THE DOCTOR IS IN

Hi, Dr. Sue,
I'm a writer - unpublished, so I do it because I love it and because with practice, I hope to be able to write something worth publishing. My problem isn't being blocked - I know that I go through creative and non-creative times and take the ups along with the downs. My problem is my day job. I make decent money, but I'm not happy where I'm working. I understand that I'm obviously not at the point where I can write full time, and I don't know when or if I'll ever get to that point, but I don't know what to do with myself in the meantime. I really don't like where I'm working now, but I wonder if my problem is that I'm in an office environment and don't want to be and I don't know if getting a shiny new office job will necessarily solve my problem. I've thought about going back to school, but I'm having trouble figuring out what I want to do, not to mention that taking classes and the time for research and homework would take away from writing time.
So here are the loaded questions for you. Are there any careers that you would recommend looking into for writers who aren't writing professionally? Do you know any writers who are happy with their day jobs, and if so, what do they do?
Thanks for your time,
Christine

 

Dear Christine,

You are not alone. Most writers, published or not, have day jobs, and my admittedly unscientific research suggests that about 35% actively loathe them and another 35% merely tolerate them. (Unfortunately, of the 30% who love their work, 10% are teachers of writing, who obtained their jobs in the first place because they were well published, and 10% are people like me who are passionate about a separate vocation; if this were true of you, you probably would not have had to write this letter.) Understand that I am making these numbers up, but they are fairly representative of the reports of friends, clients, and colleagues.

This is not to say you should despair of becoming one of the lucky 10% of writers who enjoy work that is neither the fruit of a successful writing career nor a career in itself; just to reassure you that your struggle is far from unique.

There does not appear to be one particular type of work that suits writers as a group. However, most of the jobs that fall into the "loathed" category seem to entail wearing a suit and pretending to care about corporate goals. (If you actually support your company's mission, that is great, but writers in particular seem to find the pressure to project a false persona excruciating.)  

The jobs that range from "tolerable" to "great" vary according to the writer's personality and temperament. The three major divides seem to be: writing vs. not writing, solitude vs. company, and money and prestige vs. freedom.

 

Writing vs. not writing:

Writers are divided in their feelings about paid writing assignments. Some find that the discipline of writing to prescription, on a deadline, stimulates their creative juices; others that it drains exactly the faculties they need for their own work. If you fall into the former camp, you may wish to hone your skills by writing, for example, fundraising material, catalogue copy, or technical material. (If you are well connected and lucky as well as gifted, you may get magazine assignments as well, but again, if that were the case, you probably wouldn't be writing me.) Writing-for-hire can be done either at home or onsite.

 

Solitude vs. company:

Some of us prefer to work in silence and solitude, and to have enough flexibility in our schedules to enable us to throw down our paid work for an hour or two when an idea hits us. Freelance work, either in the field (editing, proofreading, or writing as discussed above) or in other congenial areas (web design and maintenance, pet-sitting, doll repair—I have known of people who have made their living this way) works for them.

 

Others hunger for companionship to balance the solitude of writing. Friends and clients who work in video stores, libraries, and bookstores report quirky, interesting coworkers and interaction with the public that is at times frustrating and at others stimulating. Some have found such jobs to be rich sources of material.

 

Money and prestige vs. freedom:

It is easy to dismiss concerns about vocational status and prestige as frivolous. If we are serious about our art, we should not care what we have to do to support it. After all, Tennessee Williams worked as a shoe salesman. Et cetera.

 

The reality is, though, that most writers endure repeated rejection of their work, for years on end. For some, working at a low-status job during the day, and then coming home to a shabby apartment and a mailbox filled with rejection letters and alumni newsletters detailing the fabulous achievements of less promising classmates is too much to bear.

 

Imagine yourself five or ten years down the line, still unpublished, working as a grocery clerk. Will it bother you to tell people what you do for a living? Will you dread family get-togethers? Will it depress you to sleep on a mattress on the floor, and to eat out of cans instead of shopping in gourmet or health food stores, or even eating out once in a while?

