
I've also always held down a day job while writing - and it's a good thing, considering how long it took to actually sell a book! I worked in fashion marketing for several years, then moved into grant writing and program design development when the HIV/AIDS crisis struck. I've been working in the HIV arena ever since, everything from grant writing to treatment advocacy to case management (sometimes all three in the same job, depending on the non profit!) I went back to school in my mid-twenties and got my MFA in Writing while working, too. Talk about brain fry.
Now, I'm an administrative analyst and grant writer for the City's HIV/AIDS division. I've been there for 8 years, so I qualify for pension, etc. Lately, I've been mulling over with my partner the possibility of becoming a full time writer. There's a lot of re-structuring going on in the department where I work due to budget shortfalls, and my current unit is being re-organized into something less appealing to me. My book income was pretty good last year, more than my day job salary, actually, so there was plenty to live on, but that was for that book deal and I have to admit I'm very wary of taking the plunge, given the state of publishing in general. If I'm fortunate enough to secure another deal, I'd seriously consider it; otherwise, if I leave my current job I might do some consulting so I can carve out more day hours for writing. As it stands, I write in the evenings and on weekends, as well as every other spare moment I can find; but with a full-time job, and in my mid-forties, I'm just not as spry as I once was and some nights after work I just want to read and veg out.
The next two years for me are going to be decisive.