Mini writing workshop: Can you get paid to write?

Thank you for checking out the mini fiction writing workshop. In this series I share small, actionable tips for writing fiction. Whether you're a seasoned or developing writer, hopefully you will find some useful information.

This particular workshop is about whether it's possible to get paid for your (fiction) writing. I put fiction in parentheses for a reason, as you will see.

Okay, on to the topic of the day!

Source: Pixabay image by Mohamed Hassan

Can you get paid to write?

This is a tough subject, particularly if you are hoping to get paid to write fiction, in particular. I don't want to say "it's not likely," or "only the rare and highly lucky fiction writer can hope to get paid for writing fiction," because I know there are people who feel passionate about carving that path and pursuing that dream, and I don't want to crush anyone's dream. But a full-time income is a pretty tough prospect, even if you are devoted to developing your craft and really making a go of it.

Let's discuss. First, I will share a bit of my personal experience.

My own truths laid bare

Almost right out of college I went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. My entire schooling had been in the arts — both fine art and language arts. I grew up wanting to be an artist, then discovered my true talent was in writing. (And by that I mean any kind of writing. I just always had a way with words.) When I chose to pursue my MFA, it just seemed to be the logical next step.

That degree, believe it or not, helped me to get a job as a technical writer. And from there I worked as a copywriter, marketing writer, blogger and content strategist. In other words, I have been paid to write for my entire adult life.

But I have not been paid to write fiction.

And my true confession is that ever since I earned my MFA, I have been way too career-focused and pragmatic to consider it. Was it once my dream? Certainly. Did I give up my on my dream? Not at all. It was was just deferred for quite some time. Real life happened. I got married and had a family. I have no complaints. I've got an income and my kids have decent a home. We have what we need, and I'm saving for retirement.

Most importantly, I'm finally giving fiction writing the time it deserves. I've created space in my life. It is my true passion. I am writing and polishing my work and submitting my work to literary magazines. I have several writing groups I'm affiliated with, and one kicks my butt to complete work on a schedule, which has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

Note: If you are looking for a writing group, message me in the comments or on Discord, and I can help you find a group that is right for you. One of my groups is moving to a monthly challenge format. Each month, we will write, edit and polish a short story, and submit it for publication. New writers can join at any time.

Back to the prospect of writing for pay

I shared my story because I wanted to provide some perspective. There is more than one way to get paid to write, and many non-fiction writers are paid very well.

That said, if your one and only passion is fiction writing, and you are absolutely devoted to pursuing that dream, there are many avenues to pursue. Here are a few.

Literary journals that pay

There are thousands of journals worldwide that accept work from new and emerging writers, and some will pay you for your work if you are accepted for publication. Will it be top dollar? No, especially not at first. But if you write spellbinding tales and a publisher discovers your talent, you could be destined for a breakthrough.

There are plenty of journal lists to be found on the Internet. I will provide a few resources for you to comb through:

• 12 Short Story Publishers that Pay $1,000 or More
• The Short List - Publishers that publish micro, flash and short fiction (look for the ones that say "paid")
• The Top 50 Literary Magazines

Fiction contests

Fiction contests are going on all the time. Many writers get their start this way. You can find them in a Google search. Here are a few upcoming contests:

• North Street Book Prize for Self-Published Book. Deadline: Jun 30,2019. One grand prize winner will receive $3,000, the top winner in each category will receive $1,000, and one honorable mention in each category will receive $250.
• The Spring 2019 Narrative Contest. Deadline: July 31, 2019. First Prize is $2,500, Second Prize is $1,000, Third Prize is $500, and up to ten finalists will receive $100 each.

And here's a nice collection of contests occurring this year, from a blog called "Freewrite" — 2019 Writing Contests: The Complete Guide. (Hive account@mariannewest, I thought you might like that!)

In closing

Writing for pay is a worthy dream; just make sure you find a way to put food on the table while you are developing your craft and trying the various avenues for publishing and earning money as a writer.

