is pursuing writing worth it? | the state of trad pub, art v. capitalism + full-time writing update

[@KrisMF]

hey guys!!! in case i didn’t stress enough, tons and tons of writers publish in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. there’s no such thing as being “too late” to start (and i’m glad i didn’t actually publish the stories i wrote at 19 lol) i hope this video is not too cynical 🫶

[@StephanieKoathes]

@@KrisMF sometimes we all need to hear the cynical and pessimistic thoughts of others in similar shoes to know we're not alone with them! I received a fellowship for Caribbean early career writers and part of it has been sessions with publishing experts and sometimes I feel like I know so much now that I have NO hope lol

[@juliat.9719]

I have a friend who published a book at 16 with a small indie (but not a vanity) press. Everyone in our teen writing group was in awe and also so jealous, haha. She was and continues to be a very talented writer, but she's expressed regret that she published that young. She appreciated the experience, but feels like her writing at 16 was not ready to be shared with the world. It's not a bad thing to spend a long time, decades even, honing your craft!

[@CitrianSnailBY]

Exactly.

[@dmkdata]

It always goes from "I'll be happy when I finished the book." to "I'll be happy when I'm published." to "I'll be happy when I sold 1000 copies." and so on. That's why I believe it is much more important to enjoy the process, than to have goals. Both for productivity and mental health. In any job, the process is what we spend thousands of hours on. That's much easier to do productively if the process is enjoyable. The goal is just something that happens at some point. Or it doesn't. Of course the financial aspects are not very helpful. That's mainly because fear is an unhelpful emotion for creativity. If there is any way to learn to be creative, I'd say it is to become fearless. Worrying about finances has the opposite effect, most of the time. I've been enjoying the KZbin videos. Especially the editing/polishing content.

[@camilleeedwards]

"risk my own spirit and put it out into the world" that was TOO real. actually my greatest fear :D i’m SO glad you were supported by loved ones this summer and able to get the help you needed

[@KrisMF]

@@camilleeedwards i appreciate you camille!!! 🫶

[@StephanieKoathes]

I'm 33 so imagine how late to the game I feel 😂 I was just made redundant about two weeks ago, so I've been using the time now to focus on finishing the 2nd draft of my manuscript. I'm really thankful to have the ability to take this time, but I feel every single thing you talked about in this video.

[@jennlimwrites]

Sorry to see what happened but glad that you’re feeling positive about the focus it’s providing. I’m drafting my first novel at 34 so 😅 I’m there with you

[@StephanieKoathes]

@@jennlimwrites Team 30s unite!

[@Tokkidance]

@@jennlimwrites I'm 36 T_T and i am just starting my first draft

[@StephanieKoathes]

@@Tokkidance go for it!

[@Tokkidance]

@@StephanieKoathes thank you!

[@lynndjung]

this was such an interesting, enriching discussion-the bit near the end about imposter syndrome really hit me. i'm nowhere near publication, but i still have constant anxiety about being judged as a person off of my art, which often /is/ so personal-but i'm making a conscious decision to tend to the parts of my life beyond writing that fulfill me. thank u for the honest chat!! 💓

[@KrisMF]

@@lynndjung 🥰💛💛

[@YonaDawn-yu3ie]

I've read your recent blogs and it really touched me emotionally. You are so articulate and eloquent in your speaking and writing that it makes me want to read your book even though I haven't read a single sc-fi book that I liked or didn't dnf (which is weird cause I love fantasy with detailed world building and yet I can't wrap my head around sc-fi??)

[@KrisMF]

@@YonaDawn-yu3ie thank you so much! some sci-fi tends to feel inaccessible for a lot of ppl but i hope my stories can reach all kinds of readers :) i have more writing news coming soon so stay tuned!

[@fairyfathom]

'you can still find meaning in that world' is so important. i relate to all of this, to the ways in which our society is difficult to live in and the ways in which art makes living easier and more meaningful

[@s0nzz97]

I’m 27 and I just started drafting my first book. I do feel I’m a little late to the game 😂 but I’ll never know till I try 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@russellcameronthomas2116]

Maybe this will help you feel better -- I'm 40 years older than you and I'm writing my first novel. Where ever you are in life and development, there you are. Make the most of it.

[@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319]

It's never too late. A lot of the great authors didn't start until they were in their 40s and 50s.

