I would rather write on my novel, but I need the money.The choices one has to mk

@suspenseful (40193)
Canada
August 16, 2010 12:12pm CST
My friends keep asking me when I am going to finish my novel, but there is a problem. I need the money so here I am on the net typing away. I would also like to go on Helium and Associated Content, but do not like the idea of my writing being a Canadian can only qualify for page views and do not have enough time to surf the other sites or critique them. Why I belong to a critique egroup and have not been on that for a while. Not much time. The trouble is that I am saving for a really good laptop computer, and do not want to use any of our regular pension for it. I did put a little bit away, but really I have to replace that with the monies I make from the net. And yet, I really do wish I could get back to my novel. Did any of you have to make a choice about what you write for financial reasons? A fiction writer who has to write non-fiction.
3 people like this
10 responses
• Pamplona, Spain
11 Sep 10
Hiya suspenseful, I write on here as other things which I have tried and tired of waiting to get paid out. I am thinking about other ways of doing things too. With being Canadian I thought you would get paid up front on Associated Content and Helium I don´t get that you are right next door to the US. How come´s that then that they don´t pay you up front? One of my friends lived in a place where she was right next Door to the Canadian Border and she crossed it quite a few times. So that seems surprising to me. What kind of novel are you writing then? My country is a no no for any of those places anyway like AC or Helium so I don´t even bother with them at the moment. I might think about it in the future. Like I said it seems surprising that you are only next door neighbours and yet you can´t get paid up front in AC or the other one Helium seems very silly to me looking from the outside in. Good luck with your novel anyway.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
14 Sep 10
I think it is to do with their rules. When I finish my novel, I can go to any publishing company or get an agent in the States or in Canada and get them to do it for me. But really I would be writing in the American format rather then the Canadian because of the populations. i do hope AC and Helium change their rules and do not just pay for page views because really I do not do that much surfing. I am writing a fantasy science fiction from a Christian viewpoint. In other words, well they have a couple of fantastic creatures, but no witches or warlocks.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
19 Sep 10
I will have get down to it. I am doing a bit more, not today it is Sunday and the only reason I am on mylot is because well, I can help others. But I cannot get much done as possible because of what is going on with my life. I find that I am lucky to write three paragraphs a day on my novel, which does not leave me much time to really get it right. I find I need at least an hour or uninterrupted time to get it to sound right. I hope I get it finished and get rid of the mistakes.
• Pamplona, Spain
18 Sep 10
Hiya suspenseful, Well I hope they change their Rules but I cannot see them doing it for the Country I live in. But that´s besides the point. I don´t have that much time for surfing either so that would be a problem for me to keep up with them. Your novel sounds really interesting also so I wish you lot´s of luck with it and see if you can launch it. At this rate I am going to know at least three famous Novelists from mylot.
1 person likes this
• Portugal
30 Nov 10
i understand you wanted to finish your novel but you cant bcs you need to earn money to your life. yes sometimes isnt easy to do things we want and we have to let that aside and do things we dont like just to live. like me im working online mostly all day and sometimes i get tired but is my only source of income at least to help my mum if she needs my money to help pay bills.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
17 Aug 10
I'm not creative enough to write for pleasure but I have to make choices not to do things I'd like because I sit here and write articles all day. The extra income looks great in my savings account! Since there are no jobs that I can do here in my city, it's the only supplement I have to my small income and it certainly comes in handy to have a couple hundred extra a month to stash away for emergencies--or hopefully, a new mattress. I could get a mattress now but I'm waiting because the economy is so bad and not going to get better for quite some time.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
18 Aug 10
I want to get working on my novel, but feel that I have to make it good enough for it to be published. And I feel it is something that has seldom been done before so I am sure that once it is finished and I get it out that it will sell quite well. I have a better knack for fiction then for non-fiction, but it seems that if you want to get paid, you have to write non-fiction. The trouble is that not only do you have to write non-fiction, but it is the kind they want and that leaves only myLot since Helium, and Associated Content only pay for page views for non Americans.
