If you’re looking for a career in writing, there are plenty of jobs out there for you. Just because you specialize in fiction doesn’t mean you have to write only stories; there are plenty of creative writing jobs that allow you to exercise your creative muscles in a different way. Whether you want to write a play, novel, or screenplay, there’s a career path for you.
Here are just a few of the creative writing jobs out there. To begin with, blog writers and journalists often need people to write blogs and articles for them. While this can be an extremely rewarding career path, it can also be quite demanding if you don’t prepare properly. Another option is to become a copy editor for a publishing house. Finally, if you’re a talented writer looking for freedom, you can become an independent contractor and write whatever you want for whoever you want. Just make sure you prepare well for these jobs so you don’t waste your time and theirs.
Journalism
If you have a passion for reading and writing, and enjoy breaking news, you can become a journalist. There are plenty of jobs out there for experienced journalists, so don’t expect to become a reputable publication overnight. Still, if you do your research and pitch your articles to the right publications, you will have no trouble finding work. Some of the more popular journalism occupations include:
- Reporters (reporters)
- Editors
- Writers
- Photographers
- Video journalists
- Broadcasters
- Columnists
- News anchors
- Journalism professors
The good thing about journalism is that you’re often required to write only about topics that interest you. For example, if you’re passionate about animals, you can write about pets or animal rights. If you’re a foodie, you may want to pen a story about your culinary adventures or write a cookbook. If you love to travel, you can conduct interviews with other travel writers or even visit some of the places you’ve written about. Journalism is a wide-open field, so you can easily find your niche.
On the downside, many people find that journalism is more of a hobby than a career. If you want to make a living out of it, you will need to find a stable source of income that can supplement your writing income. Unfortunately, many journalism jobs don’t pay well, and many publications will only ever consider you as a contract writer.
Fiction
If writing is your forte, and you love to create stories, you can become a fiction writer. What exactly is fiction writing? It is writing that doesn’t necessarily follow the rules of real life. For example, in crime fiction, the bad guys usually get caught, the good guys usually win, and the endings are usually happy. In a science fiction story, the plot might revolve around a war or natural disaster, and the main characters might have to fight for survival as well as find a way to communicate with each other. In a fantasy story, the characters usually have to overcome impossible odds to succeed.
There are many different sub-genres of fiction, including but not limited to:
- Thriller
- Action
- Adventure
- Horror
- Western
- Romance
- Science fiction
- Fantasy
- Graphic novels
If you have an interest in any of these areas, you can develop a niche in the industry and find work that resonates with your interests. Just remember that developing a following is difficult; it usually takes a lot of patience to attract publishers to your work. Still, if you do your research and pitch your ideas to the right places, you will have no trouble finding work. Some of the more popular jobs in fiction include:
- Screenwriters
- Playwrights
- Novelists
- Dramatic writers
- Essayists
What about you? Are you interested in pursuing a career in writing? If so, what steps have you taken to get started? Leave us a comment below and let us know what you’re plans are! And if you want to be sure you’re prepared for the rigors of a writing career, consider taking a look at some of the most popular writing degrees out there.