Thanks to Anna Reynolds for this excellent new article - http://www.writewords.org.uk/articles/tips9.asp

It's an enlightening article - thanks Anna.

Anna,

A well-written piece, Anna, full of interest and helpful common sense advice. Thanks.

Len

Thanks Anna, that's fascinating. Academia, with its lovely long holidays, seems to marry well with writing. One of my Chinese language tutors, David Su, is a published novelist, and Jung Chang (author of Wild Swans)is a former colleague of his. Also Anita Brookner combined writing with lecturing at the Courtauld Institute (I'm not sure if she still does, though).

Adele.

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I see that she retired in 1988.

Yes, lots of writers, no matter how grand, do some down-to-earth lecturing and residencies. And of course let's not forget the likes of Fay Weldon and Kathy Lette, who are the Savoy writers-in-residence... and I don't mean the theatre. Room service a perk, apparently. I usually end up in essex. Not that I'm complaining. Thanks all- suggestions for future articles appreciated, although we can't promise, etc etc..

Anna,

Thanks for this. A good article.

Ani

Yeah, that was definitely food for thought, Anna.

I'm so used to the stability of a monthly salary, that the thought of letting go of that to try and make a living out of all things connected to writing fills me with fear! I do have really bad debt and high outgoings at the moment, though!

Still, though, for the experts on here who do manage to make a living out of writerly things, did you have to make a transition from 'regular' work? Was it difficult? Or do other opportunities naturally come as a consequence of publishing success?

Catherine