@bloggeroo (2167)
• Philippines
17 Aug 10
Always. Unfortunately, I've given in to my passion too many times that I missed out on building my net worth. In hindsight, I realized that it would have been easier if I had been more flexible and entertained mundane but profitable activities. Anyway, I'm taking a different approach this year by considering the financial angle first. And I'll be implementing a lot of creative solutions to reduce the amount of work I put into my "dream" projects. So far, doing things I'm not supposed to do has opened up a lot of opportunities for me. I have a different perspective now.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Aug 10
Yes me to if ii will be given a chance to write my own novel i will but of course it needs capital in which as of now i do not have.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
18 Aug 10
That is the trouble. You need a good computer, and a good printer. NOt only that, there are the how to write books, a critique site so someone will tell you how bad your depiction of the character is and that you should have started it this way. You also need a good dictionary, etc. All those things cost money. At least now they are starting to accept work on line, but for many publishers, you still have to put all the papers in a box and put them through the mail and that is not cheap, especially when you may have to make copies and mail the story out to different publishers. And my friends feel as if all I have to do is to send the manuscript to one publisher and it is accepted on sight. You can always start, but often it takes years.
@Catana (735)
• United States
16 Aug 10
I don't desperately need the money, but I'm trying to build my savings back up after some necessary medical expenses. I'm editing a novel that I will publish soon as an ebook, but I don't know if it will make any money, so I'm compromising. It's been quite a while since I've written any articles, but I'm trying to get back to it, on Associated Content. That's the site that works best for me. I don't really enjoy writing articles, and I love fiction, but real life gets in the way sometimes. I hope you find the time for your novel, even if it's only a little bit at a time.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
18 Aug 10
We had just finished fixing up the backyard, installing a patio and before that we had renovated our house, put in a ramp because my husband has als and to make the house handicapped friendly. On top of that, we had purchased a handicapped van. So I really cannot take any of the household money or even my pension to get something for my own use, that is, my own computer. So that means, that the money I make online is the money for the computer. So I am writing more articles even though I am mainly a fiction writer and doing the novels in whatever spare time I have.
@GardenGerty (157545)
• United States
16 Aug 10
I have written because of " have to", when I would much rather write because of "want to" and other writers have done the same. Things will come about, meanwhile you keep your head above water this way.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
17 Aug 10
I would rather write fiction than non-fiction any day. I used to write fan fiction, but now all I have time to is for part of my novel and it is not a whole chapter a day as I used to do. Now I am lucky to finish one chapter in a week (although it is mostly review(, and if there is something additional that I have to do, it takes a while to get it down, maybe two weeks. But I have to save for the laptop and not use any of our pension money in doing so, because the latter is for our bills, and other things.
@mipen2006 (5528)
• Australia
16 Aug 10
I know exactly what you're saying suspensful. I am on a single pension, but have to support my wife overseas, and this is very difficult. I am looking for a part time job that won't interfere with my pension, but it is not easy. Fortunately, in just four months, I can return to Thailand, and will have qualified to receive my pension there. Life will be much easier then.
1 person likes this
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
16 Aug 10
i know what you mean but i only write non fiction,but now i am into art. i would love to stay home and work on my stuff but alas, i like to eat.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
17 Aug 10
It seems we never can do what we want to do. I am not that good at non-fiction. Goodness knows my posts here get misunderstood so many times and I have so many ideas in my head, but now I need the money for the burial plot and my husband might die in a couple of months, so I need a little extra. And the less time I spend on my novel, the worse the writing. This online money is to pay for a Mac laptop because this Windows desktop is breaking down. Believe me, I never had that much luck with Windows. My husband gave his to our younger son and even then his was going and he did not use his to the extent I use one. And I do not want to use my household money on my stuff. Well at least I have airmiles. I can get the extra stuff with it. I should have used it to buy my iphone. Shows you how dense I am.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
16 Aug 10
I write as a hobby and I have to say that I am not overly excited over my skills with it. My husband appreciates it, but it's nothing I'd ever get published. So no I can't say I've had to make the choice of writing non fiction so that I could have a fund for writing fiction. I have however, made the choice to come here on mylot to earn money so that we can make purchases we want and need.
1 person likes this