Here’s a question for you:
Four months ago I quit my job in the city to take time out and write the Ferret Files, excerpts of which I’ve been printing here. Today, I was offered a six figure sum that doesn’t begin with ‘1’ to go back to work for a bunch of banksters doing something I regard as morally wrong, until this time next year.
On one hand it’s a LOT of money, on the other it means abandoning Ferret for the next year, which means in turn it’ll probably never get finished.
Over the last 15 years I’ve worked in Defence, Finance, Telecoms and computer gaming. I’ve got a lot of experience in all of these areas, the constant thorn in my side being Management Consultants, who I simply *love* taking the rip out of.
Ferret is the biggest rip of the lot, by far: he is one. A management consultant in a defence conspiracy, with millions at stake.
So, should I continue writing, or should I take the money and run?
The Ferret Files 
It depends on how morally wrong it is against finishing your writing, personally i took the last year off after being made redundant and in some ways it was the best thing i have done after the last 20 years working in IT, personally without knowing anything i would go for the money for the year and then have something to back you up to take a longer period of time off. I intend to go back to work soon for a year and then take time off again and hopefully keep repeating that interchanging work with writing and other projects i have.
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Thanks for the reply. I worked stupid hours on a pair of IT projects, back to back, for 18 months and quit last September, intending to take 6 months off. I’ve had 4 and think I’m starting to get somewhere with my writing. Then the offer comes. Send more money! This is so tempting, nearly double what I’m used to earning, but it means selling my $oul to the devil. Why can’t I just spend the next 2 months listening to Rush Hemispheres & 2112 on continuous play?!? 🙂
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Listening to Rush on continous play is tempting 🙂
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I’ve been thinking about this since you posted it. Not ignoring it – pondering it…
There is no good answer, but I think you’ve done it in your own response to pastieman – “selling my $oul to the devil”. If this is how you feel, then don’t do it.
On the other hand, if you are in need of cash, this might be the financial backing that you could use for your writing. At the very least, consider it undercover field research for more writing material.
If you love the writing, you will go back to it. Without question or hesitation.
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You’re right, there is no easy answer. There’s a twist in the tale of course, and it’s this: the offices in which I’m being asked to work are right next door to the location where the grand finale of my novel takes place. Every day, I’m going to have to walk past the place where the hero gets the girl and the villain gets what’s coming to him. Hopefully, if I take the job, this will provide inspiration rather than turning me the other way. Grizzled doesn’t suit 🙂
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