Questions tagged [career]

This tag should be used for questions that are about career options that are related to writing, such as being a poet, novelist, editor, publisher or worker in a technical field.

This tag should be used for questions that are about career options that are related to writing, such as being a poet, novelist, editor, publisher or worker in a technical field. You should mention what field you are interested in and what you are expecting from an answer, such as that could tell you something about the involved the specific field or steps involved in climbing the career ladder.

45 questions
29
votes
9 answers

Are there jobs that involve creative writing in the software industry?

I've been a developer for some years now, but I've realized that I need a job where I can be more creative (and hopefully work more with people (except dba's)). Since I love writing, but at the same time have both an education and experience in the…
erikric
  • 2,494
  • 18
  • 31
24
votes
14 answers

How does a code monkey become a novelist?

I have always loved creative writing, but honestly do not see software engineers that write fiction all that often. Heck, I do not see software engineers that read fiction all that often either. To those who have done it: Did the transition from…
Victor123
  • 706
  • 6
  • 13
22
votes
8 answers

Occupational Hazards to being a Full-Time Writer

Every now and again I think to myself how nice it would be to give up my staid life as a Software Developer and start an exciting new career as a Novelist. But then I think to myself that there are surely drawbacks to that path and that I shouldn't…
robertcday
  • 7,773
  • 27
  • 76
21
votes
10 answers

What is the most fundamental advice when it comes to writing?

Looking back on your career as a writer, what is the most fundamental piece of advice you wish you had known about – or that you had taken to heart – when you set out to become a writer? Before you answer, please note the career tag and the absence…
user29032
18
votes
9 answers

When should a starting writer get his own webpage?

I've heard and read from many vlogger and blogger authors that an aspiring writer should have his own webpage as early as possible. Being published or not doesn't come to it. Now, if I created a webpage for myself, I assume I need to post my…
iamtowrite
  • 1,919
  • 12
  • 35
12
votes
5 answers

How do I balance work with my love of writing?

I'm a programmer and an aspiring writer. I love writing. Over the past year, I had been working on my first novel. Making the plot, dimensioning the characters, integrating conflicts etc. And when I started writing the novel, Snap! came a financial…
Amin Mohamed Ajani
  • 1,481
  • 10
  • 24
10
votes
4 answers

What is a more techy Technical Writer job title that isn't cutesy or confusing?

I have been hired as a Technical Writer at a firm who needed multiple types of writers: A few people were hired to write content for the average website reader interested in our product, such as a Product Manager, and user documentation, such as…
user2263986
  • 103
  • 5
10
votes
3 answers

What are the advantages of incorporation for a writer?

I have heard of some (rather successful) writers incorporating - that is, creating a corporation of which they are the sole member. What are the potential advantages (or disadvantages) of doing this? As this probably varies a bit by location, I am…
sjohnston
  • 4,785
  • 7
  • 34
  • 47
9
votes
5 answers

What are the most appropriate types of degrees (or kinds of schooling) that a would-be successful writer should aim to obtain?

What kinds of schooling should a teenager, trying to decide on a college, consider, if she is looking to grow to become a successful writer?
blueberryfields
  • 947
  • 7
  • 18
9
votes
2 answers

Can I turn my anal-retentiveness into a career?

When I'm reading something, I immediately pick up on typos, grammatical errors, misuse of punctuation, and the like, as well as better ways to phrase things. I have no formal education in any sort of writing or English other than GE; my education is…
John Doe
  • 884
  • 5
  • 10
9
votes
4 answers

Breaking Into Technical Writing - Where to Start (from a programming background)

I'm currently in the process of expanding my company from doing coding & web development to more technical writing and freelance tech journalism. Although my background is mainly in technology, throughout high school and college I put a few AP and…
theonlylos
  • 192
  • 1
  • 7
8
votes
4 answers

Is there a career for a person in writing who likes to gather knowledge in multiple fields?

I like to read and watch videos, documentaries and movies about topics covering a wide variety like history, ancient architecture, science fiction, fantasy, astronomy etc. These things take up most of my time. I started to read and watch about these…
CCCC
  • 180
  • 5
8
votes
1 answer

Should I join writers organizations?

There are several professional writers organizations that people I know have suggested I join. The problem is they're rather pricey and I'm not sure what I'll get out of it. Much of what they have are multiple services for writers who have…
Cyn
  • 32,483
  • 6
  • 77
  • 145
7
votes
6 answers

How should I plan a life as a professional Writer/Author/Novelist?

I have an academic background in Engineering and work experience in tech companies. A few years back my life completely crashed. I had to quit everything in my previous life. For some medical and personal reasons, I am completely cut-off from any…
user30875
7
votes
1 answer

Technical Writing Other Than Software

There is a lot of advice on how to be a tech writer for software without a tech background. (That is, skills such as understanding end-users, investigative reporting-type skills to probe experts, etc. as applied to software.) Software has a lot of…
user24004
1
2 3