🖊️ A.C. Wise on Building a Sustainable Writing Life Without Going Full-Time

This interview originally appeared in How I Make Money Writing — a newsletter featuring honest conversations with working writers about how they actually get paid.

A.C. Wise has spent the last 20+ years writing across forms—novels, short stories, reviews—while maintaining a full-time career as a professional fundraiser. Her work has appeared in Apex Magazine, Uncanny, Reactor, and multiple award anthologies, earning nominations for the Nebula, World Fantasy, and Lambda Literary Awards.

Like many writers, A.C. balances her creative work with a steady day job, not as a fallback, but as a foundation. Financial stability has given her the freedom to be selective about her projects and focus on the work that matters most.

As she puts it:

“I don't feel like I have to scramble to find opportunities or say yes to every single thing that comes my way.”

Here’s how A.C. has built a resilient, long-term writing career on her own terms.

On why she never gave up the day job:

A.C. says her full-time work as a fundraiser gives her predictable income, health insurance, and retirement benefits—the kind of stability that lets her approach writing with less pressure.

“It provides an element of stability, with a predictable and reliable amount of income that I can budget around, whereas my writing income is far less predictable in terms of when payments will arrive and in what amount.”

Instead of chasing every opportunity for survival, she focuses on the work that genuinely fits.

On the long road to sustainability:

A.C. sold her first short story to a now-defunct company that printed flash fiction on coffee cans. It wasn’t until she published her first novel in 2021 that writing started to feel like a sustainable part of her income.

“Short stories tend to be an even more unpredictable form of income than novels, and most authors I know who work primarily in short stories also have day jobs, or supplement their writing with freelance work like editing, ghostwriting, or teaching workshops.”

While awards and visibility have helped, she says it’s still a hustle, project by project.

On how she chooses writing gigs:

A.C. doesn’t just write for the paycheck. She picks projects that feel like a natural fit—whether that’s an article, short story, or review.

“How much something will potentially pay may be a factor in whether I take on an opportunity or not, but a project also has to feel like a fit for me.”

Having a day job allows her to be selective, keeping her creative energy focused where it matters.

On time management:

Juggling full-time work and writing means A.C. has to make every writing block count—and oddly, the constraints help.

“Knowing I only have a certain block of time I can work on something does usually keep me more focused. It's probably similar to the way deadlines can help you keep on track—you just have to sit down and do it. No excuses.”

Instead of waiting for ideal conditions, she’s learned to write within the time she has.

On how she thinks about success:

A.C. is realistic about the writing life. Success is unpredictable. One story might resonate, the next might not. And sometimes, the difference comes down to timing and luck.

“There are many factors that go into something being successful, but I do think there is a certain element of luck as well—the right work finding the right editor and publisher at the right time, then finding the right audience who spreads the word.”

Her advice: define success for yourself—and let it evolve over time.

✍️ This interview originally appeared in How I Make Money Writing, a newsletter featuring honest conversations with working writers about how they actually get paid.

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