is it a hopeless dream?

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I am in high school and I am beginning to think about my future career. My dream is to be an author writing fantasy/sci fi books. However I do not know if that would be a good career or not, based on the fact that you have no steady pay unless you are succesful. I was wondering if I could get some advice from people who have had experience in the real world on whether i should pursue a career as an author or not.

 

I have no experience, but I have talked to a Genetics professor before, who had a friend as an author. She said that such a job was harder than med school.

 

You've got to know most people don't become a full time author unless they can get a steady income from writing. Between the time they start to write and become famous they went through all kind of s**t to keep themselves alive.

Bottom line is, no job is going to be easy, even a, no offense, porn star. If you have the motivation to take on the challenge that is going to dump on you then you are ok to go.

 

I have that same dream and I'm working towards a qualification in computers right now to ensure I can at least eat while trying to do it. Best of luck it'll be hard going but who knows when you might strike it lucky? After all, J K Rowling almost never got published, and indeed wouldn't have been if it hadn't been for a nosey secretary at the publishers office. Rowling even thanked her publicly IIRC. Go for it

 

My advice would be do something similar to what Vermillion is doing. Have something that is your primary source of income (English professor perhaps) and teach or whatnot. Do the writing on your own time, and find a publisher. You'll at least have a job in a similar field and that will give you time to mature and shape who you are (which will definitely be reflected in your writing.)

 

I agree with Big B. However books earn you almost nothing, if its not a bestseller, or if there is only one book, or if it is not pressed to be banned (some how that always hels with sales).

 

I agree - don't depend on published work for income until you are well established as an author (reading a bio of any author will tell you that). Just make sure you have a primary income, and you will be alright.

ps - that is why I am going to graduate school - so I can eventually have a job while I write my fiction.

 

I am a dreamer (and also part time author) It is not a hopeless cause... anything you can dream you can do... If you love to write then you could probably become (or already are good at it)

[ January 16, 2003, 22:07: Message edited by: X ]

 

Don't give up. Vermillion has the right idea. Find something to do to pay the bills and write on the side. If you are truly passionate about it, you will find the time.
Have you considered a job that involves writing (other than novels)? Such as tech-writer, ad copy writer, journalist? This would allow you to make money writing while you are working on your novels.

 

I have a similiar dream of becoming a published author. I've never thought of it as a main income which is why i intend to write in my spare time while still having other jobs. At some point i would quite like to work as a local journalist, not world-wide because big news is little variation between papers; i like the sort of stories that you get in small papers that so very few people care about (maybe a man and a dog) but if he sees his dog mentioned in the paper that'll make his day.

 

I am hoping to be a game programmer (pc) and perhaps a writer too, then I can sell successful books and make games of them taking over both the reading and gaming of the entire world - Muha!

 

It's hard unless your talent is exceptional or it's meant to earn you a living. Try just writing short forms and 'publishing' them over the net. Maybe enter some competition. When you get your diploma and then a job, then you can write one or two novels. If they're liked and appreciated that will be good for you. Personally I'd rather write books and stories and poems than practice as a lawyer, so I understand you fully. Time will show.

 

I have another option, marry someone who is filthy rich! Ok, I am not saying to just go find some money bags. But my brother-in-law lucked out in that respect. His wife is a coorporate lawyer. She makes enough so that he doesn't have to work, so he can concentrate on his writing. but most of us aren't that lucky.
If there is something you enjoy, (and this is for those who are in a job but would rather be doing something else) do it. Plain and simple. If you don't you will be regreting it for the rest of your life. What I really want to do is run an eco-tour/eco-education company. I want to teach people in an informal way about different places in the world. I started to do that with a friend in Alabama, and am starting the planing stages to do that here in California. I know that I have to work somewhere right now, but a few years down the road I know I will be doing what I want to do.
Set some short-term and long-term goals. Maybe by the time you finish your freshman year of college you want to have published a short story. Set small goals like that and then ultimately have a further goal of saying in ten years you will be writing novels and publishing them and only be doing that. Just don't make the mistake many people do and say, "well, I'll never be able to survive doing that" and go do something else.

 

I want to be an actress or an author and none of those pay very well!

 

a friend of mine wants to graduate, get a job and then write a film script in his spare time.

I guess such an idea is comprehensable but it'll take a lot of evening time to write a screen script as a hobby.
But, that has to be the way for smalltime writers to get started unless you start a book when you're at school and can go straight to the publishers when you leave, if not before.
Or, you need to be so loaded that you dont have to work for a year.

 

Lets break it down:
Work Hours: 12-16 hours a day seven days a week!
Succes persentage:1/1000000000000
Benefitial part: Get lucky and write well and you'll be famous, filthy rich, you can even make a movie or even a game!
(Nearly forgot!)Yes it is lovely if you have a good story idea/ideas and patience....LOTS of patience!

Padeen!

[ January 17, 2003, 15:46: Message edited by: Padeen Dragonblade ]

 

Woah Padeen. Been hitting the spell check function recently, eh?

We'll make a writer out of you yet.

 

Honestly evaluate your work and ask yourself if you think you are good enough. If you have trouble doing this objectively, ask someone close to you to help.

If the answer is yes, realize that you are going to spend at least 3-5 years working a "real" job before you can become profitable enough to write full time.

Still not a problem? GO FOR IT BROTHER! FLY LIKE THE WIND

 

Just remembered sooem advice too. When looking at what you've wrote, you'll rewrite it around 20 or so times, but don'r get disheartened by this. As long as you're very critical of your own work and don't settle for it's good enough you'll do fine.
I remember reading something from David Eddings about writing so much, just anything even random words, then bin it. Then start writing .
I've found that having an idea of the beginning, and the end helps the middle just falls into place. And always have any background material handy too, especially in Sci-Fi or fantasy stories.

 

How about this: letting us see some of your work!...That way, you'll know if you'll have a great following if you become an author!