I spent many years of my life as an economist and demographer. I was finally distracted by writing my novels and poetry. I'm enormously happy that was the case. I feel that with writing I have found my metier.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Without the faintest possibility of finding a job, I decided to devote myself to literature: it was about time to find out what I was worth as a writer.
I began my writing career in a very isolated place and time.
I left my job in the fall, and now I can set my life up around writing instead of squeezing writing into my day; it's amazing to have that time, and I feel very lucky.
I've carved out a career for myself really as a writer.
In retrospect, it seems like everything in my life led to me becoming a writer. I just didn't realise it at the time.
I don't know if I had ever found my place in the world until I fully committed to being a writer.
I wasn't always a novelist. I began my writing career as a journalist, working on an afternoon newspaper in Sydney, Australia, doing the crime beat and court reporting. Having grown up in a small country town, I felt as though I had nothing to write about.
I held a variety of jobs - most notably ten years working in universities - and kept on writing.
I used to have a real passion for writing, but not so much anymore - probably because I do too much of it.
Writing, for me, has always been a way of not having a career.