<p>english or linguistics: which (if either) of the two majors is more practical? thanks!</p>
<p>Take a look at linguistics careers: <a href="http://www.careers.ucr.edu/Students/CareerPlanning/MajorSheets/Ling.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.careers.ucr.edu/Students/CareerPlanning/MajorSheets/Ling.html</a>
and English careers: <a href="http://www.careers.ucr.edu/Students/CareerPlanning/MajorSheets/English.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.careers.ucr.edu/Students/CareerPlanning/MajorSheets/English.html</a></p>
<p>Which types of jobs look more interesting to you?</p>
<p>Well, I really want to become a writer, so the English careers are more appealing to me, but my whole family is telling me that an English degree is pretty useless right after college, and that I'll be struggling to land a job (that isn't in education). When relatives ask me what I want to be when I grow up, I say I want to be a writer, and they say "No, really, what do you want to be?" as if I weren't serious. So I'm not really sure at this point - is it too idealistic to think I could actually have a successful career in writing?. Linguistics seemed a bit more practical before, but now as I research the field more and more, it doesn't seem like it. My family wants me to do something practical, but I want to do something I am interested in. I did apply to the Tisch Dramatic Writing Program at NYU, but this is the only school I applied to that has an actual pre-professional program in writing. Columbia has a creative writing program as well, but I think those are the only two with such programs on my college list. Anybody have any advice ? :]</p>
<p>This is a post that I'd look to TheDad to respond to, since he is a writer:</p>
<p>It has seemed to me that if a person wants to be a "writer" - that is, make enough money from "creative writing" to be self-sufficent, then it is an almost impossible task. However, if you (a) include writing that is not normally thought of as "Writing"" (with a capital W) - technical writing, journalism, copy writing, and so on OR (b) you don't care about the money, but you have a passion that you can express on paper, THEN it's easy to get published.</p>
<p>I am definitely not a "Writer," but I have publications galore, including magazine articles, several books, and many technical journal articles, all stemming from either my work or from interesting experiences or passions that I've had. For example, I was once employed as a technical writer - a position that's guaranteed to suck all creativity from you. My first manuscript was sent to the editing group and they returned it to my boss saying that it was too bad to edit; it needed a complete rewrite. The name of my first book: "Preliminary Operations and Maintenance Manual 6-41." Now there's a page-turner for you.</p>
<p>I've written quite a few articles on cave exploration, none of them for pay. And my latest book is a Second Edition of a local history book on a Native American that I researched (first edition sold out), but the amount of money expected from the sale of both editions wouldn't even last me a month of normal living expenses.</p>
<p>Now TheDad IS a Writer with a Capital W. But I suspect that he didn't set out to become one; rather he had a passion for a certain type of writing and had things he wanted to say. But I also notice that he is not one of the few - the VERY FEW - who is self-sufficient as a Capital-W-Writer.</p>
<p>Well, my English degree helped me to get a job as an editor, but I'm afraid the view of writing careers from where I sit is pretty daunting. Unfortunately, it truly is tough to get published and generally doesn't pay all that well even then. While there are rare and wonderful exceptions, creative writing isn't a practical career choice for many people; it's such an uncertain business that you often need to do it for love, not for money. </p>
<p>Sometimes it's actually better to have an unrelated (preferably well-paying) day job to pay the bills, and concentrate on the writing in your spare time. There was an entry-level employee in my office at one point--a quiet, hard-working guy in his early twenties who amazed everyone by having a short story published in "The New Yorker." Not long afterwards he left to take a customer-service job in a big corporation--it paid better, with shorter hours--so that he could finish his novel.</p>
<p>I am an author of a best selling book; thus, I can give some insight as to what it takes to make money in writing. If you want to make a decent living from creative writing, you need to have some luck and three good skills:</p>
<ol>
<li>Very good writing,</li>
<li>Very good marketing, and</li>
<li>Very good presence on TV and Radio</li>
</ol>
<p>It generally takes all three skills to get a best seller. Can you have a best selling book without being a terriffic marketer? Yes! However, the chances of making money without being a good promoter (think Donald Trump) are remote. Also, good authors promote their books on TV and radio. People have to find out about the book somehow. You must learn the skills necessary to successfully sell yourself and your material in the media. A good public relations house can help you,but you must have the basic skills to begin with.</p>
