Office hours

The productive day continues. First, wrote a short poem, "Winter Sun." Needs polishing but a good start. Wrote more on the libretto. Started a new chapter on Sally. And even wrote a tad on a screenplay I started some weeks back. Then a student came by, wondering if a writer could make a living, and I was able, first, to say, Well, I got a royalty check in the mail today ... and second, it depends. A "staff writer" for a publication makes a living easier than a creative writer or a freelance writer. I made a decent living as managing editor of a magazine. However, after the first year or two, I hated it because it took energy away from writing plays. When I quit to support myself freelancing, I made less money but had more freedom -- and, something I hadn't foreseen, also had considerably more stress. Freelancing is the hardest work I've ever done, the hard work being marketing yourself and future pieces, having to keep ahead of yourself to pay all your bills. It's even harder to make a living as a "creative writer." Well, it's time to get to class...