I'm a good writer!

At various times, including now, I have written for a living. Reading the reviews here gives me a sense that most folks rating have not.

Make no mistake, this can be dull and dreary work, with no more reward (financially or otherwise) than a supermarket cashier.

At its best, its the best job in the world. (I should note that I'm a highly specialized sort of writer)

At its worst, its bloody drudgery for slave wages.

Im not good at it but i like it

i wanted to be one

I've always wanted to be a writer. I was a sportswriter for awhile and dabble in it every once in awhile.

Thats what I want to do.

i'm a good writer as long as i'm not upset, and i seem to write a lot

if you're succesful, it would be great!

i love to write but i think if you write your missing out on what is really going on out side of your head...you could be missing the best book ever.

I don't have the discipline and perhaps, not the talent.

Cool, but takes forever.

To impatient

I would love to be a writer but don't seem to be creative enough...and then the pressure of deadlines and/or keeping things fresh.

I missed my calling by around 20 years. I've been listening to a DVD with 4 crappy 40's/50's/60's Sci-Fi movies for the last two days. Watching them would be unbarable, inspite of appearances by Bela Lugosi, Clayton Moore and Ed Nelson. We're talking about "Monstrocity", "Black Dragons", "The Devil's Partner" and "Night of the Blood Beast". Here's the formula:

A. The title must conjure images that are far more frightening than the movie.

B. The plot must be indistinguishable from any other movie of its era.

C. There MUST be an organ

D. You must have a glass bowl from which to pull folded up paper with the following items written on them: "Massive magnetic field", "Call a doctor!", "I don't see anything. It must be in there", "Nothing could possibly live through that!", "Didja hear that?", "Bullets won't stop that thing!", and put them all together and you get something like this:

Lugosi: "Is there something wrong?"

Girl: "I heard a strange noise...like a body falling."

Lugosi: "Oh, I was (unintelligible). I do this often."

Girl: "But, there were gurgling sounds."

Lugosi: "Ohhhh. I was humming. Was my voice as bad as that?"

No, but the movie was. I guess 25 cents at a Saturday matinee for three of 'em was the deal back then. And I guess a parallel can be made to this kind of writing and music before MTV videos robbed an entire generation of its imagination: the writers couldn't afford NOT to leave anything up to your imagination.

Really hard to make a good, solid living off of being a writer. Still, it's a great hobby.

This is something I would love to do. I plan on writing a family history and biography for my grandkids, in the near future, which would actually be a labor of love.

I write poetry and poems. I do it strickly for myself - not to share with the world. I think writing is very intimate to try to express it to others.

I'd love to be a writer but I don't think I have the discipline it takes.

I had a professor that tried to push me in this direction- but I was too interested in (1) eating and (2) not begging for work. . .still, a good living if you can hack it.

Another future possibility. I wrote half a book already which I plan to finish and I have written a few music reviews for radio stations that I have been affiliated with. I think Im too old to go back to school but I would love to get a true gig writing entertainment reviews.

not a job, a calling. unless you write tech manuals or sitcoms. then that's just slave work.

The problem with most of the comments here is that no one is talking about being a REAL working writer. They are talking about being famous and how when they are dead people would still be reading them. That is such a minimal chance it is unbelievable. I am a writer. And the problem with writing is that it doesn't pay the bills. I still work so after working 8 hours a day, i sit and write every night for another 2-3 hours and don't spend time with my husband and don't wander around the street and night eating ice cream. I write and write and write. And while I have something to show for it, the trade off is hard. Especially when I'm sitting at the desk of yet another crappy job that I hate wishing I was doing my real job. It gets in your head and makes you a little crazy. I saw a really good documentary on writing and one person said it should be a hobby. And I think that is the truth. Otherwise, everything can get thrown out of focus.

You get to write for a living, and people get to read or watch your work, it sounds like a decent job, providing you don't get writer's block, and then there are also the critics.

Writing as a profession would be rewarding (as others have noted), as one has a chance at fame and fortune, controlling one's art, hours and locale, and leaving a mark on history. Nevertheless, there are pitfalls, namely deadlines, lack of inspiration, or writing mundane material for industry, etc. Unfortunately, society can only support so many writers.

