(Note from CJ: I’ve had a number of folks ask about this topic, so I’m re-running this previous post to jumpstart the conversation and will continue with more in depth advice next week. Enjoy!)

Last week’s celebration of Cinco de Mayo has special meaning for me. The fifth of May, 2006 is when I quit my day job to write full time.

(or, as my partners in my pediatric practice put it: when I jumped off the Grand Canyon without a parachute…)

Was it scary leaving the security of a paycheck behind? You betcha. Downright terrifying.

But very necessary if I was going to become the writer I dreamed of becoming.

Here’s how I did it and what you need to do if you too dream of leaving the day job behind and becoming a ProWriter:

1. Prepare:
I had my first publishing contract two years before I quit my job. Getting that first sale with a NYC publisher was a dream come true–and the editor asked to buy my second book immediately, so I knew I had the writing chops to make it in NYC.

But as we went to edits and page proofs and trips to NYC to discuss marketing and then planning the promotional efforts it would take (yes, 90% of marketing falls on the author whether you’re traditionally published or going it alone) and writing the next book…well, I quickly realized that I wasn’t going to be a good doctor and a good writer unless I found a way to make a 26 hour day. So I decided to quit my first dream job of being a doctor in order to make my second dream come true.

Once I made that decision I cut back drastically on my expenses and saved two years worth of living expenses. I knew from my first contracts that it would take that long before I would receive all the advance money. I also knew that I couldn’t count on royalties (which are paid via an arcane formula involving pig entrails, blue moons, and pixie dust) so my goal was to try to have money to pay for next year’s living expenses this year and what I earned each year would go to the next year.

I still do that today, banking at least a year’s worth of expenses as my “cushion” since life as a writer is definitely a financial rollercoaster ride!

So, prepare your financial cushion before you take that leap of faith.

2. Protect:
When you quit your job and become self-employed suddenly the rest of the world sees you as someone with too much time on their hands.

If you’re going to protect the work you need to learn to say “no” and protect your time.

If you work from home you may also need to fight to protect your space–especially if you’re someone who needs peace and quiet to work.

Know yourself, know your limits, know where/how/when you write the best and draw a line. Make it clear to family and friends and telemarketers that no, you can’t just drop everything to listen to them or solve their problems.

Because you’re working. Even if it just looks like you’re staring out the window…

3. Produce:
Readers are starving for good books. They want more…now!

The easiest way to build your name recognition is to give them what they want: great books, more books, books they fall in love with and gobble up like Halloween candy.

Which means knowing how long it takes you to write a book (this is especially important if you’re signing a traditional publishing contract because you’ll be held to those deadlines), how many books you can write a year, and what kind of books you’ll be writing.

It’s not enough to just have great ideas…you need to consistently be finishing new books and publishing them.

Oh, and don’t forget to schedule time to market them–whether that’s posting on a blog weekly or hosting a book launch, it’s still precious time away from writing.

4. Play.
Seriously. This writing gig is hard work. If you’re going to be elevating the quality of each new book, then you need to play.

Explore new ideas and environments. Talk with other writers. Talk with readers about their favorite books.

Read, read, read!

(my agent has a wonderful rule: write 2K a day, read 2K)

Watch movies and TV shows, see what works and what doesn’t.

Hug your kids. Get down in the dirt with them for a good game of make believe. Their imaginations are limitless–why not borrow a little of that “no boundaries” attitude?

Don’t over schedule yourself with deadlines and promotional events to the point where you risk burn out. That does no one, you or your fans, any good. Creativity needs downtime to re-energize. Don’t feel guilty about taking that time for yourself.

Your future books will be better for it.

5. Persevere.
The one thing I’m constantly telling writing students is: writers write. successful writers keep writing.

I mentioned that I quit my job in 2006, a few months before my debut novel was scheduled to be released. What I didn’t mention was that a few days before I left my job (I had already given my notice) my NYC publisher pulled my book.

That’s right, for reasons totally out of my control, my dream debut was suddenly…pouf!…no more.

I still left my job (yeah, talk about your leap of faith! now you can see why my partners thought I was nuts) and I kept writing.

The book I wrote during that time while I was fighting for my rights back?

BLIND FAITH which went on to sell 250,000+ copies and debuted at #2 on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Writers write. Successful writers keep writing.

Or, in the words of Tim Allen (or Winston Churchill): Never surrender, never give up.

Happy Independence Day!
CJ