Suneetha Balakrishnan had ‘just a job’ until she began writing full time. Now she combines what she calls work-write and write-write as her career.

What sort of career did you have before becoming a writer?

It was not exactly a career, I would call it just a job with vertical escalations people call ‘promotions’. I worked with the public sector in insurance, a job I got at the age of twenty, and held a senior administrative post when I quit. I suppose I was good at what I did, but I was always restless. I never understood why.

Was there a triggering event that prompted you to begin writing?

I think I have always been reading, and then writing, for myself of course. The trigger must be good books. My mom, a voracious reader and an academic, introduced me to the classics early on and made sure I had plenty to read all the time. I guess that never left me, and it was a natural escalation to writing.

Do you now write full time or part time?

Full time. I left my steady, well-paying and secure employment 12 years ago and I had 20 years of service left to enjoy. I don’t get a pension from that tenure. So now I work-write to make a living and write-write in response to what my writing soul demands.

What parts of the writing career do you enjoy the most/the least?

I suppose I enjoy all sorts of writing, so being able to write for a living is a rare skill I fully acknowledge and am thankful for. And working from home means you have a universe to yourself. The parts I least enjoy are when I have to chase payments, and when people don’t understand I am at work and think it’s okay to barge into your physical and mental space.

What parts of your former career do you miss/not miss?

I think the job I left behind is not even a memory now, it’s like a previous incarnation. I miss nothing about it, not even the steady salary cheque and the perks. There are so many compensations in this life, freedom being the first and best of it.

Do you have any regrets?

I will gladly and proudly say, None. There was no better decision I could have taken.

What advice would you offer other second career writers?

Developing the right skill suited to the sort of writing you want to take on is as important as being disciplined. Your value will be your steady output delivered on time. And nothing can replace that, I have experienced. And ASK for money, please. People will pay the plumber, the electrician, the cook and the driver, but the writer they use for a crucial part of their work is usually expected to work for little or nothing. Develop bargaining skills, network with others who work like you to find out about ground realities and arm yourself with the right information. It’s a great thing to be a writer, just find how to manage the stress points, every career has it. 

Many thanks for sharing your journey, Suneetha.

The Guest by Suneetha Balakrishnan – Sameer is a ‘catch’, he is qualified, comfortably off, well-employed, young and has no bad habits. And when Sameer was proposed for serene Kavitha, she thought he was too nice. But is a girl allowed to say No because the groom proposed is unexciting? Then she met his mother…

The Guest is a day in the life of Mama, Sameer and Kavitha. A story of ordinary, everyday people.

FOR MORE ON READING & WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION follow A WRITER OF HISTORY (using the widget on the left sidebar)

M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel, TIME AND REGRET was published by Lake Union. Mary’s other novels, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or on her website www.mktod.com.