Hi there everyone. Louise I have just read your books after finding the first book in a second hand shop, and they were just brilliant. I found this board a few days ago and after reading all of your comments it's really inspired me to take up writing again, which I did a lot when I was younger. 17 years on I'd all but forgotten the passion that has come back to me with a mighty pang.

I have a question for the writers out there...how do you survive? Unless we're all JK Rowlings, we know there isn't money in the game. And what if your passion -- like mine -- is all about writing? How do you cope with other careers? Do you ever just want to throw the rest away and just write?

Hi Sheryl! I was so excited to hear that you have rekindled your love of writing. It's a big thrill isn't it?

As to a writing career, when I sold my first book I was encouraged by a good many people not to quit my day job! But it all depends on the individual.

Some writers earn great advances and can work full-time. For others, like me the advance is nice but I had to wait a couple of years for the advnaces and royalties to reach a point where I was making a living. For others you may never make a living. And I know others again who earn enough in one advance to pay off their home loan in one hit!

My advice would be to not stress about any of that. Write because you love it, write because you don't have a choice, and the rest will look after itself when the time comes.

Happy writing!

Ally
http://www.allyblake.com

Hi Sheryl,

I am still struggling with writing as a life passion - I can't not do it but I have lots to learn.

Though I have no idea how published writers survive (Ally's response was terrific) I do know what you mean by the desire to throw all else away and just focus on one thing - writing.

For me I've gone out of my way to search for work that allows me to write ie a job that doesn't consume me (I have many other life facets doing that anyway). Then again, having said that - I seem to get more writing done when I'm busier than the proverbial bee. Suppose for me it's a case of ensuring I find the time.

My 1 1/2 cents worth anyway.

Nicky

Nicky - I totally agree with the idea that you get more done when you're busy! I work much better under pressure. Give me a full week to write, and I'll get 1000 words done. Give me an hour a day and I'll get 10,000 words done.

Ally

As for me (and a great big Hello), I work best on my writing when its part of a routine, one that I can slip into my life with work, uni, horses and social life. My muse usually hits big time when I have many things at uni due, so have learnt to bite back and stick with a routine of writing at 1500 words per day. This way I can work at making the stories full from the first draft whilst chasing a publishing deal. But that would be the cherry on the top compared to the cream of letting my imagination run away from me on the screen.
Goodluck and welcome to the board.

Hey Sheryl, lovely to meet you

I agree that it's not wise to "give up your day job" immediately. Having said that, we don't all need castles like Ms Rowling either! So it's finding a happy medium, I think. I get out and about doing workshops and panels etc, which helps me keep two kids in private school (don't lets start on the braces!). And having a day job can be a great motivator to write, as Ally said. The routine works for me. I try to write for part of the day, do admin/workshop preparation etc in a set block and then I have 'other' unpaid stuff I do too. There's a place for everything, but the most important thing is not to isolate yourself. Writers need input as well as output. Watching movies, catching up with friends, meeting new people and researching areas of interest are all important in keeping that flow of ideas coming.

Hope that helps

My secret life's dream was to write ever since I can remember, using all sorts of excuses not to put pen to paper. With the children leaving the nest and I struck down with an illness I was unable to keep working on our dairy farm. One day talking to my daughter about dreams I revealed mine after which she did a little nagging to encourage me to fulfill my dreams. Once I typed the first word I was so engrossed I hadn't realised the whole day had past, this went on for months. I sent my finished material to an aquaintance of my nephew only to be told to put it in my drawer. Illness struck again so my work stayed in the drawer for a few months then I dragged it out again recently. I again after many times in past reviewed and re-typed. I have 7 private readers who all are pushing me to go further, (I don't have the same confidence as them)but thoroughly enjoy writing. My palliative nurse(one of the readers)was excited about my writing has encouraged me to keep at it. I have began a sequence and once again totally engrossed.
Good luck Sheryl, enjoy what you are doing. Chantellie.

Chantellie, I like your spunk! It's great that you're being encouraged now, rather than discouraged, but in the end all writers have to write because they love to do it, not because of what other people say about their work. If it gives you pleasure and a creative outlet, go for it!

It's nice to think that all our work will reach an audience, but for some people that's not meant to be - not because they're not talented, but simply because they don't want to go through the process (and it's a tough process - rejections and then finally acceptance only to be faced with multiple edits etc). If you're enjoying the process and are happy to remain there, that's a wonderful gift in itself.

What sort of story are you writing?

 

Louise I know what you are saying about readers etc. Yes I write because I love it and even if I had no readers I would keep writing and if the readers didn't like my material I would still write for the sheer enjoyment.
When i said they have encouraged me to go further i didn't mean to be published I meant keep writing though it had been mentioned I should see if it is publishable but that's where i don't have the confidence.
The story is fairly tragic actually. I tried something different, the actual beginning is the end and comments from that was that I blended the end with the beginning well. It's about a woman's life from when she ran away from home through to marrying and having a daughter of her own. Being young and inexperienced she found herself in a violent marriage and lots happen through her life all the while she looks for her estranged mother and brother who since her disappearance sell up the home and spend the rest of their lives looking for her. The ending is a mixture of happiness and sadness and has a twist. My readers loved the twist as they all thought while reading they knew what the end was going to be but to their surprise it had a twist.
Oh and a question on writing. When writing do you make up town names (which I did) except the main city of Melbourne & Sydney. The suburbs & country towns were made up but the descriptions of the areas are real. When I've read books I have seen real suburb etc names but have come across books where the names are fiction. What is the best???
Chantellie

For fictional work the best thing to do is whatever helps you avoid a slander suit!  If you're saying something bad about a place, don't mention real names.  But if you're just identifying an area, that's fine.  A friend was writing a scene about a problem that happened in a hotel and the publisher suggested she didn't use a recognisable name like Hilton or Sofitel in case that hotel chain took offence and sued. 

Naturally if you're writing a biography it's okay to say what really happened, but be aware that people (town mayors) still might take offence, and if published you might be called on to prove your allegation.  If the story is never published, you don't have a problem really.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Louise, just what I thought. Though my work is 100% fiction I wondered how some published authors got on. It had crossed my mind that even though fiction, if you name a place (real) there just might be that one person/family who coincides with some event in story and think it was written about them. Small world could happen to any one. I asked that question because I had no idea what authors did and know I have read fictions with real place names.
Thanks again, Chantellie.

Pretty sure if it's a fictional work the publishers put something in the front of the book to the effect that "all characters and events represented in this work are fictitious and any similarity to living or dead people is purely coincidence."  Their legal people know how to cover their butts!

I know how you feel. All I want to do is write, which is fairly much what I am doing, but I am looking for work that will enable me to continue writing and earn a living in some fashion. So far, no luck.

Sk.