by Michelle Wilkinson

Created on: July 18, 2011

Writing might seem like the easiest and most convenient option when searching for a career, because you can work from home or anywhere else you fancy and set your own hours. However, many people who think that writing is the ideal career for them soon discover otherwise, as they are confronted by the fact that there are a lot of writers out there each competing for work on freelance sites and to get their articles and books published online and elsewhere. Writing may give you freedom in some respects, but not in others, as, for instance, it can be harder to generate a regular income from writing than with a regular job.

Indeed, this is one of the major reasons that people choose not to write for a living. They may enjoy writing and be rather good at it, but they need to know they are going to have enough money at the end of the month to be able to pay their bills. Writing isn’t exactly the most lucrative occupation to begin with and when you are up against a lot of other writers for the same job opportunities, it can become rather exasperating. Even when you’re extremely talented you may not have the chance to demonstrate your brilliance, so that writing ends up being relegated to a hobby.

As well as the financial aspects of pursuing a writing career, what puts other people off pursuing this type of career is the fact that you have to be self-motivated and to be able to organise and plan how to use your time. When you work in a traditional workplace you have a manager who gives orders and makes sure you keep on top of your work, which is not the case when you work from home. Writing at home might seem to make perfect sense, but it can actually present its own challenges. If you live with other people, they may not stop to consider that you are actually working when you are typing away at your computer, so that you have to deal with constant interruptions.

The trouble is that you sometimes start to welcome these interruptions when working from home, because you spend most of the day by yourself in front of a screen carrying out research and typing. Although you have to dedicate chunks of time to your writing, it is also important to take breaks and to ensure that you get out of the house and meet other people or else you could find yourself growing increasingly isolated. This is something that many people struggle with, because when you’ve been working in a traditional workplace for a long time you get used to being surrounded by colleagues and clients. When pursuing a writing career you have to get used to working by yourself.

Although a writing career is not for everyone, those who decide to persevere and continue to treat writing as full-time job generally find it to be a rewarding, albeit tough one, which motivates them to hone their skills and become better at what they do.

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