Question: how do you decide life?

[Delightful]

I'm kinda having a crisis here. I have well not infinite but many many options of what I should do with my life right now. How did you guys choose/end up where you are now? Is there anything you wished you'd known or taken into consideration earlier?

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

For me, it all sort of came together one piece at a time. It began back in high school, when my city's main newspaper launched a monthly paper written by and for high school students. I joined up during the initial planning phase, worked as a copy editor for two years, and then moved on to writing for the biweekly paper at my community college. When I graduated from there and moved onto a four-year university to finish out my Bachelor's degree, which I had thought would be in communications with a minor in journalism, I realized that not only was every journalism class offered full of information that I'd already learned on the job, but that it didn't interest me all that much. So I changed my minor to a government minor, finished out my degree, and graduated. 

That was about the time my family was moving to Arizona, so I went with them. It took me longer than expected to find a job, but the one I finally landed was as a library assistant in a public high school. This made me realize that library work was definitely for me, so I applied for the Master's program at a nearby university. I had initially planned to go into high school librarianship, but since many states require school librarians to have both a Master's degree and a teaching certificate, I decided to go for a more general track and perhaps get a certificate later on. My introductory course had librarians of all sorts come in and talk about their work—we had a private librarian for an observatory, a university librarian, an archivist, and a public librarian. The public librarian's story was what made me decide to go into public librarianship. 

After getting my degree, it was a matter of finding a job. You all know how that went—months and months of nothing but discouragement, of needling and lecturing from Twimom, of fights and tears and disappointment that all ended with me getting serious interviews from libraries in three different states. I decided that I'd go with the one that offered me a job first, and the job in Louisiana offered first. In a happy coincidence, that was the one that paid the most and happened to be in the coolest city. 

So, I suppose that if I had to say one thing about that story, it would be, don't be afraid to follow a coincidence and see where it leads. If a path opens up, follow it for a while to see if you like where it's going. If you do, great! If not, get on a different path. 

[tobar14 he/him]

I never wanted my career to be my passion, I wanted my life outside of work to be my passion. So I chose a profession that was something I don't hate/mildly enjoy, pays well, has a good work/life balance. I ended up as a Business Analyst/Project Manager in an IT department.

[Mestiv he/him]

My story is super simple. 

1. I got my first computer when I was around 10 years old.
2. I liked it and thought: Hey, I wanna work with computers when I grow up.
3. When I got some real computer science classes in high school I thought: Yeah, that's what I wanna do.
4. I more or less aced my final exams and went to University to study Computer Science.
5. Still thinking: Yeah, that's what I wanna do in my life.
6. Now I'm working as a programmer and I know I made a good choice.

I know that doesn't help you at all, but here's my story. I hope you'll find inspiration for you soon! Try to make a living of something that gives you satisfaction.

[Erunion he/him]

In a similar boat to @Ookla the Cat Lord - fairly simple and straightforward for me. 
As a kid, I loved to design machines (mostly weapons, but that's forgivable in a 5-15 year old). My Dad still has a 3 view drawing I did of a fighter Jet when I was 6 (Lord knows where I learned that you're supposed to do 3 view drawings of 3D objects). 
Went through school, really enjoyed science, especially physics. Loved high technology stuff. Still would design stuff on my own time. 
Ended up applying to one program in one University, because it was a ridiculously awesome looking program near where I lived, and here I am in my last year as a mechatronics engineering student. 

So for me it was never too difficult a choice - I always knew that I wanted to build cool things. It was just a matter of deciding what cool things I wanted to build and working towards that goal. 

For others, I know, it's tougher. If you're of a religious persuasion, I recommend prayer for guidance and wisdom. 
In the meantime, see what you enjoy, what you're good at, and what you can see yourself happy and fulfilled doing (or at least not absolutely despising) years down the road. 

[Kaymyth she/her]

I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up, from a very young age.  I was stoked!  I was excited!  I was going to DO IT!

...and then I got old enough to understand that Starfleet Academy wasn't a real place.

[marsoupial they/them]

Well, I'm kind of a high schooler, so I have not made any major career decisions yet. 

However, I don't think I'll have to. Music has always been my passion, and that's what I hope to go into. I want to be a musician.

"But bleeder, no! You won't have a steady income and you don't know if you'll make it or not." 

Well, Pope John Paul III-the-brain-weasel, my dad once told me that life is too short to do something you don't enjoy. So storm you.

Edited November 29, 2016 by Ookla the Atypical

[Erunion he/him]

@Bleee... cough @Ookla the Atypical  

Go for music. But have plans. Make sure you're qualified for a 'steady' music job too! Follow your dreams but not off a cliff  

 

@Ookla the Chibi

On that note, what do you enjoy? What are you good at? More importantly, what are you passionate about? 

[Delightful]

1 hour ago, Ookla the Incorrigible said:

@Bleee... cough @Ookla the Atypical  

Go for music. But have plans. Make sure you're qualified for a 'steady' music job too! Follow your dreams but not off a cliff  

 

@Ookla the Chibi

On that note, what do you enjoy? What are you good at? More importantly, what are you passionate about? 

