The Big G Word

[Jeunemaitre]

Any other liberal arts graduates here at the Lounge? Any suggestions for someone who just wants to hold down a job while writing fiction?

I'm not sure that I qualify as a liberal arts graduate (BS in psychology) but I suffered my fair share of jokes about measuring peoples’ satisfaction about receiving fries with their burger. I actually got lucky in that the first resume I sent resulted in an interview and the job I've been in for almost 5 years now. My problem is that I haven't figured out what I want to do for a career (the current job isn't it, despite the fact that it pays the bills).

In your case, if you have a good idea of what you want for a career, the job might be less important. Have you considered being a science/technical writer? I know the company I work for has been increasing our use of independent science writers to review and edit manuscripts before submission to professional/scientific journals for review and publication. It does strike me as being something you could do out of a home office, but it may be a bit hectic given the potential for short timelines and a need for the ability to pick up a technical/jargon vocabulary pretty quickly.

On the other hand, if you're looking for something to pay the rent while waiting for you're first novel to get picked up for national distribution, look for something that has good hours. The thing that kills me in my current job is that I don't plan on going much further in this industry, but I can't walk out of the office without continuing to think about work, effectively making my hours 7:30 AM till bedtime on some-days. It makes looking for my true calling more of a task than an enjoyable part of the journey of life.

edit: Y... y... my kingdom for a y!