Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Hi Hun,
I think you and I are seem really similar, as we sorta did the same thing. When I was younger, I used to write stories and stuff all the time and all through high school I got really good responses about it so I too thought that's what I wanted to do with my life.
So when I got to University, I took a bunch of Creative Writing courses but to me, a weird thing happened. My first 2 courses were brilliant, I loved the people, loved workshopping stories and loved, loved, loved writing. Then I took my third course, and I seriously felt like I had run out of things to write about. Now, I know that's ridiculous because it's so limitless but that's how I felt, so I tried to stick it out but felt like I was just embarassing myself, so I dropped it.
Then I too started taking more practical courses at Uni, deciding to (for some reason) get a degree in History... What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks I was gonna do with a history degree, I didn't know but there's that.
So now I have been in England for a year and a half, right? Have taken a break from school, thought I'd figure stuff out.. but I haven't. So I go back to Canada in December with half a History degree, part of a Creative Writing background and no idea what to do with my life!!
Which brings me (finally, sorry) to you!
I know the idea of being a writer as a career is a scary one because it's so dependent on you writing a book you can sell, in order to make money. And you could be the best writer in the world, and have problems getting published.. and then more trouble getting it sold to millions of people.
Still, I think if writing is something that you love to do then you'll do it. I still find myself really sort of yearning for it sometimes, which is why I have decided to go back to writing.. but only in my free time as I need steady income!
I would say you should start writing in all the free time you have now.. just write and write and write and see where it gets you. If you start coming out with things you want to get published, send 'em off. There are literary magazines that you can send off short stories and poems and stuff to that might publish them if they like it. If that goes well, work on bigger projects. I think just jumping into it, and leaving everything else you're doing will put too much pressure on you to write and take some of the joy out of it. I think that's one of the reasons I had so much difficulty when I was doing it for a course.
I agree with you that being able to stay at home and write whenever you wanted would be such an ideal career! Can you imagine how lovely it must be if you could make enough money that way to just live your life on your own time table? Brilliant!
I'm sure you are a lovely writer, so I say give it a shot. Once you start, you'll probably get a better idea of how much time you'll want to commit to it and ocne you start sending things out, you'll get used to responses from publishers and stuff.
Good luck, honey! I hope your dream comes true on this one.. and I'll buy all your books!

-Steph

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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.

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