Note: you can choose more than one answer.
Although I’m now the full-time operator of my own book editing and design business, I’m still not a full-time writer of the things I want to write, novels.
And I never have been. What about you? Is writing your book something you do when you can snatch a little time to work, or can you devote full time?
I have, however, always been a writer for a living. I started out as a writer of programmed-learning training materials for State Farm Insurance in their home office in Bloomington, Illinois. After a few years, I transferred to the advertising department and mainly wrote brochure copy.
Then I got into the advertising agency world in Chicago, Illinois, and mostly did that for the rest of my career, eventually becoming a senior VP and the agency creative director for a mid-sized national agency. During that time I became interested in screenwriting and worked on scripts in my spare time.
Left Chicago advertising to work on screenwriting in L.A. For a time I was independent and did freelance ad work while writing screenplays. Then another day job: story editor/scriptwriter for an animation company.
I left that and went on my own. For a few years, with no day job, I developed and tried to market a couple of comic strips (yep, I’m a cartoonist, too) and a newspaper column on advertising. I wrote a proposal for a book on advertising creative strategy and came a whisker from having it accepted (wasn’t famous enough, and early version of “platform”). But I didn't really work on novels.
After going back into advertising for a while (and finally started writing novels in the early mornings), I landed a job as web editor/content provider for a university. Still writing, but in a whole new realm. Then I was tapped to create a video team at the university and my work went back to scriptwriting with editing and production thrown in. And worked on novels in spare time.
So I’ve been lucky enough to work as a creative and as a writer for my entire career, and know that it has helped me grow in my work as a novelist and as an editor.
Oh, and I’ve always been a little bit of an inventor, too, and am now working on a couple of new card games that you’ll hear about in the future.
But I’d still love to be able to devote full time to just writing novels. Ahhh, that would be good.
What about you? When do you do your writing? In the early hours? Late?
Best,
Ray
© 2012 Ray Rhamey
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