Hey Xombies, Do you/ Do you want to, write professionally?

posted October 26, 2008 - 5:41pm

Hey Xombies, Do you/ Do you want to, write professionally?

The question is the title! Being the nosey little sod I am, I'd like to find out what writing you do beyond Xomba. As far as my answer goes, I so advertising posters and tickets for a local business, and I also write for another website called triond which generates some revenue.

At which point do you define professional writing? Do you define professional as anyone getting paid, or do you have to be making an actual living? Which areas of writing do you think are the easiest to make money in? Where do the big bucks lay? Do you think that freelance writing or a steady job is better? Do you think that a professional writer needs qualifications, or is practice and experience enough to carry them along? Let's get the answers to some of these questions, and maybe a few more!

My hope here is that there will be many comments and ideas around this xombyte that could inspire or help others to put pen to paper (or finger to key) and pursue the writing art. I've been writing in bulk since I was 15, and it's one of the few things I enjoy that I could probably make a career out of. Perhaps others out there have been on the same river, but are now further upstream than I am.

In other words, I'm trying to get my writing to the point where I can make a living out of it and I'm hounding you wizened veterans for advise ;)

Author: Evis T

Comments

Oh man would I love to write

tinatango - Wed, 2008-12-11 3:33 pm

Oh man would I love to write as a career, I always wrote songs and poems when I was little. Really great at writing picture prompts. Always wanted to write a novel as well, but never come up with something interesting enough to go though with it =P

This Is Exactly the Type of Entry Xomba Was Designed For! ... at

mythman - Wed, 2008-12-11 3:28 pm

The question is the title ("Do you/ Do you want to, write professionally?")! Being the nosey little sod I am, I'd like to find out what writing you do beyond Xomba. Oh dear! Is there ANYTHING beyond Xomba? I don't think so, but--if there is--the key to it is 'more Xomba.' ... or did you mean 'other than Xomba'? ... semantics ... As far as my answer goes, I so advertising posters and tickets for a local business, and I also write for another website called triond which generates some revenue. Me too, both at Triond (not enough to warrant looking up an address), MyLot (sort of like Yahoo! Answers, but with money) and for a while at AssociatedContent. At which point do you define professional writing? Do you define professional as anyone getting paid, or do you have to be making an actual living?When I asked what a 'confirmed Roman Catholic' is, I was told it's someone who lives professionally---if anyone asks them what they do, they reply, "I'm a professional ..." (following it with whatever life-activity is most-expedient at the time). For instance, I'm a professional writer right now---it's 'what I do.' That's what "professional" means: 'as though it's what you do.' "Which areas of writing do you think are the easiest to make money in? Where do the big bucks lay?" I'm not sure which audience is the best (I'm thinking it's 'late high school'/'early college'-age readers---money to burn, and freedom newly found; but maybe that's just MY audience. YOUR skills and experiences might better acclimate you to a different audience. Do you think that freelance writing or a steady job is better? A 'steady job' is probably a surer paycheck, but freelancing is more-relaxed (if you don't need the money). Do you think that a professional writer needs qualifications, or is practice and experience enough to carry them along? For professional writers, practice and experience ARE the major qualifications. Sure, 'degrees' and 'certifications' GIVE you a lot of qualification; but that's because of all the un-pressured 'practice' and 'experience' you pile up in attaining them. (And yes, it's probably "healthier" to practice/experience WITHOUT the pressure of 'this 5-pages is my food for the week'; but it makes the pay more-valuable to you.) ---Uncle MythMan (http://www.geocities.com/jmythh2k5) & we Xombies Help You GET PAID if You Help Us! Explaining Money, Love, God etc. WAKE UP & Defend Your Honor! ...

---when You Join Xomba, you can join this- and MythMan's other-hot discussions!