This Giant Decision

Okay, I have to start thinking of career path. And as I said I want to become a writer. Now I want to get a job that exposes me to publishers, agents, and media.
Because with media exposure I can get to be a creative writer faster. Yeah I know, but I don't want a picture of me old and wrinkly on the back of some cover. As I have said to many people I want to die at thirty-eight because I don't want to degrade and have people take care of me. And I don't want to always look in the mirror with these thoughts I know I will have.
Anyway,I need some help when it comes to a major.

If I get a journalism major I can use it to become a journalist and that might possibly get me the exposure I need. Would I still be able to be a creative writer?
If I get an English major though that is more used to be a creative writer and an author. But would they still except that to become a journalist?

It is going to take work either way. Journalism is a very competitive field. Not only that, but it demands your writing talent. You could thus find yourself coming home each evening too tired of writing to write. English is a more popular degree than you might believe (it requires little to no math). My degree is Physics, and the schools grabbed me because they needed those of my certification. English teachers however are rather common. You will thus find yourself a fish in a large pond.

Don't believe that there is an easy path. I also believe that those that gain an easy path are cursed because the fates have decided that they are only worthy of an easy life. I look at the rough road that I have traveled (and still travel) as an affirmation that I am worthy of being challenged. Such gives me hope that I won't be bored in the afterlife.

Well, if you're thinking either of these degrees are going to lead you to a quick and easy path to wealth and free time that will support your creative writing I fear you are going to be disappointed either way.

Journalism seems like the way to go, if you are wanting to write for a living, but I don't know realistically how much it's going help you with getting your foot in the door of book/story publishing. Odds are you'll end up spending at least the first few years (read as decades) of your career working long hours for some local rage and/or if you are lucky get freelance work here and there with more respected and widely read publications. It's like TerishD said, Journalism is just as competitive a field as fiction writing and you might find yourself drained from writing for a living and fighting for space on the page.

My eldest step-sister has a degree in English. She worked as a grade school teacher until she had her own children and now their school has the best written PTA literature in her county. So, again, what TerishD said is true. A good portion of the many people who get English degrees end up teaching, which might suite you just fine.

I'd say find someone who can give you some hard statistics on what to expect job wise with each degree or even talk to people who have these degrees, someone at your school should be able to hook you up with this, and ask them what the first ten or fifteen years of their careers were like. After all if you're placing a time limit on yourself you're going to want to concern yourself mostly with what you can do in the first decade or so after earning your degree.

Best of luck to you.

HYdraMStar wrote:

Well, if you're thinking either of these degrees are going to lead you to a quick and easy path to wealth and free time that will support your creative writing I fear you are going to be disappointed either way.

I don't like this part for some reasons.
Writing has never been about fame, wealth, or anything like that.
It has always been for me, to express and share with people.
But the only way that can happen is if my writing is out to the public.
I don't have much time, since I will make it possible that I die young rather then old.
So I have to get my word out there before I leave.
I only have 21 years to tell people stories and tell people ideas.
And give people something they don't normally see.


I don't want to be a teacher, I can barely stand kids my own age.
I don't like to teach.

The problem is there is no job for me, I hate working with people. I want to be able to work with people with as little time as possible. Only work with people when its only needed and when its important.
I'm an independent person and I don't want to work in a business, or an office.

I hope that you like math, because an accountant is the way to go. Boring as hell, but it pays well and you spend a lot of time punching numbers in your own private corner. At the end of your time you are eager to do something else, especially write about all the stuff you were imagining while crunching numbers.

I did that in a general way. I was a computer programmer for companies. They stuck me back in some unused office where I wrote and maintained report programs. Teaching is just what I do when the computer market is poor.

From what you are saying, you would probably like being an accountant. As for writing, join me in regular posts to the internet. Find your sites (I try to maintain 3, although with the chaos of the internet I often will seek a fourth). I usually keep two different stories active (at present there is only one, but this is not an easy story). If you try the publishing route, it is stifling and really does not pay the bills.

TerishD wrote:

I hope that you like math, because an accountant is the way to go. Boring as hell, but it pays well and you spend a lot of time punching numbers in your own private corner. At the end of your time you are eager to do something else, especially write about all the stuff you were imagining while crunching numbers.

I did that in a general way. I was a computer programmer for companies. They stuck me back in some unused office where I wrote and maintained report programs. Teaching is just what I do when the computer market is poor.

From what you are saying, you would probably like being an accountant. As for writing, join me in regular posts to the internet. Find your sites (I try to maintain 3, although with the chaos of the internet I often will seek a fourth). I usually keep two different stories active (at present there is only one, but this is not an easy story). If you try the publishing route, it is stifling and really does not pay the bills.

Yuck, I'm terrible at math.
I'm deficient in my math credits and its probably the thing I hate the most.
Math is yucky.
I like the basic stuff, the stuff you need for everyday life, but anything far more complicated then plus, minus, times, divide, mean, median, and mode is not my thing.
I hate quradic fractions, I hate everything to do with numbers.
Blugh!
An accountant isn't my thing.

Have you considered Vo-Tech (like Apex Tech) to work on say, repairing diesel engines, or doing car body work? After all they all need their cars fixed.

If that is not your thing, try something like fine arts and do book covers for them, or something along those lines, that is a good way to get to know people and gets your name out.

Another option is of course to get a printing degree, and become a publisher if you are driven enough for it.

But degree is not going to give you a meal ticket, or get you into the "Fast Track" after all that is the dream of everyone else in the same class with you.

Look at jobs that put you in the field.

Urs wrote:

Have you considered Vo-Tech (like Apex Tech) to work on say, repairing diesel engines, or doing car body work? After all they all need their cars fixed.

If that is not your thing, try something like fine arts and do book covers for them, or something along those lines, that is a good way to get to know people and gets your name out.

Another option is of course to get a printing degree, and become a publisher if you are driven enough for it.

But degree is not going to give you a meal ticket, or get you into the "Fast Track" after all that is the dream of everyone else in the same class with you.

Look at jobs that put you in the field.

I can't draw, the only thing that I can do is stick figures.
I'm not interested in mechanics.
That is what I am trying to do, I'm using the degree to get me into a job that gets me in the field so that way I can be exposed.

I'm not that kind of person.
Why did you even get an idea like that?
Why does everyone think I'm doing it for the negative side of the life?
As I have said I only have 21 years to make this dream come true.

I would suggest a degree in printing or liberal arts. With that you are going to be involved in the publishing/writing field.

I would suggest also talking with your carrier counselor at school, they can help you out with decisions like this and maybe even recommend a good school for you to go to regarding your desired profession. After all, that is what they are supposed to be there for.

Urs wrote:

I would suggest a degree in printing or liberal arts. With that you are going to be involved in the publishing/writing field.

I would suggest also talking with your carrier counselor at school, they can help you out with decisions like this and maybe even recommend a good school for you to go to regarding your desired profession. After all, that is what they are supposed to be there for.

I'll check it out and such.
And I will talk to my counselor, there is no way my family would understand.

Talk to your counselor, perhaps take a career text or something as well. These will help you find your strong skills and points.

It is after all, what they are there for, and they can reassure your parents that you can make good money.

I think the English major would be the best choice if writing is what you want to do. I think writing biographies is one of the best ways to get your name out there. Famous people like to tell their stories and a degree in English would be what they are looking for. Once you are in the door with one or two biographies you can make a smooth change to what you want to write. Besides, you should get a good wage that could cover your creative writing time.