The financial existence of a freelance writer can be unpredictable. You never know when the next assignment or pay cheque will arrive. Depending on your personality type, this uncertainty can be terrifying.
If you're looking for a paying job that might help your writing, or at least make use of your language skills, here are some ideas.
Editor
Editing is great for people who love grammar, can visualize a whole story and are detail-oriented. You will work closely with text, fine-tuning it for clarity, voice and grammar issues. Plus, you get the satisfaction of correcting other writers' mistakes. There are different types of editors including substantive editors, copy editors, and stylistic editors. The Editor's Association of Canada provides an excellent breakdown of the different types of editing and the skills involved in each. Editors can work as freelancers, or on the payroll at a newspaper, publishing house, magazine or website.
English teacher
Canadian author Karen Connelly supported herself as an ESL teacher while she traveled around Europe, and writing her book One Room in a Castle: Letters from Spain, France and Greece (1993). JK Rowling also taught English to survive while she was writing the first Harry Potter book.
Teaching English will give you a chance to revel in the intricacies of the language, renew your love of idioms and improve your grammar. It will also provide a steady income and evenings free to write. And hey, maybe you'll be lucky enough to teach and inspire the next Stephen King.
Writing teacher
Ignore the negative cliche: those who can't do, teach. Many accomplished writers have shown that they can both do and teach. Since being a successful writer does not necessarily, or even often, correlate with making a lot of money, it is perfectly acceptable and common for a writer to teach writing classes. These jobs are available at universities, colleges, and community centres. Becoming a writer-in-residence is another job option. You never know what you might learn about writing in the process of teaching it.
Library worker
Working at a library is a great job for a writer. You get to be surrounded by books, get first dibs on all the new arrivals, and learn about all the authors you never knew existed. There are lots of jobs in a library, including shelver, circulation clerk, library technician and librarian.
Generally, to become a librarian you need a Master of Library Science. Librarians need to be detail-oriented, capable of managing large amounts of information, comfortable with computers and evolving database management, and happy working with people. Alice Munro, one of Canada's most respected writers, worked as a library clerk during her school years.
Jobs to inspire (and pay the bills)
Sometimes, what your writing needs most is a money-making job that has nothing to do with writing. There are poets who are also nuclear physicists, and novelists who run guided rafting trips. Celebrated children's author Roald Dahl was a pilot for the Royal Air Force.
You can choose a job that bores you but leaves you with lots of creative energy. Working as a receptionist in a very quiet office might work, leaving you time to scribble down stories on the job. Alternately, choose a job that engages another one of your passions – whether that's marine biology, engineering, dancing or working at a daycare. Your interactions with the world you love will undoubtedly inspire your writing.
