More recently , Louis Auchincloss – 58 novels – his latest published at age 92 – worked full time as a lawyer AND raised a family most of his life.

Okay, I also wanted to write and also had such a vision (freelance writer). However, I also carefully looked at the marketplace, odds of breaking in (fiction writer? 1 in a billion), and my background. I had informational interviews with people that had a similar background to me (training in the sciences). Subsequent to this I found out that there were areas that would pay you $ to write about science or medical topics, and how much each area tended to pay.

So the next step was to get a job in this area, a job that allowed me to write about topic X. I did this for a couple years (and I so hate the soul sucking 9-to-5 job; basically I acquired writing samples, saved up 5 months of savings, made connections with coworkers, and studied the industry more (eg, how much did my industry pay freelancers? how much did a pharma company pay for the writing sample? what do blogs for freelancers suggest, etc).

Anyway, so I quit my job last week and just got a project to be completed in the next 2 weeks for $5000. Now this may be a bit preliminary (I may get nothing again for the next 6 months), but — my point is that I am sure Matt has a unique background and he may need to do a little research into areas he can break into and how much they pay. Do the background work and then jump.

I’d also say that although I would love to have a fiction piece published, that is just a hobby because it doesn’t pay — but I will keep on trying. The dream is never over. My plan is that the other type of writing, medical and science writing, will pay for my fiction writing hobby.

Finally, I’d love to point out how well Trent has done on this blog. A couple years ago (?) I popped in and– didn’t see much content. However, what he has done since then is incredible — he now does have a unique perspective, voice, and info to provide. As an outside observer, it seems that Trent acquired these skills over time.

Please try again Matt.

More recently , Louis Auchincloss – 58 novels – his latest published at age 92 – worked full time as a lawyer AND raised a family most of his life.

It goes back to an old expression, “Can’t Never Could.”

The moment can’t enters the equation is the moment your opportunity to succeed is lost. Never give up hope.

Where there is a will, there is always a way.

It took him a LONG time to become the fiction author he always wanted to be, and he spent a LOT of time working up to that point by writing as much as he could – both paid and unpaid. Here’s some links:

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2004/12/17/john-scalzis-utterly-useless-writing-advice/
http://scalzi.com/whatever/002697.html
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/02/11/unasked-for-advice-to-writers-about-money/

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/20/081020fa_fact_gladwell

It’s about late bloomers in art and literature, and it gave me a lot of hope as a budding composer, realizing that even if what I’m doing isn’t getting me anywhere now, it might get me somewhere later.

One other thing that struck me when reading this article is a difference in personalities between two people that chase a dream. For instance, I’d characterize you as pretty conservative, so you spent a lot of time getting comfortable with the idea before jumping. On the other hand, I know people that couldn’t do that. They have to throw their 100% effort into something the moment it enters their minds. The ones that succeed we call amazing, visionary, etc, the ones that fail, we don’t talk about so much. It’s interesting that it’s the same trait, discipline, that determines whether one has the wherewithal to stick with something through obstacles and also the patience to wait until the time is right.

Great post and good advice. The on/off switch thing stuck with me, it reminds me of exercise programs, dieting and the like. Too many people fall off after a couple bad days and act like you can’t just start again today.

Another piece of advice–when you look for an agent for your completed work, don’t go to anyone who requires a payment. (I apologize if this sounds like basic stuff, but a lot of people don’t realize that agents don’t actually charge you upfront–they will take a percentage of the royalties of your book’s sales.)

I get a lot of satisfaction knowing that someone has read my book, and my mother tells stories of the copy she has lent out that seems to be making the rounds to friends-of-friends, telling me how much my writing has been enjoyed.

Now I am faced with a similar feeling of defeat as Matt. I quit my job to live my dream. Now I have to figure out anew how to earn a living, and thus far have no dreams to chase for how to do it.

There are all sorts of writing, and you may be better at some sorts than other sorts. Me, I don’t have a creative bone in my body, so I would never even try to write fiction because I’d be terrible at it. But I’m good at taking complex information and distilling out the essence in a way that people can understand. So that’s the sort of writing that I do.

@Juliska: yep, Chicago actors are the same (though we make less money than our LA counterparts, since our work tends to be more stage and less screen). :-)

You’ve certainly found your voice, Trent, and it’s amazing to see how your writing just keeps getting better and better. Thank you for sharing vivid words of hope with all of us, because we need to be reminded that a dream gives us hope.

A dream helps us put up with the crappy job, or the demands of school, or the weight of sacrifices. A dream makes it all worth it.

I’ve learned that I can endure any condition in life as long as I have my dream. But I’ve also learned that I need to be reassured that I’m not crazy, that I’m not the only who finds the pursuit of a dream sometimes excruciating, so thanks for this post! I’ve fought off doubts to keep me going a while longer.