When writing about your passion becomes a job....

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   Amie Warrenposted 13 years ago

   I used to love blogging, answering forum posts, whatever I could do to share knowledge. This was when I didn't have to work for a living, and I had lots of money and lots of time.
   
   Now that I have to do it to earn a living, I almost can't bear to do it. I have to literally force myself to write every day, and only do it because there are bills to pay.
   
   I joined Hubpages to be able to write about what I want, and I can't even force myself to do this some days. Crazy, right? In addition, after writing a few "for the money" articles, it seems like my creative writing juices won't flow at all.
   
   I don't know how some people do this 10-12 hours a day. All I can think is that they have type-A personalities, and would do anything obsessively. LOL After 6 or 8 hours of writing for a paycheck, I'm wiped completely out!

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      Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You're not alone.  We've all heard the saying "do what you love and it wont feel like work" but it doesn't work out that way for a lot of people.
      
      I knew a guy who loved photography.  When he got retrenched, he decided to start a photography business.  After two years, he closed the business and went back to an office job.  The reason - he said having to make a living from photography was ruining his enjoyment of it.  He wanted to go back to taking photographs because he wanted to, not because he had to.

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   WryLiltposted 13 years ago

   How are you writing for money? Hitting extremely hard keywords and then promoting like crazy?
   
   Even when I write 'product hubs' I try and pick keywords that I have some interest in so I don't get too bored.
   
   Congrats on the hubnugget btw!

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      Amie Warrenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I make most of my income on Demand Studios. It's tough, because you have to write their titles, and go by their very strict guidelines, and there is no creativity in it at all. Any DS writer can tell you it's easy to burn out with them, but I need the money, so I try to get through my time there every day as fast as I can so I can write where I want.  I'm not trying actually to make a lot of money here.

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   alqxposted 13 years ago

   Are you forced to stick with writing and writing only, for a living? Perhaps you could do a part-time job that's not writing per se, but a job that you could utilise your writing skills in--making you a valuable employee.
   
   As a writer, there is some gratification in writing a good, well structured piece of work, even if it's not a topic you choose, or if it's purpose is to make money. Creativity is still possible with your writing style: turns of phrase, choice of words, length of sentences, use of literary devices etc.
   
   I'm young and idealistic so maybe I don't have the right to tell you anything but this is just my opinion and it may help you.

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      Amie Warrenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well, that is kind of pointless when I can make more money writing. There are no jobs in New Orleans, trust me, not even retail clerk jobs. When I can make $15 an hour writing for DS, why would I take a minimum wage cashier job?
      
      I do take pride in my work, and that's one reason I don't make more money. I like to do quality work, and I was taught online writing by someone who does as well, and I appreciate that.  I am just getting into writing for myself, doing topics I want to do, and I want to let people know about, so maybe it will get better.

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         schoolgirlforrealposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I'd like another job than writing.  But how do I get one?

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         alqxposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Oh well, perhaps it would be somewhat of a reassurance that your income from Hubpages will grow at an ever increasing rate as the community becomes larger over the years and Hubpages increases in credibility and popularity.
         
         Continue promoting Hubpages, and don't forget the referral program that helps you boost your income too. You'll never know if someone whom you refer turns up to be a brilliant and popular writer here and starts earning well.
         
         That sound positive, but it's only my theory. Truth is I've only been a member of Hubpages less than 3 days. So hows the income from it? Any trend of increase?

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            Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Alqx, the size of the HubPages community has nothing to do with your earnings.  Other HubPages members will not click on your ads, so you make no money from them.  You make money from visitors who arrive via the search engines.
            
            The community is a nice bonus - you can learn from other Hubbers and enjoy their company, but it's not a source of income.

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   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   If you mean writing Hubs for 12 hours a day, I don't think too many people do that; but if they do, well, doing any kind of work for 12 hours a day will make someone tired.  People do it, though, if they're trying to turn Hubbing into "a living".  Nothing compulsive about it - just hard-working and probably making the most of being uemployed (or something like that).
   
   If you mean being on the forums for hours, maybe a lot of people do what I do; which is use the forums as a way to break up whatever else they're doing on the computer (in my case, projects people are paying me to take).  There's nothing compulsive about leaving a few windows open and popping back on HubPages to see if there's some little entertaining thing, even popping on to approve a comment (that type of thing).  In other words, being on the forums or reading someone else's Hub isn't work for some people.  It's a break away from work.  I suppose, in view of the fact that writing for work and being online for "a break" can look like writing almost around the clock, it could look "compulsive" to someone.  Not all writing/posting is equal, though.  Some of it's work.  Some of it's "fooling around".  Some people listen to music while they're working.  Some skip over to that extra window on their screen while they finish their lunch or coffee.
   