I love writing stories, it makes me happy, I'm also super out of practise and my writing discipline sucks and I've barely written anything solid or consistent in the last couple years which makes me questions I feel I'm really a writer at all.....and thensomething happens and I write something short and it makes me really happy again  

And everybody everywhere tells me I'll never make enough money and I need a day job. 

And I get overwhelmed by how awesome and important stories are and then I can't think how to write them and yeah. 

[Zathoth]

Living of being creative isnt impossible, lots of people do it, I think there is a common fallacy most people fall for is that you wont be lucky enough to be the next Rowling means you cant live of it, which is a load of crem.

[marsoupial they/them]

2 minutes ago, Ooklasaurus said:

 be the next Rowling

Don't be the next Rowling. She's very closed to her fans' ideas.

Edited November 30, 2016 by Ookla the Atypical

[Zathoth]

1 minute ago, Ookla the Atypical said:

Don't be the next Rowling. She's very closed to her fans' ideas.

When it comes to 'success' I mean. But yes, don't be Rowling.

[Sunbird she/her]

@Ookla the Chibi What @Ooklasaurus said. Not becoming a bestseller or a millionaire as a writer is not failure. You might be interested in thisblogisaploy.blogspot.com ; it's the writing blog of the author Rachel Aaron. She's both gotten published traditionally and self published her books, so she had experience working both sides of the business: the pros and cons of each and what sort of personalities are likely to fit with each method. Plus lots of writing and business advice in general. She calls herself a midlist author, but she and her husband do pretty well for themselves even without being "famous" because they know how stuff works and she writes what she loves.

[Delightful]

BUt in order to sell stories I have to write stories and I get brain freeze of what if I muck it all up how do I even write anyway this all sucks. 

I don't know how to silence those weasels and they're overwhelming. 

Ive done nanowrimo and I've ended up with garbage I don't know how to edit and would probably be dumb if I did and if I'm editing I'm not writing new stuff either. 

[Jedal he/him]

31 minutes ago, Ookla the Chibi said:

BUt in order to sell stories I have to write stories and I get brain freeze of what if I muck it all up how do I even write anyway this all sucks. 

I don't know how to silence those weasels and they're overwhelming. 

Ive done nanowrimo and I've ended up with garbage I don't know how to edit and would probably be dumb if I did and if I'm editing I'm not writing new stuff either. 

I feel you. However, to truly know that this is what you want to do with your life, you have to eat, sleep, and breath your imagination. Every moment I have one foot in the real world and another sitting in one of one million worlds. You just gotta write bro. Write and eventually you will become more skillful. Write and your best stories will come to light. Also, remember that old stories can be updated and used to augment new stories. Otherwise, happy hunting!

EDIT: In terms of the day job thing, that might actually be a good idea. No need to starve while chasing your dream. However, remember not to get too caught up in the mundane, try to keep your head in the clouds. While writing stories is definitely tough, I bet it makes you feel better than anything else. The two of us, we seem to be in the same boat.

Edited November 30, 2016 by Orderbound

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

10 minutes ago, Ookla the Chibi said:

BUt in order to sell stories I have to write stories and I get brain freeze of what if I muck it all up how do I even write anyway this all sucks. 

I don't know how to silence those weasels and they're overwhelming. 

Ive done nanowrimo and I've ended up with garbage I don't know how to edit and would probably be dumb if I did and if I'm editing I'm not writing new stuff either. 

First, I think you need to watch this video. 

Spoiler

 

So far as making a living goes, definitely get a day job while you're fighting your way through the "gap" Glass talks about, and I say keep it while you're working to establish a name for yourself. But try to find a day job that works for you. Find one that plays into your aspirations as a writer. If you want a job that gives you easy access to all sorts of people at their best and their worst, get a job as a server. If you want to write in a particular genre, get a job that gives you knowledge useful to that genre—John Grisham, a popular legal thriller writer here in the States, worked as an attorney for years and wrote his first book based on a case he witnessed. My library job, for instance, gives me easy access to books (and therefore knowledge) I might have never considered, a fair amount of downtime in which to browse the internet for research or inspiration, and a regular schedule with a steady and predictable income. It works for me, but it wouldn't work for everyone, because people are different and value different things in their writing. 

38 minutes ago, Ookla the Atypical said:

Don't be the next Rowling. She's very closed to her fans' ideas.

*grumble* Ten years of waiting, ten years of pleading, and she gives us Cursed Child instead of that Marauders prequel we begged her for! *grumblegrumble* 

And don't even get me started on her attempt to wrest control of her fandom away from the very fans that made it so great her efforts to turn Draco into a two-dimensional character her way of reminding us all that testing medicines on your neighbors without their knowledge is generous but real estate is the root of all evil Pottermore.  

[aeromancer he/him]

Well, if you want to work on writing, there's a portion of this website dedicated to helping writers. Also, Reading Excuses has been lacking fresh blood for a while, so it'd be nice if you joined. (Not that true, but we've been running below the sub-count per week, so it's essentially true) It's a good place to hone writing from a past time to a craft. There's a slight problem with our mod right now, but it's pretty easy to workaround if you're interested.