<p>Also, NEVER assume that if you get your book published by a major publishing house, they will promote you and your book. Big publishing houses might publish as many as 500 books yearly. Very little marketing effort goes into most books. Most of their effort goes to famous people or those who have previously shown big success. You must do your own marketing and promotion. In my opinion, the greater the advance, the more at stake the publishing house has in your material. Thus, you want to get as big an advance as possible. If you only get $10,000-$25,000 advance, they won't put much effort into marketing the book, as strange as that may seem.</p>
<p>taxguy -</p>
<p>My question to you is: "Is the book fiction or non-fiction?"</p>
<p>If either case, you need something else on your list: something to say.</p>
<p>If it's a non-fiction book, then you also need expertise in the subject area you're writing about (from a job or personal research or something). Writing does not stand on its own without content.</p>
<p>But if you publish a non fiction book this in turn may help one to obtain an academic position, if you have the credentials.</p>
<p>I write non fiction books on tax planning for small business and real estate. However, my user name is a big givaway. </p>
<p>Yes, Digmedia, You do need some subject matter expertise if you are writing non fiction, or you need to be one heck of a researcher.</p>
<p>Thanks for responding. Do you have any advice TheDad?</p>
<p>Pinkearmufs, you sound like me about 6 years ago. Now I have a degree in linguistics, but am pursuing a career in dramaturgy. I'm a playwright as well-- only produced at the college level so far. </p>
<p>You are right that linguistics is not that much more marketable than English. It doesn't really directly lead to anything. It IS, however, a wonderful liberal arts field that will change the way you think about EVERYTHING, just as a good major should. It certainly won't hurt your chances of becoming a writer. Basically, I think you should choose the major that you will most enjoy while you are in college. After college, you might have to do all kinds of jobs to support yourself that are not related to the field you are in, and the people hiring you for those jobs will not care much what you majored in. I have worked for a major regional theatre, but right now I am a teacher's aide, and most of the people I work with/for have never even HEARD of linguistics. (Or dramaturgy.) Meanwhile, theatre people who potentially are going to hire me or accept me to their grad programs seem to care more about my work experience than what I majored in, although sometimes they like it that I majored in something kinda quirky. </p>
<p>So, do what you want. Sounds like you are leaning towards English. If you get the chance though, at least take an intro ling class, as the world could use a few more people who know a little bit about linguistics.</p>
<p>Irene, good advice. I was an accounting major and ended up as a writer in accounting related subjects. Follow your passions and inclinations.</p>
<p>My D plans to major in English at school. However, her 'goal' is to become an English professor - and write in her 'off' time. I wasn't thrilled to hear about her choice - ENGLISH?? But she shut me up pretty quickly when she said she didn't want to turn out like me - having worked at the same profession for 20+ years and hating it for the last 10~!!</p>
<p>I was an english literature concentrator at Brown, and had a good career writing screenplays (until my second son was a baby and I retired due to multi-task overload.)</p>
<p>My career path in writing:</p>
<p>-series of scut jobs in t.v. & commercial production
-personal assistant to film director NYC (met his wife through volunteer work; got job through her)
-personal assitant to pres of start-up production company LA (referred through friend)
-freelance "reader" for this company & other production & distribution co's
-screenwriter</p>
<p>A "reader" reads other people's scripts and writes up a brief (2 page) report. Report synopsizes the script, gives comments on the quality of the story, commercial potential, etc. This is a GREAT job to learn more about screenwriting and allows you to get to know a bunch of people in production/development.</p>
<p>While a freelance reader, I wrote my first screenplay on spec, found an agent, and sold it. Then for the next about 7 years I sold screenplays; mostly specs and some assignments.</p>
<p>English Lit is a great major because it is so writing/analysis intensive.</p>
<p>Major in what you will enjoy most!!</p>
<p>I started out in linguistics and ended up in Speech/Language Pathology. This has been a great career with numerous possibilities. You can, in most states, find a great job without any problem. Check out the American Speech Language Hearing Assoc. website <a href="http://www.ASHA.org%5B/url%5D">www.ASHA.org</a> for more info.</p>
<p>I did the opposite undergraduate degree in speech pathology ( speech and hearing handicapped) and Masters in English as a Second Language which was a program in the Linguistics Department. Now I teach.</p>
<p>Cama</p>