scrubjayspeaks

(I originally posted this on tumblr, and it's still on my mind, so I'm cross-posting it here.)

I made the dubious decision to read a few pieces by writers, talking about the money they make on writing. This was not intended as an exercise in self-torment; I find this information interesting. That being said…

When writers making what my poor ass considers pie-in-the-sky extravagant amounts of money say, “hey, good thing I have a day job to supplement this, dON’T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB!!!1!” I begin very softly to weep myself into a coma.

I quit my day job in large part because it destroyed my mental and physical health? I don’t know when or even if I will be capable of working an outside job again? I am still kind of hoping that writing, which I couldn’t do while employed, will allow my disabled self to at least survive?

I get it--clearly I am not the intended audience for this advice. I’m not trying to find fault with the writers doing the community the kindness of speaking frankly about the often-taboo matter of finances.

I just…cannot find it in me to laugh at the old jokes about naive writers who quit their day jobs too soon. I can’t help flinching when I unfold The Map Out Of The Wilderness, and see

YOU ARE HERE*

*you cannot get out from here