Quitting Your Day Job to Write at Home

In today's Oregonian (Aug. 31), mystery writer April Henry writes about her experience of quitting her day job to write full-time at home. As one who has done just that more that once, I found her story of the "dream" and the "reality" hilarious (and ever so true):

What really happens when you quit your day job

Unlike April, virtually all my writing from my home-based office has been non-fiction. She took her "leap" home from her corporate job after writing six novels. I took my first leap home to write nearly 30 years ago when I was in my mid-30's. I joined the technical writing business my wife had started and together, we made a great success of it writing computer-user manuals for large corporations in the Chicago area. It was fun and sometimes exhausting. And it made parenting little boys a bigger challenge plus stretched our marriage to the breaking point.

One of the first "realities" I learned very quickly about myself was that I needed to "leave home" to be able to work at home. I needed to get out of the house in the morning and walk to a neighborhood restaurant for my morning coffee (and journal write about my life before starting any writing on work projects). Over the years, I've done variations of that morning ritual. Today, I go for a morning walk for daily exercise and just watch my mind "roam" wherever it needs go as I notice my surroundings (without writing anything down!). I start working on writing projects shortly after I get back home (actually, I usually read and respond to email first). Sometimes, I take my laptop to a coffee shop to write first drafts amidst the clatter and chatter. But I need the solitude and silence of home to edit and finish my writing projects.

Do you write at home? What works for you? Did you find that "reality" didn't exactly match your "dream" when you quit your day job to work from home?

Quitting Your Day Job to Write at Home