Follow passion... or a paycheck?

StillHere · Jul 1, 2012

I'm at a crossroads... I used to write travel books, which isn't really "writing" the way you and I would probably think of it. It's more like research in book form. It's very time-consuming, and I gave it up to pursue my real passion of writing fiction and hopefully, someday, getting a novel published.

Now my old publisher has contacted me and asked if I might be interested in another travel book opportunity. If I took it, I would essentially have to give up my WIP for the year or so it would take to complete the travel book. My "real" job is stay-at-home-mom to two young children, which leaves me very little time for anything else. One writing project at a time is really all I can handle. So I guess I have to choose.

I have already completed 3 novels without publication success... This is my 4th attempt. At this point, I'm feeling like I really shouldn't turn down a paid writing job. Usually when I have a decision to make, I ask myself, "Is this going to take me any closer to my 5-year goal?" (i.e., getting an agent/publishing a novel) If the answer is no, I don't pursue it. But this time I'm really torn. Do I follow my passion, with a microscopically slim chance of success, or do I delay it AGAIN to pursue a more practical and sensible path with a pretty good paycheck at the end???

What would you do?

Beachgirl · Jul 1, 2012

I guess it would depend on whether my family really needed that extra paycheck right now. Unfortunately, sometimes we all have to make those sacrifices - to delay our dream in order to pay bills. If I didn't need the money, I would probably keep working on what I really wanted to do. But that's JMO and you should do what's best for your family's financial situation.

Elenitsa · Jul 1, 2012

I would try to pursue both. Writing for money first and a few pages of the novel a week as relaxation.

Soccer Mom · Jul 1, 2012

Beachgirl said:
I guess it would depend on whether my family really needed that extra paycheck right now. Unfortunately, sometimes we all have to make those sacrifices - to delay our dream in order to pay bills. If I didn't need the money, I would probably keep working on what I really wanted to do. But that's JMO and you should do what's best for your family's financial situation.

This.

It depends on how much you need the money. If your family really needs it, you do what you have to take care of them. If you don't really need the money and the travel book isn't where your heart is then absolutely pursue that passion. Talk it over with your spouse and make the best choice for your family.

Susan Coffin · Jul 1, 2012

I would take the project, because writing is what I love to do. I don't care how I do it, just that I do it. I would also keep that novel I'm writing on the front burner.

By the way, my chosen career (paralegal) involves a whole lot of writing. That's why I love it so much!

Jamesaritchie · Jul 1, 2012

I've always done both. There's always a way. Putting in most of your hours for a paycheck does not mean you can't also put in one or two hours for your passion.

I'm stubborn this way. I do whatever it takes to bring in the money, but I also insist on being able to write whatever it is that interests me most at the moment.

But if I absolutely had to choose, I'd go with passion. I believe the best way to bring in a good paycheck is to follow your passion. This does not always work, but I am, within reason, a risk taker. As Ray Bradbury said, sometimes you have to jump off a cliff and build your wings on the way down.

VoireyLinger · Jul 1, 2012

It all depends on your situation.

I think for most writers there is the dream of publishing their novel on one hand, and the need to support themselves on the other. The dirty little secret we don't like mentioning or even thinking about as writers is that until that dream becomes a reality, there is the possibility it will simply never happen.

With that hard and nasty little thought exposed, the question becomes, is it sensible for you, at this point in your life and with your family situation, to turn down a paying job in favor of working on a dream which may or may not actually come to fruition?

...and now I'm shoving that little monster back in the closet so we don't all have to think about it too much.

Sarashay · Jul 1, 2012

An artist named Hugh MacLeod came up with something he calls the "Sex & Cash Theory" that I think sums up your dilemma.

THE SEX & CASH THEORY: “The creative person basically has two kinds of jobs: One is the sexy, creative kind. Second is the kind that pays the bills. Sometimes the task in hand covers both bases, but not often. This tense duality will always play center stage. It will never be transcended.“

A good example is Phil, a NY photographer friend of mine. He does really wild stuff for the indie magazines– it pays nothing, but it allows him to build his portfolio. Then he’ll go off and shoot some catalogues for a while. Nothing too exciting, but it pays the bills.

