Does Having a Day Job Make You A Better Writer?
But that means I cannot write everyday. Is that okay?
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Hello! Welcome to my weekly newsletter!
Enjoy a dose of my playwriting process,
writing confessions, and all the mess in between.
Like most theatre people, I have a day job.
I work in advertising.
Yes. You know what that means.
And if you don’t: it means I’m overworked. My brain is fried. A LOT.
But here’s the thing — I don’t know if I’d have the same gusto for writing if I didn’t have a day job.
Sure, I can’t write every single day.
But would I even have the fire to write at all?
The Money
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way.
Having a stable income is a game-changer.
It lets you invest back into your art with workshops, theatre tickets, books, streaming (National Theatre at Home isn’t cheap), even things like Substack subscriptions, domain names, and better tech, or more tech.
Financial stress can kill creativity.
Money gives you choicesss.
The Release
Work can be soul-crushing.
Which makes writing feel like vengeance.
For me, every script says:
“F*ck you, I’m creative too.”
Context: I work as a strategist — a role often referred to as a “failed creative.”
So when I write, I’m reclaiming something.
Writing becomes proof. An outlet. A rebellion.
The Material
When you work with people, real, chaotic, flawed people, you’re gather material.
I cannot count the number of times someone’s personal drama has made me think,
“This sounds like a great show.”
You also get character inspiration on a daily basis.
Mannerisms. Power dynamics. Office politics. Assholes. Kind souls. Annoying f*cks.
The more people you’re exposed to, the richer your character building becomes.
The Network
Like it or not, your day job is a built-in audience.
Colleagues come to shows. They tell their friends.
Someone knows someone who knows someone.
It helps! Especially if you’re building a brand as a writer-performer-creator-everythinger.
They might even subscribe to your weekly newsletter. Hehe.
The Time
This one sucks.
Having a demanding job leaves you with very little time to write.
You’ll stretch your waking hours. Cut your sleep.
Write half-drafts on lunch breaks.
Subpar posts mid-work to destress.
Take a weekend just to hear yourself think.
And possibly cry.
But ask yourself honestly:
If you had 8 free hours, would you really write for all 8?
Or would you scroll, snack, and spiral?
Sometimes, having less time makes you focus.
It forces your writing to matter.
Because every second is precious. You make the most out of it.
I know I do.
Final Thought:
Having a day job doesn’t make you a better writer.
But it also doesn’t make you a worst writer.
It can make you a more grounded, more resourceful, more resilient one.
So no — it’s not ideal.
But it might be secretly giving you the fight.
Get a job. Or don’t. Do whatever you want.
JUST WRITE!
Do you have a day job too? How do you balance it? Do you agree?