If I Could Have Any Other Job...

What would it be?

A few weeks ago I heard the talented author Fiona Davis speak at a book event. Someone from the audience asked Davis, who has published seven novels, when she would stop writing books. Davis smiled with kindness. Never, she said.

I feel similarly about writing. Typing stories on a computer, taking pen to paper — it’s just who I am. I’ve never been anything else.

I spent my childhood writing stories in my journals and designing my own magazines. In my twenties, I wrote for Washingtonian Magazine, then went on to work as an editor at the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. I’ve written for the NYT, People, The Atlantic, among many others.

Making the leap to writing novels was a lifelong dream, and I can’t imagine doing any other job now that I have this one. Still, novelists are always wondering what it would be like to walk in someone else’s shoes, and the other day, while doodling in my Moleskin notebook, I began to think about what I would do if I could go back and follow a different career.

This is me at work after my second novel came out. Here, I’m signing books at Litchfield Books in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina.

I’ve settled on three other possibilities:

1. Art director. When I was on staff at magazines, I loved the moment that my story went to the magazine’s art director. You’d get to sit with this highly creative person and hear his/her vision for how to portray your story for ultimate impact. I’m also drawn to designers in book publishing, especially the incredible art directors that have designed my book covers. In another life, I would have loved learning how to design an eye-catching book cover.

2. Bookstore owner. I guess this is every author’s dream, considering Emma Straub (Books are Magic), Ann Patchett (Parnassus) and Judy Blume (Books & Books) all have their own bookshop. I’m not sure I would enjoy the business side of things—I’ve seen how tirelessly my indie bookshop friends work—but I would love to sit among the books of author friends and help customers match with their perfect read.

3. National Geographic photographer. When I lived in DC, I wrote profiles about the explorers in residence at National Geographic. One of my favorite profiles centered on Eugenie Clark, the shark lady for NatGeo. While I wouldn't want to study sharks, I would like to pack various lenses and cameras and travel to exotic locales to photograph people and animals.
   
   Let’s have a little fun today! Whether you’re a pharmacist, a mom, an electrician or a marketing professional, what job would you do if you could have any other gig? Leave a comment and tell me!