I've done this for a living; it's not always that much fun, since rarely do you get to write what you want. I have written instruction and repair manuals for army tanks, for software, for communication equipment. Only the tiniest proportion of writers produce best-selling novels and get rich off of them, though this is the stereotype that goes with the occupation name.

I have such an admiration for people who can write well. I love to read and appreciate the talented writers out there who can come up with such wonderful thoughts and put them on paper for others to enjoy. I wish I could write well, but I did not inherit the talent for writing that some have.thank goodness for the writers who have given me hours of enjoyment to read.

A writed would be a good job if you are realyl good. You can get lots of money and theres not much too it other than sitting in front of a laptop and pouring out your thoughts. I think its a great creative outlet, and i hope to write a book someday!

Isn't it ironic that writing is at the top of the list of occupations on RateItAll?! Well, no wonder! Naturally, if I didn't like to write, I wouldn't be registered with Rate-it-All. That's what I would like to eventually do for a living. I am currently enrolled in a writing course. Right now, it's the same old monotonous grind! There's big bucks hidden here, so I guess I had better quit procrastinating and get my butt busy! I've read some other people's comments on RateItAll, as well. It looks to me as though some other people, other than myself, ought to think about turning their writing into a career, if they haven't already. Several of these statements are quite impressive and striking to me; very well-written and thought out. So, let's make it pay off.... turn it into an occupation!

A very good career, if you manage to be successful at it. Being a writer takes a lot of time, effort and patience. Of course, you make your own hours and work whereever you please on whatever topic that you please. However, as a writer you never know if you're going to be a success. Being a writer also does not bring a stable source of income unless your book sells. In the final analysis, a good profession, if you've got the dedication, patience, time and creativity.

Writing is one thing that I really enjoy. The creative horizons are just endless when it comes to writing. Writing is a very competitive career to get into, there are many excellent writers in the world and the benefits can be extraordinary. To make a career out of something where a person can share their gift and creativity with the world is just great.

I am sorry but writer ranked #1, above police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, and teachers is just WRONG!!!

An excellent choice of a job. You can make your own hours, write about anything you want, and it can be pretty profitable. It takes long hours of hard work and usually several good books before you become known, but who cares?

It's a very timid process, whether it's writing a book, tv sitcom, a drama, a song, or a movie. It takes great tenacity and patience to keep at such a difficult job. As a military journalist, I can empathize with all kinds of writers. For instance, people are giving J.K. Rowling a hard time because she's taking considerable time off between the fourth and fifth installment of the Harry Potter series. Anybody but everybody gets writer's block every now and then.

I can understand why people don't like writing. If you suck at it you're not going to like it much. I love it! There's nothing like writing when your ideas wont stop coming. Writing is a great art and a great profession.

Oh, to dream...

I would love to be a writer as my second choice career. Writers are given the tools to express themselves through intricate, often mysterious and provocative stories, giving their ideas to the world to think about. Reading not only increases general intelligence, it increases open-mindedness and critical thinking. Wouldn't it be nice to cause such an effect simply by writing a story? I believe it would be.

To make a living with this occupation, you've got to be skilled. It requires a great amount of concentration and creativity. How much fun it would be making a living out of crafting stories and poems. And heck, writing is everywhere! You could be a novelist, poet, script writer, etc. Past writers (and musicians) are probably the most eccentric and wild personalities to ever live. The times were tough but the writing was beautiful. Nowadays, we still have some good authors but it ain't the same. Still, it's got to be a hoot to teach writing or make a living out of it- a tough world, but an excellent one.

I've fooled around and written some humorous stories to amuse myself. I've tried to write more serious things, but I enjoy humor so much that almost everything I write turns into a comedy! :) But anyway, I would give the occupation a 5 if it weren't for the fact that you're bound to come up with a good idea that turns out to be a crappy story when you actually write it, or you get writer's block. But it's still a great job. It makes me want to try to write more seriously, to write something meaningful that people can enjoy hundreds of years from now. That's what writing is to me, basically: you can use your imagination and come up with an entertaining story, create interesting characters, and, if you put some thought into it, communicate a message for people to think about when they read your work. To contribute to the same field as Shakespeare, Poe, Steinbeck, Orwell, Hemmingway, Dickens and so many others have is surely an honor to those of us that have the inspiration to do so. Good luck to all you aspiring writers out there. :)

Who can deny that any production would be nothing if not for those who wield the pen? Truth is, writers don't get no respect despite their vital role in art. If you take the amount of money an entertainment production grosses, then look how the money is divvied up you would realize how very little writers make. If comedy is your cup of tea I recommend Dave Berry, James Thurber, and Woody Allen all spectacular writers.