   Some people do crossword puzzles over the course of their work time. I can't do more than make some basic comments on here if I'm really in the middle of "real work", but if I'm through with whatever I needed to do on any day; and come on here because I'm not interested in television at night, I enjoy doing something like what I'm doing now (post a "discussion" type of thing, rather than just a quickie remark somewhere).
   
   Sometimes I look for titles of poems just to see what I can whip up in fifteen minutes (as a challenge to myself and something different).  Other times (like yesterday) I may do something like I did last night.  Someone was looking for ideas on a speech, so I challenged myself (just for fun) to see what I could come up as a "mock speech" within twenty minutes or so.  Turning some of the stuff I don here into "fun" or "challenge" is my way of not getting exhausted by "real" work, or even by writing a particularly draining Hub.  Of course, I've been working from home now for years.  After awhile it becomes clear you can't just hole up in your house and do nothing but the work you get from someone else.  Some of the stuff I take as work involves a whole lot of editing and reading.  I HAVE to give my eyes and brain a rest from that.   Of course, if I feel like goofing online because I'm suddenly in the mood to write some Hub, I can do that kind of thing; and take out my "real" work at 3:00 a.m. if I have to.   In other words, you develop a system if you work from home.  I get my work from "offline" people who know me or my work, so I don't earn my living writing for places like Demand Studios.  I can't.  I don't want to do that kind of writing at all. On the other hand, I knew some lady on another writing site who just churned out about 20 articles a day and said she was satisified with her income.   She had developed a formula, said each article took her very little time, and seemed to have her own system.  That's the thing - whatever you do, you eventually work into some system that works for you.
   
   You don't have to be compulsive about it (or have some "Type A" personality).  You just make the best use of what time you have, and don't try to use "extra" time for anything too demanding.   I don't have time to be blogging, which is why I have blogs that are "ready" in the event I decide I want to do more on them.  To me, one of the good things about being on HubPages is that I can write what I want, do a little socializing if I want, and earn more on here than if I were doing crossword puzzles (or something - or else nothing - in my spare time and "break-up-the-work" time).  A little bit Type-A looking?  Maybe, but I enjoy "just writing".  I can whip up a Hub in less than an hour and have a good time doing it.   I don't want come across as lazy here, but there's something to be said for doing something (like writing because you enjoy doing it) that's effortless, rather than some drudgery thing you're doing so you can eat and pay your bills.     (I was working for two newspapers, a school, and a few other places when my kids were on the way, newborn, toddlers, and early school years - AND  the pets, the house, the husband, the meals, the elderly mother and in-laws, the whole bit.  My kids are grown now.  I have plenty of time (for work, writing, socializing, or play); so, to me, this (now), and the fact that I'm working from home now, feels like a major over-abundance of time I can use as I want.   Either way, if you think it takes being compulsive to earn anything on HubPages; or if you think people can't do reasonably well on HubPages without being on the forums seemingly "all the time", that's not the case at all.
   
   The forums aren't the "work" part of HubPages.  The Hubs are (but for a lot of people they aren't work at all).  Maybe it would help if you took a tea (or coffee) break after each article you write, spend ten or fifteen minutes fooling around on the forums here, or wherever you find it fun; and then return to business.  When you work at home there's no law that says you can't take a tea break every hour.

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   Astra Nomikposted 13 years ago

   Has anybody mentioned writer's block to you? Some writers just fizzle out after a spurt of creativity, for all kinds of reasons. Also you may need stimulating, like by taking a holiday or going on a trip, or changing your routine. I gave up poetry writing after I left school, and now I am back into it big time. Some Hubbers in here are eve publishing books on Lulu.com. (Blaise25 being one friend I ca think of) If the well has run dry, take a break then look for another well...

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   MPG Narrativesposted 13 years ago

   Unfortunatley, boredom sets in and we decide we don't like what we are doing. Luckily this can be temporary, mainly because most of us need to earn a living.
   
   Taking a break for a day or two helps and if you are really struggling it may be time to look for a new career challenge.

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