[@AuthorEnchanted]

17 years in to being a full-time author (also after a corporate job layoff, funny enough!) and I still don't have the answers, but I love hearing other writers' thoughts on the questions. Keep writing, because we can't NOT write... that's the best answer, really! :-)

[@temporalloop]

thank you so much for this video!!!! when you said that the goalposts are always moving, i felt that through my bones!! as a 27-year-old in the Philippines who started making more time for writing just a year ago, it's definitely becoming clearer how difficult it is to navigate traditional publishing, both western and local. honestly, local trad pub is more daunting because of how vague the process is. seems like it's about who you know, which writing awards you bagged, or whether your university published you in one of their anthologies. just recently, a couple of my poems got accepted at an online literary magazine (first time anyone will pay me for my writing; makes me wanna cry), but there are these annoying thought loops like "but it's not even a well-known literary magazine" or "your first publication should have been one of your speculative short fiction" or "your fantasy book will rot in the drafts" or "you need to think about what's next" etc. i know people always say there's no definitive path to trad pub & 27 is YOUNG!! but it is quite alienating & discouraging to at least Try to get writing creds for someone who is practically friendless in the industry. feels geographically unreachable, too. anyway, really excited to hear about Local Heavens news! thanks for sharing your processes & thoughts with us. makes me feel less alone in my own writing journey 🧡

[@KrisMF]

@@temporalloop i’ve seen a few PH based writers in my circle who are pursuing the US trad market! there are definitely barriers for those outside the west and it sucks to hear that the local market focuses so much on connections :( congrats on the poem acceptances!!! 🫶

[@Lara_Ameen]

Such an important conversation! Thank you for sharing this! You’re also very lucky with your tech jobs you can work remotely and the same with novel writing. Although I’m very sorry you got laid off and I hope you can find something soon, especially if it’s remote again. As someone who is a multiply disabled, autistic wheelchair user, remote work is actually vital for me because due to my disabilities, I’m unable to drive. Novel writing is mostly remote (unless you’re promoting your work at author events and a lot of that is in person). I’m 37, almost 38, and have been pursuing a writing career in both television writing and as an author for a VERY long time. I didn’t start taking my fiction writing seriously until 2012, though (not even for publication, I just meant for me). But I am traditionally published (short story in an anthology) without an agent and almost got traditionally published again (another short story in an anthology), but that opportunity fell through. Some people hate my story, but that’s okay. I’m proud of what I wrote. I’d written hundreds of short stories, published some of them, and lots of fanfiction before I got traditionally published and I’m currently querying my PhD dissertation novel (an Adult contemporary fantasy I adapted from my supernatural drama pilot). So far, it’s mostly rejections. But I’m not giving up on querying it yet and I’m drafting a new novel. As far as TV writing goes, I’m about ready to give up. I always tell authors that the entertainment industry is harder than anything in publishing because there’s way more out of your control and you can’t cold query (I mean, you can, but it’s not something that’s widely practiced). To pursue a career as a TV writer in America is… really rough and extremely ableist. I’ve been writing scripts since 2007 and got Final Draft (the industry standard screenwriting software) in 2009. Between 2007 and up until now, I’ve written 36 scripts (yes, really). Several TV pilots, TV specs, feature screenplays, short film scripts, and a one act play. I took a few screenwriting classes in undergrad and decided to go for my Screenwriting MFA (and later a PhD in an unrelated field, but I was able to do a creative dissertation and relate it to what I want to do). I was especially serious about TV writing in undergrad and my MFA where I wrote a bunch of TV specs and short film scripts (many on my own, not for classes) that will never see the light of day. I finally have 4 solid pilots (written and revised between 2014 and 2023, lol) that I’ve been using to apply to TV writing fellowships throughout the years (2021-2024, mostly) and I’ve gotten into a few smaller fellowships/mentorships, but not close enough for some of the bigger ones (or made finalist, but didn’t get in). I applied again this year one more time. But the thing is, publishing will never ask you how much industry experience you have (in fact, it’s not a thing) and TV writing doesn’t just want industry experience, but they want you to work in in person TV writers’ rooms when I am not able to (I’ve been fighting for virtual TV writers’ rooms since 2014 as I can’t drive and I’m immunocompromised). I can’t do the assistant route jobs my friends can do and although I applied for MULTIPLE entertainment industry internships during my time as an undergrad and grad student, I got none of them. In fact, pre-pandemic, I had priority consideration for an entertainment industry internship and as soon as I told them I couldn’t drive, they hung up on me. I’m excluded from most jobs because I can’t drive. So it’s capitalism, but in a different way. And TV writing isn’t also sustainable when so many shows get cancelled after one season and there’s no room for baby staff writers to work their way up. Which is why a few years ago, I came up with the idea to adapt my own work (script to novel) and my current WIP is a novel adaptation while I query the other one. Just offering a different perspective because while I know publishing sucks, I haven’t given up on it yet and don’t know if I will. Thank you for this video! Excited for your upcoming news! 💜

[@daveryan1559]

Your book sounds amazing. I hope it gets published and I get to read it someday!

