To chase my dream or not?

anksta

anksta

anksta

Soldato
Joined
19 Jan 2005
Posts
2,722
Arite, some of you may know I want to be a writer and am making (some) efforts to get there. Now I don't get up everyday at 9 and sit at my desk and write til 2 in the morning whether its drivel or not, I write when the inspiration comes, which can be 20 times a day or once a week, at 3 in the morning.

But anyway, i came back from China a few months ago and decided to give it a stab, made a thread or 2 on here about getting work at media places etc. and it hasn't really happened, now I know rome wasn't built in a day and I'm not for one second thinking "I gave it a go and it didn't happen" just because I think I'm only just starting to give it any kind of "go".

But I'm on the dole (was royally scammed about 2 weeks ago for a job) and I do voluntary work on hospital radio and I had to move back home when I came back from China. So now I'm in my mum's house, on the dole with bits of writing getting done here and there, and just starting to get on with the radio.

So today this guy emails me from a recruitment agency saying he wants to put me in for a sales engineer role in Sheffield, selling industrial welding equipment as I have an engineering degree and a sales background. I hated my course at uni and even though I used to like sales and I'm pretty good at it, my last sales job was horriblly soul crushing. But this job is pretty good money and the 6month training scheme involves going to Barcelona, Holland and Italy.

So what do I do? I love travelling and this will let me get a little bit done and its good money (which I have none of right now) so I can finally get out of here. But, am I selling out my dream? I know I can write or do whatever in my spare time and its still definitely a possibility but I've been in that position before and hardly ever done any writing, plus I would probably have to stop doing the radio which I've only just got going with and wouldn't mind doing that at least for a little while.

What should I do OC? I know its a bit rambling but a bit of input would be nice.

Buzz.
 
Arite.

While you're travelling can't you do some writing?

Toss up which is more important, the possibility of a future in writing or the radio.

I personally wouldn't be able to pass up a decent income.
 
Gilly said:
Arite.

While you're travelling can't you do some writing?

Toss up which is more important, the possibility of a future in writing or the radio.

I personally wouldn't be able to pass up a decent income.
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its more of a toss up as to which is more important, the possibility of a future in writing or a decent career.

Not to be too bigheaded or anything but I think if I start somewhere like this I could quite easily be on decent money pretty far up the ladder in not that long a time, not talking 6 months or anything but 5-10 years sort of time, I am pretty bright and capable.

But if it's what's more important, writing has been my dream since forever.

mp260767 said:
go for it, who knows, could help with the writing.
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what the job?

Robbie G said:
To judge we need to see some of your writing :D.
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I think my email is my trust, I'd happily show you a 10 page script I wrote, I feel it might not be my best but it should show that I can at least do it.

EDIT, my msn address
 
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Take the job, write on the sidelines. It will get you off the dole, out of your mums house and into a better state of mind. It sounds like the job will open up a lot of potential opportunities (travel for work, extra cash for travelling yourself or experiencing things).

Most writers are freelance anyway. It doesn't seem like a steady enough job unless you are exceptionally good at it and/or well known. Getting a steady income from a job you may hate isn't 'selling out' - it's funding yourself to be able to go and explore these alternate ventures. If they don't work you're not losing out.
 
Take the job to get some cash behind you. Defer your writing until you're financially solvent and able to stand on your own two feet. That said, don't stop writing in the mean time. Except maybe the 3am sessions, tends to make the working day a bit of a nailer... :D
 
anksta said:
Arite, some of you may know I want to be a writer and am making (some) efforts to get there. Now I don't get up everyday at 9 and sit at my desk and write til 2 in the morning whether its drivel or not, I write when the inspiration comes, which can be 20 times a day or once a week, at 3 in the morning.
Buzz.
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This may be your problem. Someone once said "Genius is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration" In my opinion, this translates to anything that you want to do in life - especially in a competitive environment (which means anything you can make money at).

You will never get anywhere as a writer (or anything else) if you just do it when the "inspiration" comes. (Which is another way of saying "when you feel like it")

If you want to make it work, you are going to have to work at it, and work damn hard. That work will be sometimes writing (for free, or blogging, perhaps taking courses or....), and somtimes applying for jobs, or selling yourself.

In the meatime, as said above, take the job, and become solvent. Then take a second full time job - becoming a writer. But if you want to succeed at it, work.
 
Mr Jack said:
Chase your dream, fool.
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thanks for the input. I've applied for the job now.

I think more than anything right now I need to get out of here, purely for my own good.

If i get this job, and I reckon if I at least get an interview I'll have a good chance then it will involve me moving to Sheffield, if that happens then its a new city and my own place etc. all of which i'm excited about. Then to get to know people I'll find writers meetings and stuff like that, try to skin the cat that way.

I'm just scared of letting it slide, I did that for years hardly ever writing and I told myself when I finished uni (and after that, when I came back from China) I would give it a serious go for a year or 2. But then again you can't pass up pretty decent opportunities, 18k min. travel around Europe and a company car, its not on is it to pass that up?
 
I'm going to be harsh here so apologies upfront.

Get off the dole, and get a job regardless of what it is even if its working in McDonalds. Once you have a job, do what you want. If it's writing, then stick at it and do what you have to to get your work looked at/seen. But for FFS stop claiming benefits and doing pointelss crap like voluntary radio work, that will get you nowhere in life. I'm sure someone as intelligent as yourself what's to be known as one of those spongers.
 
A job is something you need while chasing your dream.

If you don't have money you can't go out and experience the world, so what are you going to have to write about?

You've done the right thing taking the job :)
 
the job will allow you to chase the dream.... maybe not today maybe not tomorrow but at some point in the future it will.

good luck....

ps post some of your writing please....!
 
Go for the job. You'll go crazy if you stay on the dole. Speaking from experience here, I never want to be back in that situation.

You'll still be able to write when you have a job, just as much as if you stay on the dole because you will just end up getting depressed that way.
 
anksta said:
Arite, some of you may know I want to be a writer and am making (some) efforts to get there. Now I don't get up everyday at 9 and sit at my desk and write til 2 in the morning whether its drivel or not, I write when the inspiration comes, which can be 20 times a day or once a week, at 3 in the morning.

But anyway, i came back from China a few months ago and decided to give it a stab, made a thread or 2 on here about getting work at media places etc. and it hasn't really happened, now I know rome wasn't built in a day and I'm not for one second thinking "I gave it a go and it didn't happen" just because I think I'm only just starting to give it any kind of "go".

But I'm on the dole (was royally scammed about 2 weeks ago for a job) and I do voluntary work on hospital radio and I had to move back home when I came back from China. So now I'm in my mum's house, on the dole with bits of writing getting done here and there, and just starting to get on with the radio.

So today this guy emails me from a recruitment agency saying he wants to put me in for a sales engineer role in Sheffield, selling industrial welding equipment as I have an engineering degree and a sales background. I hated my course at uni and even though I used to like sales and I'm pretty good at it, my last sales job was horriblly soul crushing. But this job is pretty good money and the 6month training scheme involves going to Barcelona, Holland and Italy.

So what do I do? I love travelling and this will let me get a little bit done and its good money (which I have none of right now) so I can finally get out of here. But, am I selling out my dream? I know I can write or do whatever in my spare time and its still definitely a possibility but I've been in that position before and hardly ever done any writing, plus I would probably have to stop doing the radio which I've only just got going with and wouldn't mind doing that at least for a little while.

What should I do OC? I know its a bit rambling but a bit of input would be nice.

Buzz.
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You are either a Writer or not regardless of whatever circumstances you find yourself to be in.

Unless you soley want to write for Money rather than yourself.
 
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