h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi
I've just joined BBC!
I am a writer. This said, I need to earn a living while i am writing my novel and screenplay, so what can you suggest? One has to pay the bills, you know!
Looking forward to meeting new people!
Cheers
Amanda

theres always jods around.
theatre or shops even bus driveing?
the worlds full of endless possiblitys

pb_blue

You can always become a MaryKay/ Avon/ tupperware seller...
Telemarketing places always need someone and the experience is so awful you will always have wonderful stories to write.

It depends how much money you need. If I was in your situation I would probably go for some type of shift work - bus driver or truck driver - where the hours are irregular, the pay relatively good, leaving you time at the word processor. Those 2 professions seem to be undersubscribed at present.
If you want to meet people you could get a sales job - plenty of those advertised, make sure its not office based that will batter your creativity!

Hi Amand's5!
Wow 5 and already looking to earn a living. I'm most impressed. Most of us don't really get to that stage until at least, well, we run out of other options. Though I can't say that 5 is really being that 'new'. New-ish maybe. 5 is the time to start learning about the world we live in at a place called school. The normal practice I believe is for people similar to yourself, only bigger, but not necasserally, nesacerraly, necessaraly (hope there is a spell checker in this thing) smarter to fill your head with the 'current thinking' which can be found in books under titles similar to 'known facts carved in stone'. You may find yourself some twenty to thirty years later, realising what they told you may not have really been the whole truth or even any truth at all and being re-educated with the latest and up to date thinking, (which of course will have re-placed the previous knowledge located under 'known facts carved in stone' and taken up it's own place under 'known facts carved in stone' with no real mention of the fact that the facts that are 'carved in stone' have had to be re-chiseled or the reason why this is so, but I'm sure traces could be found by some eagle eyed archeologist who in turn would create a theory of why this happened which in turn would become 'carved in stone'.) Any way, where was I? Oh yes, to be re-educated indirectly by letters home, parent's evenings, come and join in days etc by your childrens teachers. They will be filling your offsprings heads full of facts 'carved in stone' which will conflict with the things in your head that are 'carved in stone'. It won't be so noticeable at first. It becomes a bit more of an issue somewhere around the teenage years I believe.
Anyway I'm waffling.
Hi, I too am new, but that's mainly because I got fed up trying to work out why things I was taught at school didn't seem to make much sense. I think by the time I reached my exams I had decided that the people teaching me must know what they were talking about, they were older, wiser, had degrees in 'facts carved in stone', what did I know, I was just a kid. The effort I spent coming to this conclusion was too much and I fell asleep, thus messing up my exams. I have only recently woken up and find a few decades have past me by. Thus I am looking for ways to earn a living also, only to find my skills and knowledge laughed at by my children and peers.
One good thing I've found though in my new waking state is something called "Hitchhiker's guide to the Glalaxy". I've heard it's a pretty darn good read and I'm looking forward to it immensly. I just hope I don't have my usual problem of getting hold of the wrong end of the stick when I read it though.
Cheers!
Oh I'm new here aswell. Hi all.

Hi Amands5,
Strange, I am also looking for new ways to make a living other than the regular day job, fortunately I am over 50 and have been converting a barn for the last 10 years and have learned many skills during the process. Before the daughters were born I used to play guitar and I've recently discovered I have the ability to teach so I have a few threads to pick up on. Looking back I seemed to be better off on the dole just living the life, bills, what bills? What do you write about?
Peatee

Hi Amanda,

I would suggest that you try and find work in a theatre Box Office.

The money will be about the same (perhaps slightly more) than waitressing/bar work but far less physically exhausting and earlier nights.

It's office-y (stable) but never dull. It's a shift type job so should fit in around writing. You can generally choose to work more or less hours each week. Plus you'll get to see a whole load of plays for free which can't be bad for the creative juices!

If you're interested then play on Customer Service experience and ability to learn computer packages rather than waxing lyrical about Shakespeare. It's a rookie mistake.

Good Luck.

Amanda has only posted once, back last May, so I don't think she'll be around to read this thread.

alji

You could make use of Word Web and avoid spelling mess.
It's free provided you do not take to plane travel too much.
If you do, you may have to buy their pro version.
They hate planes 'cos of pollution in sky.
One more thing, the spell checker here is ok.
Just tested on my word 'pollution' and it works fine.

Benaloy, Amanda hasn't been posting so probably she wont be reading this thread.

alji

Charles Bukowski worked for the post office before he quit and became a writer full time. He said that he could either stay at the post office and go crazy or quit and starve. He chose to quit and starve. With writing comes choices. I believe he had 45 books published before he died. Good choice.

Me too. I am a writer and I am looking to earn £££ for my writing as well as other work. Have you any ideas?

Cool old Guy checking all Researchers in this conversation so far
"Actually nearly all of you seem to be 'one day wanderers'

A way to make a living of writing is sticking to this site, create an entry with _your_ work, see if it fits in any of the categories / Edited Guide or just leave it in the raw entries.

Several (not many) have managed to become good enough to make a decent living by eventually selling their work in the real world. One thing by sticking around is experiencing the not an easy task of becoming a writer, stick with it, keep on writing, get used to receive less lyrical comments , become used to the sound of deadlines rushing by "