Coping With the Day Job
by James M. Palmer
(Originally published in Everywriter)
"Don’t quit your day job." We’ve all heard that phrase, usually when we’re caught singing. It’s usually a mild insult, a suggestion that we not quit our full time positions to go try to be the next Sinatra. But for the working writer, it can be the best advice there is. Here’s why.
Let’s face it. Most published authors don’t pull down Stephen King-level salaries from writing, so for many of them, a steady job is essential. Sometimes these jobs have long hours, offer low pay and require us to do menial tasks. They can wear us down, but here are some ways you can make them a help to your writing instead of a hindrance.
The Perks
Not only does a steady job offer a regular paycheck, but some side benefits as well, such as insurance--which is expensive for the self-employed–and vacation and sick time. These last two can be a boost to your creative output. Have you been working hard plotting that novel? Take some paid time off to work on it. Got a novel coming out? Take some time to go on a signing tour. If you haven’t written anything else in a while, you can rest easy knowing that you’ll have some money coming to you while you’re not at your full-time job.
Time, Precious Time
Right now you’re saying to yourself, "But I work all the time. I don’t have any time left for writing." The truth is, you can find the time if you try. One writer I know, who works in a bookstore, jots down notes on his lunch hour, then types them up on the computer when he gets home. Do whatever it takes, even if it means getting up before you would normally do so to get ready for work. Many successful writers did this before they made it big.
If you have a shift job, like I do, you can write before you go to work or after you get home. I have to be at work by noon, so by getting up with my wife at six a.m. and seeing her off, I get a lot of writing time in. There will be days when the words just won’t come, but if you set aside a time to write, you will program your brain to think about writing during that time. Then you will have days when the words just pour out of you.
The Name Game
If you have a job where you have access to a lot of customer names, this can be a great way to come up with names for your characters. Think of the possibilities in characterization in such real life monikers as Nigel Lobo and Harlus B. Coody. You shouldn’t be using real names, but you can combine different first and last names to come up with intriguing and bizarre combinations. Sometimes, just seeing someone’s name can spark your imagination to come up with one of your own. Let it run wild.
Reality Check
Finally, a job can give a writer a healthy dose of reality. Sitting in front of a typewriter or computer screen all day, with little or no human interaction, is neither easy nor healthy, and venturing out in the real world on a regular basis can do you and your writing a lot of good. Just hearing how people speak and watching how they move can help you breath new life into your characters. It can also help you get your conscious mind off your writing, while your subconscious takes over and works on any problems you might be having with your latest project.
Working With a Net
Working a full-time job doesn’t have to kill your writing career. Properly balanced, it can help your writing by giving you a stable income, interaction with people, and time off to pursue your dream. That’s something to think about for those who want to quit the minute their first short story is published. "Don’t quit your day job" is more than just a funny saying. It’s also a good, safe way to launch a writing career.