Looking to make a career out of writing? There’s a gulf of difference between a person who writes on their own time to a professional who churns out copy. If you’re going to make a living out of putting words to paper, that’s a distinction you best understand.
If you want to be a professional, then writing becomes your job. It’s your own personal 9 to 5. Instead of an activity to pursue for its sole enjoyment, you do it because it’s how you’ll make your living. You set writing milestones, chase deadlines, pursue clients and use the most efficient writing software you can find because those are all things you need to do to get your job done.
Some people have such a romanticized view of writing that they can’t imagine sitting down in front of a word processor for anything other than to express themselves. It should be safe to surmise that those individuals won’t ever become professionals – at least, not until they develop a change in their thinking.
What they can be are waiters, clerks or some other type of worker who struggles to pay the bills while writing their first Great Novel. Some of them will be successful, able to provide for themselves financially while pursuing their muse. Most, however, are likely to either continue struggling, abandon their dreams or eventually discover the joys of writing professionally.
Still want to make a career out of writing? Then prepare to write about topics that may not be in your traditional view of fun. Be willing to do research and put in hours of work to understand subjects you’re only marginally interested in. Accept that you’ll have to engage in brunt work that have nothing to do with writing, yet are crucial if you want to keep making a living. That’s how life is when you make a career out of writing.
