Hey everyone! I've mostly been a new lurker here, but I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm a fiction writer from DC! After college I realized writing was something I wanted to do more seriously, but to be honest I've had a lot of trouble balancing writing with my career in political writing. I find my work pretty exhausting; I work under very tight and spontaneous deadlines, which makes it hard to plan ahead. I anticipate I probably won't get into an MFA program this cycle (I only applied to several top schools), so I'm trying to make contingency plans re: how I can continue writing even without institutional support. I've noticed most workshops start at 6pm EST, but that's when my workday supposedly ends (and the truth is that it often runs longer, without any previous notice; if I'm given a new assignment at the end of the day it's my responsibility to fulfill it). I honestly feel spread very thin between work, spending time with my loved ones and writing fiction. I'm so exhausted that I think about quitting my job every day, but I feel guilty doing that under such a precarious economy.
So I wanted to ask about day jobs. Before your MFA, what are you doing to support your writing?