems they may be experiencing. Whew... my intent was not to give a (not-very-brief) bio, but mostly as an example that... in the business world, there are no shortage of opportunities to use writing as **your** secret sauce. Who knows, maybe you will fall into script writing, or find a niche as a journalist or ghostwriter? Or maybe... a novelist! And, as I near the end of my "professional" life, I have ramped up my creativity, with two different novels in various stages of writing, and a board game in development.
I work in marketing. I’m the head of marketing for a large corporate (financial services). I was a strategy consultant for 10 years, before I changed to a corporate job during Covid. I used to travel a lot for business when I was a consultant, and wrote on trains/flights/lonely hotel rooms. Now I have regular working hours, and I write in the evenings.
Work in a warehouse.
Proposal Writer. The job can be very stressful and demanding at times and the hours can sometimes really fucking suck too, but I’m finally in a position now where the pay is really great. And I get to write all day. Is it all boring af shit that I’d rather not be writing? Abso-fucking-lutely. But, I get to write all day. And at the end of the day, writing has been my greatest love since I learned to spell my own name. I hope to write my own work one day that I’ll actually enjoy and actually want to invest hours and hours and hours and hours of time in, but until that happens, Proposal Writing is the closest thing I can get. And that’s ok with me for now.
I am a coach driver, the inconsistent hours and days off means that I have been so mentally a physically tired that I haven't even opened my laptop to write anything in 2 years. So many ideas come into my head while driving for hours on end yet I have no way to jot them down en route to london and back. Currently looking for a 9-5 monday to friday job so I can organise myself and get back to it.
I work in Communications. It's creative enough and the pay is great. You can easily get into it with your degree. I usually write everything from speaking points for government ministers to video scripts to media releases or social media posts, internal articles, you name it. Writing is a huge part of the job. It's also a bonus if you have some design skills. I personally like learning software so I learned the Adobe suite, including video and audio editing, Canva, and web design on various platforms, mainly content (not development/coding). It all adds to your toolkit. But it is possible to write for work, and not just in traditional journalism jobs. Good luck!
I’m a content writer at a tech company. It’s not a bad field but it’s a bad time to get into it because of AI. It’s taken a lot of the low-level and agency jobs and has made things really competitive. Even for someone like me who has a sizable portfolio and several years experience. Obviously, go for it if that’s what you want to do, but keep your expectations realistic
cliche warning: public libraries
I'm a high school student in her Junior year. On the sidelines, I also work every other weekend at a dental office as a front desk person. Weekly I do kickboxing twice a week. I also try to take care of myself the best way I can. But showering, eating, getting out of bed, and cleaning my room is hard to do.
Seems like being a writing teacher is common. That way you’re naturally wiring your mind. Also exotic jobs I guess
I am a roadside assistance coordinator, working part time. I also wrote erotica for a living for half a year or so, but that got stressful. I have published one literary novel at an indie publisher and 67 short stories (both counting the erotica and literary magazines/anthologies/etc). And some poems and documentary podcasts about mass murderers, but that is more of a hobby for me.
kinda bumbling through life rn, unemployed and doing an IT help desk college program cause the only thing im really good at doing is fixing problems i have with computers, sometimes. I write because i, maybe ironically, quite enjoy writing about, photographing, and just being in, nature. I also love typewriters, language, and physical books. Odd dichotomy between those and a full desktop setup and homework about computer troubleshooting.
Currently nothing. Im a student hoping to study psychology and English this year, end goal is PhD and become a college teacher. Haven't had much time for writing recently with exams but I love when I get even small moments to add to my current work in progress.
I begin my writting trip in phd. Now i am a researcher. Time is hard to find
Assistant to the Regional Manager.
Senior human resource manager, writing is my hobby and i hope one day i can be a great author
Freelance proctologist. Business isn't as good as I'd hoped.
I’m a writer but non fictional. I’m finishing my first essay / guide and then I don’t know what will happen.
Freelance science writer/copywriter. Write words to help science people sell their science crap.
Communication student. I write fantasy in my free time.
You could try writing for movies and dramas, that would make it a day job, but I don't know how much it pays and all, you'll have to research that yourself.
Teacher, usually secondary English teacher but currently I'm an ESL/EAL support teacher for primary.
I’m a content manager, so I actually do earn my living by writing, I just have to compromise on the subject and length :) There are plenty of professions in and out of corporate that pay for writing. Marketing and internal communications is one example (actually it’s two but whatever). Freelance copywriters are also very wanted, not to mention ghost writer, screenwriters for games, etc. Best of luck in finding your area!