The difference between hobby and vocation is one of those things that is a tough question for most writers: when is it just for fun, when is it for profit, why can’t it be both? I got my start in writing fanfiction ages ago. I thought I started when I was about eleven years old but friends of mine have said they recall me writing even earlier in my life (and I believe them, since they loved to laugh at how they would be out making snowmen and I’d be cozy and inside, writing). For many years, it was my retreat from the world, my way of recharging depleted batteries, and I didn’t care about showing anyone what it was. Reading over it now, I’m surprised by how not-awful it is.
When does that change?
It’s tough to pinpoint an exact moment. It’s usually an internal question of refocusing priorities: are you going to that friend’s party or are you going to sit, alone in your room, writing for the next four hours? Instead of your lunch break, are you going to add to your next scene? These are, unfortunately, not the right questions to ask because they are still hobby-questions. I’ve met plenty of fanfiction writers who spend more time writing fanfiction than they do on any other activity, including sleep, but that does not make them professional writers (professional writers in the sense of receiving compensation for publishing their work, not because of the quality of what they produce).
Here are the questions I go through when considering if someone is ready to make that commitment to writing professionally:
- Are you looking for help to get better? (Yes because you’re here.)
- Have you started researching resources? Writing contests, literary agents, publishers, authors, publicists, Amazon in general?
- Have you familiarized yourself with the vocabulary and processes of publishing? What is a galley anyway? Is a second draft really necessary if I get an editor to fix all the grammar in it? What’s the point of a query letter and what is it?
- Have you calculated how much money you need to earn to switch to writing full-time? (And then realized that you probably need to keep your day job but the extra bit of cash doesn’t hurt at the end of the day?)
- Have you looked into attending a workshop? A writing conference? Have you considered asking an agent or a friend you don’t feel would lie to you if the idea is good enough?
Once you’ve started answering these questions with a long-suffering or slightly panicked “Yes,” then congratulations! You’ve started down the road of writing as a vocation. The easy part is over and the hard work begins.
Do you know where you want to start? How do you even start, there is so much out there. Sifting through query letters and agent profiles, genre-writing and book classifications, editors and grammar, marketing, publicity, social media, outlining and, yes, actually writing all get mixed up in a long stream of “Things I need to know but I don’t know what I need to know.”
In the immortal words of Douglas Adams, “Don’t Panic!” Relax.
Let’s start with step one. Ready? Do you have a completed book?
No?
Well, the rest doesn’t matter yet. Hurrah! Believe it or not, this makes things easier in some ways. You won’t get bogged down in other stuff while you’re trying to get the writing bit done. This blog is all about how to get the writing part done, how to improve what you’re good at and to look at what you’re not good at. Also, for those of you who have half a book, an outline, a first draft, or even a second working draft ready to go, I’ll be including resources and information on how to get yourself ready to dive into what being a professional writer means and what you need to know to keep your head above water.
Just remember, “Don’t Panic.” Typos can smell fear.
Worldbuilding: Writing for Intermediate Writers 