

Ask HN: Just published my 9th book (first novel) - Should I keep my day job? - EwanG

Book is called Camp Handiba (wheelchairs, native American folklore, and summer camp) and available for Kindle here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004S2KR5O
or Nook/Nook Color here:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?ean=2940012188496<p>Reviews good, bad or otherwise appreciated :-)
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ChuckMcM
"Should I keep my day job?"

Yes. In my experience if you don't know deep in your heart that what you are
doing is what you should be doing, then maintaining gainful employment until
you can find that passion is recommended.

edit: I shouldn't type in the morning.

~~~
EwanG
I certainly enjoy writing, but my wife and kids are somewhat persistent about
a stable income. So it's more a question of whether some neutral third parties
think I'm good enough at this that I could someday earn a living at it, or if
I should be doing more games instead - such as this one:
<http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/479926>

~~~
ChuckMcM
"... but my wife and kids are somewhat persistent about a stable income."

I completely get this, I've got 2 kids in college, ouch! The 'joke' is that if
you have to ask the question 'Should I keep my day job?' then the answer is
always 'yes'. The reasoning behind this is pretty straight forward, the
difference between practitioner and artist is that the practitioner does it
because it interests them and an artist does it because they can't conceive of
any better use for their time.

One way you would know you were passionate about writing books would be that
you had moved back into your parents house with your family. That is an action
where your passion is expressed by what you do, you sacrifice things that you
might buy, or comforts you might enjoy, with a stable income because you are
so passionate about your writing that doing it is all you can think of.

People with this kind of passion that try to get "day jobs" often get fired
because they are constantly 'not present' at work, instead they are thinking
about their next novel, researching it, creating characters, exploring
viewpoints, "Oh wait, we had a staff meeting at 10, I'm sorry it totally left
my mind!" Happens a lot to people who can't help but be what they are.

I also get the whole self confidence thing too, the need for some external
validation that you're making the right choice, Etc. But there is only one
real measure, and its not opinion, its how widely you are read. How many
people relate to your stories? Does it change their life? Does it give them an
insight they didn't have? Does it entertain them? I worked as an intern for
Jerry Pournelle for a while, not name dropping, just citing the source, he
called this understanding of how your writing affected your readers "finding
your voice." He helped me understand I was a programmer, not a science fiction
writer :-)

My experience is that nobody can tell you what you should be doing, only your
heart can tell you what you should be doing. And by listening to it, and doing
it, you will be happy. And of course you will not be wondering if you should
be doing something else :-)

