Writers can do strange jobs before they get their big break. I saw this infographic online and it reminded me of the different jobs I've had over the years before becoming a full-time writer.
The strangest one was when I was the Marketing Director for an invention marketing company. Inventors brought their ideas to the company and the company helped them to get a patent, do the drawings, and then market the idea to industry.
Part of my job was to travel around doing TV & Radio talk shows talking about these inventions. Some of them were really strange – a toy chicken that laid eggs, a baby bottle that hung on the side of the crib (it had a hose long enough to reach the baby's mouth with a nipple on the end). And I can't begin to tell you how many male enhancement toys were in the collection, plus a wall unit holder that could be used to hold the other end of a bed sheet so it was easier to fold, a chimney-less fireplace, etc. I was on the Mike Douglas Show, the Joe Franklin Show, and lots of local shows called things like “Good Morning Baltimore” or “Late Night Canada”.
My first job out of college was a packaging designer. I used to do mostly pantyhose and soft goods packaging. That's where I got started writing. When I needed copy for the back of the package the sales reps would say, “Just make something up.” So I did!
Oh yeah…and back in high school I worked at the soda fountain of an ice cream store/luncheonette. Free lunch – and it was always ice cream!
What's the weirdest/strangest job you've ever had?
Weird Jobs of Famous Writers – #fanfun
