The Other Jobs of Writers: What We Do When We're Not Writing Books

Hands up if you knew Agatha Christie worked as nurse and pharmacist’s assistant. Anyone?

And did you know Harper Lee worked as a ticket agent for an airline? And what about Franz Kafka? Best known for Metamorphosis  - the tale of a salesman transformed into a massive insect  - Kafka also worked for a major insurance company for more than a decade.

More recently - Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, famously wrote his bestseller early every morning before going to work as a doctor.

What dedication! What willpower! I salute them all. 

But for me, quitting my job was the only way I could conceive of writing a decent novel.

To be fair, I did start a few creative writing projects when I was working as a full-time news reporter for a daily paper in the north of Scotland. Wrote some poetry, I think. Maybe a few songs. And I typed the opening chapters of a book which will never be read by anyone, ever.

But I know myself  - and I knew that if I really wanted to write a novel of any merit I needed to quickly extract myself from a day job that required me to write all day long, every day.

And so I took a step back  - to the future, kind of.

I returned to the job I did before I was a news reporter – working as a freelance tour director in Europe. To be honest I’d never regarded it as a career. But turns out I love it – and it fits perfectly with my life as a writer. In one job, I’m super sociable. In the other, I’m a hermit. With both, I can live anywhere – which meant I’ve been able to settle for good in my beloved Barcelona. 

(See blog post A Scottish Writer in Barcelona - But Why Here? for how and why I ended up in Barcelona.) 

So what does a tour director actually do?

In short, I take small groups of strangers on two-week adventures. By the way - it’s the same job as Ruth Morrison, one of the lead characters in my debut novel, The Silent Daughter.

The job involves taking care of all logistics but I also give lectures, lead guided walks, and happily share top tips with clients so they can get out and explore on their own. I’m a freelance tour director but the company I usually work for is dedicated to educational travel. 

The route I lead most often is magical, crossing the Pyrenees from France to Spain. But we’re not just racing from one tourist site to the next, stock-piling selfies. We give morning lectures about history, culture and geography  - and sometimes locals welcome us into their homes for wine and cheese and stories. It’s not just about the photo – but the scenery is stunning too. 

The best part? I meet lots of really inspiring people.

Another major bonus is choosing exactly when I want to work. If and when needed I can take several months off to finish a draft, work on edits or to write a new book. And luckily, I love both my jobs.

What about you? 

I’ve always been intrigued by the secret lives of writers so I’d love to hear about how you juggle your art and your job – even if you just write for fun. Who knows, maybe your job will inspire your masterpiece! If it worked for Agatha Christie, it’s good enough for anybody.