If I have any regrets, they are about fearing defeat and rejection and setting fiction aside for too long. So my biggest words of encouragement to anyone reading this is to do it. Write regularly. Edit and polish your work. If you do that, you can find true satisfaction in honing your craft and taking steps toward publication, whatever they may be. Keep at it, and eventually the money will come.

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Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this mini writing workshop.

The writing workshop collection

You can browse my collection of writing workshop posts in the links below.

Mini workshop series

Short posts on specific writing topics:

• Mini writing workshop: Is there anything wrong with using italics for emphasis?
• Mini writing workshop: What is the best way to write dialog?
• Mini writing workshop: What should we know about your character?
• Mini writing workshop: Who are you writing for?
• Mini writing workshop: What does "show, don't tell" mean?
• Mini writing workshop: Can you write if you don't have time? (Finding where you can fit writing into your life)
• Mini writing workshop: What should you write about? (Ideas for finding inspiration for your stories)
• Mini writing workshop: How do you start a story? (How to determine the starting point)
• Mini writing workshop: What is magical realism? (Exploring the magical realism genre)
• Mini writing workshop: Should you write in present tense or past tense?
• Mini writing workshop: Must your character do that? (About writing tics and character pet peeves)
• Mini writing workshop: What's it all about? (About story lines)
• Mini writing workshop: Must we fight? (About conflict in fiction writing)
• Mini writing workshop: What's the point? (About making things happen)
• Mini writing workshop: What prompted that? (About writing from prompts)
• Mini writing workshop: Who said that? (Tips for writing dialog)

Mini workshops within 50-word prompt posts

Brief workshops, typically 3-5 paragraphs, at the top of 50-word short story challenge posts:

• Mini writing workshop on "tense"
• Mini writing workshop on the editing process (with a walkthrough example)
• Mini writing workshop on taking time to write
• Mini writing workshop on the power of editing
• Mini writing workshop on critique
• Mini writing workshop on fixing punctuation errors
• Mini writing workshop on mainstream publishing (with a resource for 50-word story authors)
• Mini writing workshop on voice and language (as compared to the importance of plot)
• Mini writing workshop about becoming a great writer
• Mini writing workshop on contests and challenges
• Mini writing workshop on what makes a story a story
• Mini writing workshop on demystifying story writing
• Mini writing workshop on 50-word short story writing process
• Mini writing workshop on the steps for writing 50-word stories
• Mini writing workshop on micro-fiction and writing succinctly
• Mini writing workshop on the "why" of writing
• Mini writing workshop on the challenge of micro-fiction

In-depth workshop posts

The original writing workshop series:

• Writing workshop volume 1: The beginning
• Writing workshop volume 2: Exploring voice in writing
• Writing workshop volume 3: Say what you want to say
• Writing workshop volume 4: Serial fiction projects on Steemit
• Writing workshop volume 5: Getting organized and actually writing
• Writing workshop volume 6: Tips for writing anywhere, anytime
• Writing workshop volume 7: Should you write historical fiction?
• Writing workshop volume 8: Prompts, contests and challenges - oh my!
• Writing workshop volume 9: Pushing through insecurity and writing anyway
• Writing workshop volume 10: Perspective and POV in fiction writing
• Writing workshop volume 11: Second person point of view in fiction
• Writing workshop volume 12: How to write your character's background
• Writing workshop volume 13: What to do with all these voices in my head?
• Writing workshop volume 14: Write your story from a logline
• Writing workshop volume 15: Three tips for improving your fiction
• Writing workshop volume 16: How to accept criticism on your fiction writing

Thank you, as always, for reading, following, upvoting, connecting, HODL'ing, resteeming, laughing, sharing, and being you.

Note: The image is sourced from Pixabay.

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://jaynalocke.com/2019/04/29/mini-writing-workshop-can-you-get-paid-to-write/

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