[@kendradeloof497]

This was so genuine! I really appreciate your candor and vulnerability with these thoughts 🤗

[@jennlimwrites]

Ah 26 🥹 that feels a lifetime ago for me. I feel like I didn’t really “find” myself until I hit my 30s, and I’m still changing and growing each year. My perspective has changed so much (I used to see things so black and white but my vision has expanded to see more of the gray) and it’s definitely reflected in my writing. I also saw a huge shift with the pandemic, but I think it also came with me just getting older. I used to work until 10 - 12 most nights as a burnt out corporate drone but now I’m trying much harder to focus on my personal life and hobbies vs caring so much about moving up the corporate ladder. Thanks for sharing this contemplative video and looking forward to when you can share the things you touched on!

[@KrisMF]

@@jennlimwrites everyone in their 30s tells me this!! it’s very affirming

[@sandrareddy3508]

The more you share about Local Heavens the more excited I am to read it. I so appreciate your perspective on publishing and am glad that you've stayed committed to your work!

[@TimeslipNovel]

Such a heartfelt video. I was an academic editor for years and gave it up at the age off 55 years to finally do what I always wanted: spend more time writing. Now I sell real estate to fund my writing. Best decision ever. Don't ever lose your love for writing and don't stop writing. I tried to stop, many times. I wasn't any happier.

[@AuthorDarrellCScottJr]

“How do I protect my relationship with my art” I can definitely identify with that internal struggle. It’s a constant battle every time I sit down to write. Staying in touch with the reason I started writing has been my saving grace for enduring the growing pains of pursuing a writing career. As a Clinical Director, I find it easier to hold to my passion for writing because my financial security doesn’t depend on it. I personally don’t feel that becoming a full-time writer is ideal for me because I am inspired so much by the work that I do outside of my creative endeavors. I think the key for some writers might be to find a day job that they don’t totally hate or that inspires them in some way so they can then have the freedom to create without all of the pressure of selling and becoming an instant success. Thanks for sharing your journey with us, I always enjoy your videos. ☺️

[@amaliaetc]

While you were describing Local Heavens, a vision came to mind of someone in in the 2120's reading your book and getting a snapshot of what people were going through during our times. The themes of Local Heavens seem to encapsulate so much of what we are collectively experiencing right now, the fears and pressures we are facing, while also asking the timeless questions of how to live in a society that we can't quite thrive in? I sincerely hope that both we and future generations will get to read your book.

[@KrisMF]

@@amaliaetc 😭 that is very kind and encouraging, thank you!

[@chelseabartlett8082]

Wow wow wow I found this sooooo relatable. I work SO hard on my writing, I always have, and it's such a strange dichotomy because I've spent my whole life wanting to achieve the massive goal of publishing someday, but it's also the thing I feel most passionate about and in love with in my life. Struggling with that balance is such a big part of my life, especially right now as I'm trying to navigate my agent suddenly leaving the industry after we've been working together and sending books on sub over the last three-ish years. I was just talking to my therapist the other day about so much of what you talked about here, and she really stressed to me how important it is to reward myself (and I think this goes for any creative) for what I have accomplished, even if it isn't the big, final goal -- because as you said, that goalpost is always moving really -- but the hard work we're all doing is hard work no matter how it ends up working out. She said that Sisyphus's work didn't just *become* hard work when he got the boulder to the top of the hill, it was hard work the whole time, and that deserves to be recognized and rewarded with pride. That really hit me. Anyway, thank you for sharing your experience with these feelings. It was hard and sort of sad to hear because I know it's hard and sad to feel, but I appreciate you sharing that because it makes me feel a little less alone in it.

[@teddy9320]

I stumbled upon your video randomly and wow... I have never related to a video so much lol. I too graduated in 2020 and went straight into the tech industry. I've worked from home since and that has made me get back into writing as well. I don't know what I would do if i did not have writing throughout this entire time.. and part of me gets anxious when i consider shifting to it as a career choice. I wish you nothing but good fortunes and success!

