It Pays the Bills

We all have aspirations of our work becoming the next bestseller, and raking in enough dough to ensure that we never have to work another day of our life. In our minds we dream of spending our days sipping mojitos from a straw and tapping away at our keyboard as we hammer out our next piece of indisputable genius.

It doesn't work that way. I suspect that anyone reading this blog or any industry blog is already well aware of this. But it helps to remember that being a writer and being insanely rich are not mutually exclusive. They're the exception, rather than the rule.

So with that being said, I assume that the majority of us hold down a day (or night) job. Today's post is about your job. What (or who) pays the bills in your household, and where exactly do you work?

I'll start things off by sharing a little about my job. In fact, let's make this a game. I'll give you a hint about where I work. A picture hint.

Some things require no explanation.

Got it yet?

I work in a sex shop. You know the sort: toys, DVDs, magazines, and so on. I consider myself an aspiring author and a smut peddler. How's that for a little personal background?

I've been here well over a year, and it is, without question, the most enjoyable job I've ever had. Perhaps it's not exactly the norm, but there are a lot of advantages to working where I do:

1) Control of the stereo: finally, a job where I'm not subjected to the radio, or god awful music on loop. I spend my days blaring David Bowie, Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Manson, and whatever else I feel like listening to.

2) Wi-Fi!

3) Reading and writing: if there are no customers at the time (and I have nothing else to attend to) then there's a good chance that I'm reading, writing, blogging, or browsing the net. Ever get paid while you were reading Neil Gaiman, or writing a chapter for your WIP? It's lovely, I assure you.

4) Thousands of naked bodies, staff discounts and free rentals: need I say more?

5) Being ostracized by extended family members that I never liked to begin with.

Now it's your turn.

Question for my readers: What pays your bills?

PS: Today marks the one-month anniversary of this blog. *Sniff* it goes by so fast, however, we've only just begun!