It’s a Job

The other day I was thinking about how it is no secret that successful authors such as Michael Ondaatje, Stephen King, and Nora Roberts treat writing as a job. None of this pattering about or dabbling business. These guys are serious about their careers which has something to do with why they have published so many successful books. They “go to work” every day and write. For them, it is a nine to five type situation. And it works. (And I do believe they began treating it as a job before they reached their famed levels of success where they had to treat it as a job in order to survive and sustain their level of achievement and success.)

Yesterday*, I was listening to Charlaine Harris on CBC radio, and again, up came the idea that writing is a job. (Job being “a paid position of regular employment” according to dictionary.com.)

So, until you start treating it as a job–even if it is a second job, part-time job, unpaid job, etc.,–how is it ever going to become anything else? How will it leave the status of hobby if you don’t commit to it in the way you would a ‘real’ job?

Just a little food for thought on a hot, hot day.

*I wrote this in July while on the road, but ran into posting issues. And so this post sat in my drafts folder until, well, now.