Another example is somebody like Martin Amis. He writes “serious” novels, but he has to supplement his income by writing the occasional newspaper article for the London papers (novel royalties are bloody pathetic– even bestsellers like Amis aren’t immune).

Or actors. One year Travolta will be in an ultra-hip flick like Pulp Fiction (“Sex”), the next he’ll be in some dumb spy thriller (“Cash”).

Or painters. You spend one month painting blue pictures because that’s the color the celebrity collectors are buying this season (“Cash”), you spend the next month painting red pictures because secretly you despise the color blue and love the color red (“Sex”).

Or geeks. You spend you weekdays writing code for a faceless corporation (“Cash”), then you spend your evening and weekends writing anarchic, weird computer games to amuse your techie friends with (“Sex”).

It’s balancing the need to make a good living while still maintaining one’s creative sovereignty. My M.O. is gapingvoid (“Sex”), coupled with my day job (“Cash”).

I’m thinking about the young writer who has to wait tables to pay the bills, in spite of her writing appearing in all the cool and hip magazines.… who dreams of one day of not having her life divided so harshly.

Well, over time the ‘harshly’ bit might go away, but not the ‘divided’.

“This tense duality will always play center stage. It will never be transcended.“

As soon as you accept this, I mean really accept this, for some reason your career starts moving ahead faster. I don’t know why this happens. It’s the people who refuse to cleave their lives this way– who just want to start Day One by quitting their current crappy day job and moving straight on over to best-selling author… Well, they never make it.

Anyway, it’s called “The Sex & Cash Theory”. Keep it under your pillow.

Hope that helps. (You can also read the rest here.)

gothicangel · Jul 1, 2012

Susan Littlefield said:
I would take the project, because writing is what I love to do. I don't care how I do it, just that I do it. I would also keep that novel I'm writing on the front burner.

By the way, my chosen career (paralegal) involves a whole lot of writing. That's why I love it so much!

I agree with Susan. I love my academic work as much as I love writing fiction.

I don't think it would bother me if I was more known as a historian, than a novelist.

lorna_w · Jul 1, 2012

I can't possibly answer for you. But if I were answering for myself, it'd depend on the paycheck amount. For me, 25K would probably seal the deal; I'd do paid work for that amount. As the amount drifted lower, I'd think harder. And I'd find a way to put the research from paid job into a novel one day, doubling the benefit I got.

Writing has been a priority for me for 15 out of the last 25 years. At various times in my writing life, I've gone years at a time without ever eating out, ever going to a movie or play unless it was free, taking the bus and not owning a car, living without health insurance, cutting corners in every possible way to carve out freedom to do what I wanted. I've never regretted it even though no, I don't have a novel published yet. I've always had a vision of myself lying in a pool of blood after some awful traffic accident, my life draining out of me, and thinking, "it was a good ride. I did what I loved." I am terrified of thinking the opposite at the end.

ohthatmomagain · Jul 1, 2012

If it were me personally, I'd take the paycheck.

rwm4768 · Jul 1, 2012

It depends on how badly you need the money. In your case, I think I'd probably choose the paycheck. Guaranteed money is a good thing. However, I shouldn't be one to talk. I'm currently unemployed and focusing all my efforts on writing for the next year before I go back to school. I have some money saved up, so I can survive. The question is can you survive without the paycheck?

huu · Jul 1, 2012

If it were me, I'd try really, really hard to juggle both.

If it's really out of the question, then I'd take the money.

job · Jul 1, 2012

Life is short. Go with your passion. But you might consider whether writing nonfiction could become part of your passion.

In a couple years your youngest will be in school. If you're not making money at some kind of writing, are you going to feel a certain pressure to seek out a straight job?

Remunerative nonfiction is a great day job while your fiction gets off the ground.

bearilou · Jul 1, 2012

Wow. That's a tough one.

And I'mma make it tougher.

Neil Gaiman - Inspirational Commencement Speech at the University of the Arts 2012. A short ways in he talks about his goal as a mountain and the decisions he makes and whether they take him toward, or away from, the mountain.

I'm not going to blithely suggest you can do both. I don't know your home situation other than the little I've seen you discuss and only you can decide if you can juggle that many balls in the air at one time. It's easy for us on the outside to say you can do more or to take the money. We're not in your shoes.

