So here’s the thing about writing full time. There comes a moment when you have to feel comfortable moving from a steady paycheck to working in the ebb and flow of self-employment. You have to be ready for a few months of low income while you build your client base and navigate the first gap between completed work and pay for your work. It’s an intimidating moment, and nobody should feel bad if they decide it’s too much of a risk.

For those who want to get there, there are three ways to make it happen.

The Banzai! Approach
Just jump in and do it. Tell your boss to pound sand, move into your parents’ basement, eat ramen until you make it. Recent college grads and other people with few responsibilities may do well with this approach. It allows you to give all your time to writing, meaning you can win the “numbers game” of pages written and manuscripts submitted by simple force of volume.

The Second Job Approach
This plan works best for people with more financial responsibilities. You can write part-time during the hours you’re not at your regular job. While in this stage of the plan, the extra income can help you amass savings or pay off debt. Once you’ve started to accumulate enough work and savings to bridge the gap, you can go part time at your day job — or quit entirely. Although this plan has a lot of security, it means you have less time and energy for your writing. A lot of hobbyist writers end up stuck as “second job” writers because the demands of real life keep them from writing enough to get established.

The Sabbatical Approach
If you can save a year’s worth of living expenses, you can quit your job and spend a year trying to make it as a writer. This has the advantages of both the Banzai and Second Job approaches, while mitigating many of the disadvantages of either. Its major drawback is the difficulty of amassing 12 months worth of savings. It’s worth noting that this becomes easier if you’re making extra money by first taking the Second Job approach.

Which plan works best for you and your situation is a matter of your personal reality. When I made the leap, I was taking the Second Job approach. I got a promotion to a bad situation at my existing job at the same time my part-time client expanded their need for content. This allowed me to transition directly into a full-time writing income without taking much risk. Since then, I’ve kept after other assignments so that dry periods at that client don’t automatically mean dry periods in my income.

Like so many other plans, which you choose is less important than having one. Even if you vary from your plan every day — it’s better to vary from your plan than to work without one. If you’re serious about your writing, you should have a plan for writing full-time. Perhaps you can make one of these approaches a part of it.

Thanks for listening.

Christopher Moore is one of my favorite authors, with his newest book Bite Me coming in at #3 on my Top Ten Fiction Books reading list for this year. He’s funny, touching and outrageously vulgar in just the right way. His website is an excellent example of how an author can publicize himself and his work. It keeps people interested with updating content, delivers bonus features and generally works in an attractive and user-friendly fashion.

One thing I particularly like is his section of whimsical scribblings, including this piece: a bit of fanfic about how much he admires Neuromancer author William Gibson.

ANNOUNCEMENT: I am now seeking representation or publication for my book on family safety. My resume includes more than two decades of martial arts teaching, security work and teaching children, adults and families about personal safety. I’ve completed thousands of hours of training, conducted hundreds of hours of classes, and read every major book in the field. I am the managing editor and lead contributor for Full Circle Safety, a website about all facets of living well and long. In my research, I’ve noticed something. You can buy many (many, MANY) books about crime prevention, babyproofing, traffic safety or fire prevention. You can find podcasts and websites on all of these subjects. This is great, since the more people know about these subjects the better. What the world lacks, though, is a single volume covering the basics of all these topics so parents have a go-to reference for keeping their families safe. I figure I’m the guy to write it…and you’re going to help me. Since many of my readers are at the “I’m sold…but how do I start?” stage of writing full time, I’ll be posting weekly on how to put together a book proposal and sell it to an agent or publisher. I’ll include step-by-step descriptions of what I’m doing and why, along with the actual letters, outlines and sample chapters I’ll prepare for the proposal. By the end, you’ll all see exactly how this is done…and I’ll have my proposal online and generating hits. One of those hits might be an interested agent. If not, the hits themselves can help me convince an agent that my platform is worth hitching her wagon to. Stay tuned, and as always, thanks for listening.

Our guest poster April Moore is back, with more information on her project Folsom’s 93. This week and next, she’s demonstrating how to research and do it right. Take time to congratulate April in the comments. She’s found a publisher for her book, and we’ll see it in print ‘ere too long. 

I’m old enough to remember card catalogues and encyclopedias—you know, those volumes of massive books your parents bought from the guy going door-to-door selling them? Ah…those were the good old days of research. Today, you don’t even have to get out of your comfy writing chair to find out almost anything. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you’re guaranteed to have to do some research eventually. Here are some sources that I found invaluable during my own research:

 The indispensable Internet

My endeavor began by plugging a name into Google. Nearly 3 years later, I have a book. My initial search led me to a newspaper archive site. Writing historical nonfiction, this was like striking gold. Lucky for me, since my book is about specific crimes and executions, those subjects provided plenty of newspaper fodder and I was able to score tons of information.

Newspaperarchives.com offers a one week free trial, so if you’re not sure, you can browse for free. Sometimes, certain keywords will lead you directions you hadn’t thought of, or to areas of other valuable information. Be an investigator. Keep in mind, however, that newspaper articles aren’t necessarily the most reliable resource. If you can, try to cross check as much information as you can.

The Library of Congress is another excellent source of information. Their online databases house archived newspapers, photographs, books, and film information–just to name a few.

Ancestry.com Through this site, I’ve gotten in touch with descendants of my 93 guys and their victims, and have accumulated first hand information from them. The site also lists documents such as census records, marriage and death certificates, and newspaper articles. They too, offer a free trial, so it’s worth checking out. You never know what you’ll find.

Google Books You can search through thousands of books that Google has made available. I found court cases and Supreme Court decisions online through this handy, often-free resource. Of course, not all writers love that Google does this (and for good reason) but for a researcher, it can be a life (and time) saver.

Talk to those who know

Seek out individuals who can supply you with information. Be professional and have a list of questions ready to go. You don’t need to be Katie Couric or Piers Morgan (and definitely not Howard Stern); just be yourself. Chances are, they are just as enthusiastic about the subject matter as you are and more than willing to talk with you. I’ve gotten to know the great folks at the Folsom Prison Museum and they’ve been a huge help. One thing I’ve learned when it comes to interviews, especially regarding their executed relative, or murdered family member, is to broach the subject tactfully, professionally and with sincerity. You’re more likely to get someone to open up without bombarding them right off the bat; make them feel comfortable first.

Tune in next week for part two of April’s The Art of Research.