[@scarlettdownsiswriting]

Finding an identity as a creative outside of your creations and art is possibly one of the hardest parts of this to understand I'm really glad you brought it up!!

[@alisonfabi1081]

i'm 22 and i started writing my first book last year, gave up on it and only recently started again with a new idea. i have always wanted to publish but i've always been the first person to tell myself that i shouldn't get my hopes up because i am not from an english speaking country and while i am fluent, english is my second language. i also have a handful of mental illnesses and disorders that have honestly controlled and are still controlling my every day life, especially with how it has made me unable to stick with a job. i ALSO only have a high school diploma bc there's nothing i was interested in doing and wasn't willing to go into debt for anything. there are so many other things that are working against me in my life and it's probably the reason why i can't make myself work hard. i always feel so guilty for not writing enough bc there's this voice in my head saying 'don't you want to get published? i thought this was your dream and you can't even focus for ten minutes?' and on top of that, the doubt if my writing is even any good comes with it too. i know the first draft is supposed to be bad but as i'm writing i just can't help but feel like that i'm a naive child who will never be good enough. idk these are just my thoughts about me and my dream of publishing one day, it's really rough. sorry for the long comment/rant, i unfortunately don't have people that i can talk to about these things. thank you for this video and sharing your thoughts

[@KrisMF]

@@alisonfabi1081 i hope you continue on with your stories at your own pace! 🤍 if it’s any consolation, many writers who are outside of US/Canada/UK are able to sell their books :)

[@Jungaloowi333]

Just turned 23 last month. I've been working on my first novel the past few days too

[@pimmspimms5462]

Alison, your comment touched me. I’m much older than you - 40 years old - but, strangely, can relate to everything you’ve written. I have a diagnosis of Complex PTSD and panic disorder. My health means that I’ve been unable to work, consistently, for much of my life. Since childhood, it was my dream to write for a living. I’d wanted to become a journalist and was on track to achieve this. I have undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications, but PTSD means that all of my hard work - academically - has gone to waste. I feel hopeless and bereft most of the time. And yet, still… there’s that little voice inside my head telling me to write. Recently, my therapist has recommended that I start to write morning pages. It’s a gentle way to begin - there’s no pressure, you’re not writing for a book. Have you tried morning pages? You have nearly 20 years until you reach my age. There’s so much time to begin, gently, at your own pace, to pursue your dreams. You’ve expressed all of your thoughts and feelings so beautifully and clearly - it tells me that, even though English is your second language, it isn’t going to be a problem. I believe in you. 💛 x

[@kelleyiswriting]

I hope we can really pause this idea that we are late. I didn’t write my first book until I was 26 and that’s okay!! These feelings shouldn’t be invalidated but also shouldn’t define us!!!! It’s actually really interesting how we both started focusing on writing during the lockdown. I love your honest thoughts about writing full-time. I’m rooting for Local Heavens and you ALWAYSSS ✨

[@KrisMF]

@@kelleyiswriting so many writers returned to their projects in 2020, it’s wild 😭 love u kelley!!

[@fairyfathom]

so excited for the writing milestones you are going to share eventually :D

[@jaswriting]

Aww Kris sending you virtual hugs! Layoffs sound so stressful. Corporate worklife is just so unstable rn and I’m so sorry that you were affected! And as somebody who just turned 30 and only finished draft 1… I admit, I feel like I am waaay behind but then I met other people around my age who are also starting out and I just accepted the fact that my age shouldn’t hinder me from starting my passion. Now that you are writing full-time, would you consider indie publishing? Is that something that you ever considered? Thank you for sharing your vulnerability and best of luck to you! ❤

[@KrisMF]

@@jaswriting indie is just not the right route for me at the moment (there are many things i *do* actually prefer about trad that i never got into in this video). thanks for the encouragement! 🫶

[@hal_dd2218]

This video touched my deepest feelings

[@malikamaybe]

I think my original comment got eaten up by KZbin lol, but I only wanted to say thank you for this video. There are so many quotes that hit home and reminders for myself in here (especially as I started querying a week ago, especially as someone who feels very behind and has been writing for ages, especially as someone who worries about business pursuits affecting how much of a first and main love writing is to me, especially as someone who still needs to completely disconnect identity and self-worth from publishing pursuits, etc.). This was such a deeply lovely video, Kris 💕 Thank you!

[@KrisMF]

good luck with querying !! ✨🫶

[@malikamaybe]

@@KrisMF Thank you so much!

