Dear professional writers/screenwriters..........

[Pigeonmind]

Would you be so kind to tell me if you are able to comfortably support your family based on your income? I respect the talent, hard work and resilience needed to break through. I have so many people telling me that it is impossible, so it would be a lift to hear a positive story.
Thanks for your time.

Holby is the least likely to take on a new writer. It’s the toughest thing to write for because it’s more static in nature than the BBC’s other continuing drama shows.

@joyfullittlehippo thanks for the multi posts! Being kept in gin is a serious bonus. Did you write a novel then got noticed and considered for TV work off the back of that? I’d be extremely happy if I had success with the novel route. I suppose I’m curious how the networking/marketing aspect works? Thanks.

Every novelist I know — people who write crime, fantasy, literary fiction, YA, some very high-profile and well-reviewed, including two people on the Women’s Prize longlist this year — have either a fractional or FT creative writing teaching job at a university.

@PaperHead, thanks for the insight. All of this is helpful.

I work with a lot of writers and there are few who live off that I come alone, bookincome , but many make money doing other writer related things like a bit of teaching or copywriter or similar and are very happy doing so! Being a writer can be a lonely business...

Years and years ago I wrote scripts for Family Affairs on channel 5. I can't remember how much I got per ep but it was a decent amount and I could write an episode every 6 weeks. I vaguely remember it was between £3k and £5k an episode, wish I could remember. I knew that writers on EastEnders / other shows got more. This was in 2002.

I work with and am friends with a lot of professional writers. One earns JK Rowling-style income from a single book and film deal sold worldwide. the rest earn between 1k-15k per year. These are professionals who produce a published book a year. One thousand pounds income is not uncommon for a book of literary merit without much publicity behind it.
All writers I know except the very wealthy one and another whose partner is the real earner, supplement their income with a lot of teaching and some editing or consultancy work, or via related work in journalism, publishing etc. Or by continuing to work in other fields. One is a carpenter, another (very famous) one is deliveryman. I wish more writers realised that if this is all they're going to get, they may as well write what they please, but so many crush their natural inclinations and try to second guess the market or please publishers who aren't certain what will sell anyway.

This is interesting stuff. I'll be undertaking the advanced creative writing module with the OU soon , more to experiment with genres and structured writing exercises than anything else . I'd dearly love to be published one day but I recognise that it will need to be supplemented. I have the opportunity to get a lecturing qualification ..for free. I've never actually considered merging my writing with that element of my life but it may be too good an opportunity to pass up!