[Delightful]

2 hours ago, aeromancer said:

Well, if you want to work on writing, there's a portion of this website dedicated to helping writers. Also, Reading Excuses has been lacking fresh blood for a while, so it'd be nice if you joined. (Not that true, but we've been running below the sub-count per week, so it's essentially true) It's a good place to hone writing from a past time to a craft. There's a slight problem with our mod right now, but it's pretty easy to workaround if you're interested.

Sub count? Mod issue? What does that mean?

[Mestiv he/him]

4 hours ago, Ookla the Chibi said:

Sub count? Mod issue? What does that mean?

Probably sub count  means "submissions count", so they have not enough submission for reviews or too many. Mod issue, suggests there is an issue with moderation. I don't know who's running Reading Excuses, but maybe he/she's missing in action?

[Claincy he/him]

Dunno if my experience/thoughts will be of any help, but in case they are...

I'm still pretty early on, just beginning my professional career now. Through early schooling I didn't really have much of an idea what I wanted to end up doing though I was leaning towards becoming an author. I considered the idea of veterinary work for a bit before realising I wouldn't be able to handle the sadder parts of the job. Heading into the final couple of years of high school I had a few ideas but no strong conclusion. (My final year units were Maths Methods, Specialist Maths, Physics, Geography, Literature, Music and Software Development :P) At the time my main ideas were for becoming an author, games developer or musician. All very safe, stable career paths of course! One thing I knew for certain was that I wanted to do something creative. I've noted even more since then that if I don't create or design something on a regular basis I get depressed pretty fast.

In any case the Software Development unit was the first good IT unit I'd done in a long time, and I loved it, and I found I was good at it too. By the time I finished high school I was pretty sure that going into Computer Science was the way to go for me and regardless of whatever else I did or did not do I would end up making games, at least as a side activity. I got into a Computer Science course and by the end of the first semester I knew with 100% certainty that I had made a good choice. I finished my degree about a year and a half ago now and since then I have made some progress on my own games development and I've been working as a casual professional at the University for nearly 2 years. I made a good impression in my first position and I've had a number of others as a result. I actually have 4 different ones at the moment  The only trouble with that is that combined with my health issues it's making it difficult to find time to do much of my own game development. In the future I hope to decrease that slightly to free up more time for my own games dev but for now I want to make sure, as much as I can, that I keep getting work there

Anyway, the main comment I would make is to start doing what you want, don't wait till you have the right qualifications or for the perfect time or situation to get started, just do it. If you only have the time or energy to do a little bit, then do that little bit. Try to find some accountability with someone if you can to regularly chat about what each of you have done in the past week or two. It's also worth noting that it is extremely common for even experienced professionals to feel like they aren't good enough Everybody feels that way sometimes, it doesn't mean it's true or that it will always be the case.

[aeromancer he/him]

14 hours ago, Ookla the Chibi said:

Sub count? Mod issue? What does that mean?

Sub count is submissions that we send in, we have a max of five per week. Right now, it's usually around three. Mod issue is that we used to have a moderator (Silk) who ran the behind-the-scenes, but Silk's been AWOL for a while. Still entirely possible to join, though.

[Darkness Ascendant he/him]

Or u could become an evil librarian like Two

I here they need some extra people in the mailroom

They always need extra people in the mailroom

(Get that reference)

[The Honor Spren she/her]

*sees topic name* How do you decide life? As in decide life over death?!?! Delightful, are you okay???? *actually reads the first post* Ohhhhhhh, you meant as in important life decisions. Okay. 

But I can't help you there. I'm only 15.

[Orlion Blight he/him]

On 11/29/2016 at 8:07 PM, Ookla the Chibi said:

BUt in order to sell stories I have to write stories and I get brain freeze of what if I muck it all up how do I even write anyway this all sucks. 

I don't know how to silence those weasels and they're overwhelming. 

Ive done nanowrimo and I've ended up with garbage I don't know how to edit and would probably be dumb if I did and if I'm editing I'm not writing new stuff either. 

Quote

If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/epictetus383698.html

Or, of course you'll produce garbage. Art is not forming something ready made (that's manufacturing). Art is hard work and struggle to make something garbage into something less garbage. 

Edited December 3, 2016 by Orlion Determined

[Delightful]

4 hours ago, Ookla the Miraculous said:

*sees topic name* How do you decide life? As in decide life over death?!?! Delightful, are you okay???? *actually reads the first post* Ohhhhhhh, you meant as in important life decisions. Okay. 

But I can't help you there. I'm only 15.

Mistrunner? Or is that Honor Spren?

you are precious and sweet and wonderful. I am thankfully ok.

ive just been totally inspired by Hamilton because my goodness it's a work of art and I want to write like that and it's majestically beautiful. (I'm geeking out. So sue me :P) 

so. Gonna keep writing. I'll probably check out reading excuses tomorrow; TBH it's always looked a little large and daunting. 

*sharpens pencil, stretches fingers, sips tea*. 

Im gonna do this!