[@trixjoyce]

Astrid Lindgren was one of my all-time favorite Swedish children's authors, who also became internationally recognized; she was almost 40 when she published her novel which made her career take off. She published one book before that, her debut novel, and that one failed completely. Not to talk about another famous author I adore, Laura Ingalls Wilder, she was 65 when she published her debut novel "Little House in the Big Woods" and her book series that later became the famous TV series "Little House on the Prairie". 65! We have all the time in the world as long as we are alive. I know a lady who did her PhD in her 80s... I really look up to all of these older people who have worked really hard for their accomplishments. To me, that hard work is more worthwhile than younger people having either parents or other people who make them successful or somehow thrive because of luck... Luck is not impressive. Hard work is :) I have still not been able to sell my books or my other art, because it's hard to be seen and recognized in this world, but I won't force my progress or feel anxious because I'm still not doing my dream at the age of 32... I really liked your video, and I'm sorry for my rant lol ;)

[@AdamFishkin]

As someone who deals with severe clinical depression and OCD, the trad-pub environment you're describing means I am unfortunately not meant for trad-pub. If my debut novel undersold and the publishers decided to black-mark me as worthless, the suicidal thoughts would win. People have called me worthless since I was 6 years old. I'm reaching a point where my next work either needs to be a masterpiece with unanimous critical acclaim, or needs to be a self-distributed underground wild card that can just float around aimlessly as an in-joke among artist friends. And that's before money comes into the equation! It's not the making of money I worry about. What I worry about is the people who prioritize the making of money ... and not even that, but the people who grant themselves the authority to impose this value on my work AND who delude themselves that financial sense and creativity are the same thing. I have zero patience for those people. I want them to get the fuck away from me. The corporate world had me once. It will never have me again, no matter how desperate I am for income.

[@rand0md00d3]

A cyberpunk Gatsby book sounds awesome! Is your book already out or is it still in the making? (I might've missed that part of the video, I have a short attention span)

[@KrisMF]

not out yet but stay tuned for updates !! 🫶

[@stillarobyn]

I'm nearing my mid-30s and while I started writing at age 12, I had a mental health struggle in my late 20s into the last couple of years, and basically didn't write at all for nearly five years. I'm just getting back to it, and it feels like an identity crisis. It's so powerful hearing someone say that writing isn't all you are, because I felt so lacking, defining myself as a writer, and then being unable to make words into stories for so long. I feel like I'm utterly racing behind.

[@clouise9722]

I'm 26 and I got hit by lay offs in my tech job too 😫 I then paused on writing on my book to work for 3 months on my portfolio, i then got another tech but they over worked me to death. So after 3 months there i decided to resign! Im now unemployed but after 6 months, I can finally get working on finishing my book again. Im living at my parents and broke and am now just hoping to get any regular job to survive - but im so happy to be writing again! Its a curse and a blessing having this NEED to write.

[@fairyfathom]

midlist authors don't get their due tbh. it's not just the runaway bestsellers that are making publishers money. and it's that collective money that allows publishers to bid so high on books they believe will become bestsellers. from the way publishers act, you wouldn't know it

[@mysticheathentarot]

Honestly at the end of the day even though I have a few stories I want to have go towards traditional publishing, I have to remind myself that if anything happens with publishing companies and etc I can always self publish my work. It's not the end of end all if a publishing company decides to pull the plug on me or others see my book numbers and decide the same. I never let the environment around me dictate what I want to do with what I am whole heartedly passionate about. I write because there are stories in me, even though its nice to get paid for writing and etc. I remind myself why I write to begin with and focus on that instead of the what ifs. It'll only give me an ulcer if I focus on things that are not in my control. Everything has its moment.

[@KrisMF]

@@mysticheathentarot i’ve seen authors successfully go hybrid (both traditional and indie) or transition into one fully!

[@empressfreya9872]

I never thought about publishing my writing until like 2022 and in those two years, I've come to the conclusion that in order to not drown in the publishing world, you pretty much have to have an unhealthy relationship with it. The constant instability, anxiety, doubts. If the thought of no one ever reading your writing doesn't drive you crazy, don't do it to yourself. At the same time it really is impossible to survive it without also taking care of yourself. Publishing, especially trad publishing, will squeeze everything out of you if you don't know how to draw boundaries. I'm currently in the querying trenches and that alone has almost killed my writing if I didn't decide to stop submitting to agents until I can talk about it all with excitement again.