I love everything about writing. You get to express your feelings to any1 who will listen. I fell in love with this and wish to expand myself to do more and more of this.

Writing gives a person a sense of freedom, of expression. You can put across a point through writing, or you can convey an emotion. The possibilities are endless. We don't always appreciate the toil writers go through to get their books on the bestseller racks. We only criticize the ending, or the plot, or the flat characters--but we never stop to think of the work, the sweat, the tears, the emotion that every writer puts into his or her work. My dad is a writer, and someday I would love to become one, but I understand that it takes perseverence and patience, and there is always the possibility of being rejected many times before finding a publisher. In a way, writing is both more challenging and more satisfying than being a famous musician or athlete.

I love writing. I'm working on three novels.

The only downside to being a writer is staring at the blank paper trying to get started. Sometimes you think you'll give yourself an annuerism, but then the words flow again. Other that that writing is the best job because you can work independently if that's what you want, and it's a thrill pushing yourself to constantly make deadlines. You do have to believe in yourself and write everyday or you'll only be a writer wannabe.

yes the top three careers on the list right now have definitely been my top three possibilities through my years of college. writing is so expressive yet so communicable. you know, easier to get across your point than with art or music. usually. of course the challenge is to present your point as unbiased as you can...unlike art and music.

Based on my own writing experiences, when the creative juices are flowing you are transformed body and soul, but, there is nothing so cold as a blank piece of paper (or screen) when your ideas are nowhere to be found!

I am a writer. A columnist for a local newspaper. I am considering syndicating. I love my job and it IS the greatest occupation in my eyes.

This has to be the best profession that a person can have. You make your own hours, work from the privacy of your own home, and pick your own projects. The beautiful thing about being a writer (as opposed to many other occupations) is that age will never work against you. As long as you have the talent and the ideas, your fans won't care if you are 21 or 101. They won't care what you look like as long as your books are enjoyable. Also, what a wonderful way to leave your mark on the world. How incredible to think that hundreds (or even thousands) of years after an author has died, someone will pick up a book written by that author and gain some insight into an actual event in history, enjoy an imaginative or amusing piece of fiction, or marvel at an inspirational poem. The individual who has the talent to make a living this way is truly blessed.

There is no career greater than documenting the great ideas and events in history. A writer is like a great sage; they inform future generations of the great feats and defeats and the lessons they learned from it so younger people do not make the same mistakes that had already been made in the past.

This is a career I have always desired. I have several published shorts, but I have always wanted to write a novel, and put out a few technical books. Unfortunately, my dot-com career always seems to get in the way.....

Here is the classic dream occupation question: Would you rather be the best athlete that ever lived, the best pop musician that ever lived, or the best writer that ever lived? Whenever I think about this question, I always come back to writing. As a top athlete you would earn incredible money and incredible fan adoration. As a top musician, it would probably be similar. As a writer however, more than any other profession, you have the chance for immortality. You get to provide the documentation for an era - to be the spokesman for that era for the rest of time. Talk about leaving your mark...

Being a writer is good in theory. You get to make your own hours. You can work from home, or anywhere you want to work (for me that would be on the beach). You can create stories in you head, or write about a life experience, or even research a topic that interests you. All these positives are out weighed by some heavy negatives. It is unstable on account that you don't know if people will buy what you write. You spend a lot of time alone. You get critized constantly (more than you'll get praised). You are under deadlines. It takes a lot of patience and talent to be a writer. As much as I would love to be one, I just don't have what it takes.

Personally I think this would be an amazing job, but it's clearly not for everyone. Spending long hours alone in front of a keyboard, wrestling with writer's block, weathering harsh criticism, dealing with that naked feeling you get when you expose something really personal to other people... Being a stubborn, thick-skinned introvert would definitely be an asset. On the plus side, there aren't too many other professions I can think of that would be quite as rewarding.