Riley Stueland
Riley Stueland asked Gail Carson Levine:

Hi! I read "Writing Magic" many years ago, and now very soon I will by applying for colleges and graduation high school. I'm torn between a healthcare track and a creative writing track, and the latter is the one that gives me the most anxiety about success. I was wondering if you ever had any conflicting emotions about pursuing writing as a career, and if so, how did you get past them?

Gail Carson Levine I didn't pursue a writing career. I wrote stories for children and tried to get them published, which took me nine years. Meanwhile, I worked in New York State government. Nowadays, my pension supplements what I earn from writing. It's very hard to earn a living as a writer of fiction or nonfiction. There are other writing jobs, though, like in public relations or advertising, that pay well or well enough. Or you can go into health care and write in your spare time and get published and see if your income can support you once you get established as a writer.

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