[@mhjmakes3631]

(Essay inbound, you've been warned.) As a (as of yesterday) 29-year-old, who's also had a very turbulent career outside of writing, I have a somewhat...unconventional (?) approach to everything. I graduated in 2019 (which was actually a year later than when I was originally supposed to), worked freelance for a bit out of obligation, and then the pandemic hit, and I had to go through yet another adjustment period. Went through a few different career paths, varying from stable but low pay, to unstable but high pay, and now here I am, writing while also working towards a more traditional career path that (much like everything else these days) seems to be shrinking by the moment. So, to me, it's like, writing isn't even uniquely all that risky anymore. I've seen firsthand just how fragile several industries (and the world at large) truly is, and it's just like...meh? I think that my unconventional approach has also impacted how I plan to enter the industry. I've developed a deep distrust for larger corporate entities as a whole, and I find traditional publishing to be something that's more of an aspiration than a goal. I feel like my experiences have taught me to be a lot more self-sufficient (?) in how I approach things. I like to have as much control over how my work is made and marketed, and I feel like the more you outsource your work, the more failure points that you create, and then when it comes to rights ownership (or just getting the darn thing produced in the first place) and the like, things can get really hairy. So...I just avoid that altogether. Haha But I'm also not necessarily approaching this with the idea of becoming a full-time creative in mind. I've had so many career shifts, that it's kind of hard for me to imagine doing one thing forever. Still, I do believe that if I didn't create something, my life would feel very unfulfilled. My goal is to become as much of a creative as I can in a way that I find to be the most sustainable. So, if that means I end up becoming a part-time creative and then...freelance editing on the side, or working at a library, or at a goodwill store, or as a consultant or...at a coffee shop or something to fill in any financial gaps, and that makes me happy, then that is what I shall do.

[@j.c.jeggis1818]

I’m shocked that 30-somethings and even 20-somethings feel like they’re too old to get into writing. The best writers are usually old, because they’ve been doing it longer and have more life experience. Writing isn’t UFC, there’s not much youth advantage.

[@BigDaddyJinx]

Indeed. The writing world is one where youth will more often play against you and not for you, as some people think. What life experiences do you possibly have at 20? Short answer is, not near as many as those who are much older and have a far bigger well of knowledge and lived experience to draw from. Besides, the older the writer, the better odds they grew up in a time of literary classics and not cookie-cutter manuscripts that all pretty much sound and read the same, so they understand and appreciate that individuality and use it to their advantage.

[@SteveTalksBooks]

The book industry is rough, very few authors write full time and with millions of books being published each year there is a lot of competition.

[@cassythetree]

There's no doubt in my mind that I'll get published. Lol. It's literally the one thing I'll let myself be completely delusional about. Otherwise, I don't think I'd survive this country. Zimbabwe is... not great? I've always seen writing as my ticket out and that has honestly led to me putting a ridiculous amount of pressure on myself to get my book done. I love writing but I'm constantly stressed about it. I keep telling myself that I need to get better at it but no matter how hard I work I never feel like I'm publish-worthy. It's like I have this clear image of myself holding the published copy of my book but I have absolutely no idea how to get there and it's so frustrating and I hate it.

[@KrisMF]

the feeling of envisioning yourself at the finish line with all the steps to get there being murky is so relatable. writing is really the most fulfilling when we're able to detach it from stress and pressure but it's just really, really hard not to. that said, i think delusion is actually a really motivating force and sometimes it's the one thing that keeps us going.

[@mishikijayanna3184]

You want to leave Zimbabwe? Have you considered becoming an Aupair? Look it up. You can go to Germany as an Aupair and then later do a free training course called an Ausbildung (also look it up) then you can start a stable career in Germany.

[@PsychOnlineAldrian]

Before and After The Book Deal by Courtney Maum still is relevant today. Lots of brutal and realistic stuff in there. You're doing it though. Just remember you're doing it.

[@glitchscribble44]

❤

[@MrRosebeing]

40+ years writing, yes it is, but don't do it for the publishing or riches or becoming famous. Become a plumber, a farmer, a scientist, find the cure to a disability or two, do something useful, or you can continue to put words to paper. I haven't done any of the above worthy things, I just carried on writing. No one will remember me, but at least I will know that people have done useful things.

[@Evybooks]

Having a job as a creative is so weird. We want to do something creative but this world doesn't revolve around ''creative'' so we sell our souls out to the coperate world, because we need to pay rent and taxes. like I just want to write my silly littel stories!

[@DreamingTruth.author]

I appreciate your honesty