Perhaps looking at it closely and seeing if you can eke out a little time every day for your novel while you take on this task for the cash.

Perhaps the solution is to re-evaluate your time commitment on a monthly basis. Once you get rolling with the cash job, will you be able to sneak in some writing time elsewhere? Perhaps drop back and do some editing?

Perhaps you decide that while this is something you can do, it's not something you should do.

Good luck to you, whichever you decide. You're at least taking into consideration you may not be able to do it all and trying to make a good decision accordingly. :Hug2:

seun · Jul 2, 2012

Tough one. I'd tend to side with passion but I don't have to worry about kids. I find it really hard to write something I'm not interested in. Any way you can juggle your time to work on both?

cmi0616 · Jul 2, 2012

Beachgirl said:
I guess it would depend on whether my family really needed that extra paycheck right now. Unfortunately, sometimes we all have to make those sacrifices - to delay our dream in order to pay bills. If I didn't need the money, I would probably keep working on what I really wanted to do. But that's JMO and you should do what's best for your family's financial situation.

I agree with Beachgirl. Unless you need the money, why would you do something you don't really seem to want to do?

Raventongue · Jul 2, 2012

That's a hell of a tough choice. Damn.

If I were you I'd try to do both, but I have a bit of a history of trying to do too much, so my advice is worth exactly what you're paying for it.

ishtar'sgate · Jul 2, 2012

StillHere said:
What would you do?

As others have said, a lot depends on the family financial situation. When I worked full time at a demanding job with two little kids I had to make time for my passion. We needed my paycheque pure and simple so there was no choice. If I didn't really need the money then I'd carry on with my passion. If I needed the money I'd squeeze in a bit of time for it when I could. There is no difference between having to work outside the home at a day job or on a nonfiction project at home, except you don't have to drive to work or get out of your jamies if you don't want to.

Most of us have had to earn a living while working on our passion so I think it can be done.

ironmikezero · Jul 2, 2012

There's an old saying - Do what you love for a living and you'll never work a day in your life.

While that may be optimal, not everyone will find that perfect niche - and one must survive in the meantime.

Do as you must in order to follow your passion. The journey itself may well prove to be more valuable than one might expect.

Debbie V · Jul 2, 2012

If you do take the position, keep in mind that no life experience is wasted especially on a fiction writer. Perhaps the people you met will find their way into your writing or the flavor of the places. It may be years, but it may happen.

I must ask, if you can't find time for more than the novel you are working on, how will you fit in the travel etc required of the new position?

I'm also a write from home mom. I can go for a day job while my kids are in school and camp, but not otherwise, not unless what I earn would justify the cost of further childcare and the emotional cost of less time as a family. I used to write by day and night, now I focus evenings on my husband and sleep. We all make these choices. Talk it over with the people it affects most if they are old enough to understand.

Chasing the Horizon · Jul 2, 2012

If you don't need the money to prevent homelessness and/or starvation, then I don't think putting your dreams on hold is a good idea. None of us know how much time we'll have and we should all follow our dreams whenever it's remotely feasible.

aikigypsy · Jul 3, 2012

I have a 22-month-old and a 4 1/2-year-old, and I totally get not being able to work on 2 different projects while they sleep.

I have some questions about this paying job. Can you do all the research from home, online? Will you have to pay for childcare? Can you do the research with kids in tow?

One of the reasons I'm not pursuing much in the way of non-fiction writing these days (except for short articles here and there) is that I just can't do the research with the kids. In another year or so, the youngest will be in preschool and I would be able to consider something which required more in depth research, as long as that could fit into school hours.

I guess what I'm saying is that you should probably look carefully at all the costs, in time away from the kids, as well as money, that the travel book entails, and whether it's worth it after all that.

jaksen · Jul 3, 2012

I had this issue, too. I could go with my passion, but I wasn't the only one affected by this decision. I had others (children) dependent on me.

It's that age-old dilemma - how to pay the bills. I mean, I really, really needed to pay the bills and writing wasn't going to do it.

So I worked. But I never quit writing for myself on the side. Never.

WeaselFire · Jul 3, 2012

I'm not usually lucky enough to have the decision. The paycheck always wins. If I happen to win the lottery though...

Jeff

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