The dedication to art that enables some writers to live this way into their old age is admirable. It is not for everyone, though, and it's best to know your limits and accommodate them, even if it means a more regimented and possibly artificial existence.  

Try breaking down your responses to your current job according to these axes and any others that seem relevant. Interview friends and interesting acquaintances in depth about their work experiences, and try to imagine yourself in the environments they describe, both now and in the future.

In this economic environment, of course, most of us feel lucky to have any work at all. But you're wise to start thinking now about the path that will suit you in the long run. Please keep me posted on your progress.

 

Susan O'Doherty, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with a New York City-based practice. A fiction writer herself, she specializes in issues affecting writers and other creative artists. She is the author of Getting Unstuck without Coming Unglued: A Woman's Guide to Unblocking Creativity (Seal, 2007). Her Career Coach column appears every Monday on Inside Higher Ed's Mama, Ph.D. blog. Send your questions to her at Dr.Sue at mindspring dot com.

Comments

[Susanne Dunlap]

Such a thoughtful response to a difficult question. I would only have to reiterate to this questioner that having a day-job and being a published writer is far from uncommon. That doesn't mean I don't yearn to be able to spend more time writing, but as Dr. Sue says, I've made my choices--which include a comfortable home and the ability to help out my struggling children and their families when necessary. That's something else to consider: are there others who depend on you for solidity and relative financial security? While I know my daughters would support me if I decided to throw everything in and live in a cave, I'd never be able to countenance what to me would feel like a selfish act, whether or not it is. Plus, writing is my refuge. If my livelihood depended on it, I wonder if it would lose some of its luster. This from a published writer who has been very fortunate, with book #4 coming out next March, and no end in sight to the day job.

[Lindsey]

WoW this is a loaded post, much conflict.
I too am a writer who works in a job outside the home. It is very hard to find writing time while working a full time or even part time job, and as any author knows, it can be frustrating to handle these two different worlds. It helps if the company you work for has a great staff that is supportive and fun to work with. So even if the job description isn't all it's chalked up to be, having an environment like such does help. Every writer will have a different reaction to work outside of writing, so it's hard to pinpoint which types of jobs make authors the happiest.
However Dr. Sue has covered this topic beautifully. I think it will help all writers in finding peace with their day jobs!

[Dory Adams]

Sue, this was a great response with practical guidance -- your insight into the "three major divides" offers much to think about. Yesterday, Erika Dreifus at her "Practicing Writing" blog posted a link to a good essay about strategies to keep one's writing life alive while still working a day job, which I also found helpful. Susanne, thanks for sharing your personal experience and reminding us that it's common for even veteran novelists to have day jobs.

[Angelia Sparrow]

Excellent response.

My response to my dream-job-turned-nightmare was to get out library work and academia entirely. I went to truck-driving school.

It's not for everyone, but the choice is not always between "suited office" and "minimum wage" just as it's not between "cans" and "Whole Foods." There is a spectrum that includes fresh food at the chain supermarket and blue-collar jobs that may actually pay.

We liberal arts majors tend to get into a white or pink collar job-hunting rut. My advice to the author is "look at what you enjoy doing and see if there is a profession where you can." Oh, and, Keep Submitting!

[Richard Grayson]

I've enjoyed most jobs I've had, whether teaching (all kinds of subjects from constitutional history to computer programming to public policy as well as writing - very rarely creative writing - and literature) or being a college administrator or working as a staff attorney at a public policy institute or doing editorial or retail work.

I would never NOT want to have a day job. I am just as productive a writer when working full-time as I am during those very pleasant times of summer vacations and collecting unemployment benefits -- which is to say, sometimes I'm very productive and sometimes I'm not at all.

Most stay-at-home writers are lazy bastards anyway.

[Susan O'Doherty]

These are all truly thoughtful, helpful comments (no matter how you try to disguise yours, Richard) and I thank you all.

[Christine Carey]

Your answer gave me a lot of food for thought. Thanks!
-Christine