It's coming at last. A year or so's salary!
So what do you think I should do?
1. Get a new full time job and write as and when I can as I do now.
2. Get a part time job and use some of the money as and when I need it and spend more time writing.
3. Don't do any work and live off the money whilst concentrating on writing full time.
Well?????????????
3333333333333333333!
Er, that's 3, but enthusiastically.
Do everything you can to make your writing dreams happen - number 3 of course! You know it makes sense!
Unless there's a clear income stream from writing or you can live on other resources, find a fulltime job.
If you depend on writing and it's not reliable you'll grow to hate and resent it.
1. If possible
2. If necessary
3. Never
It will make your head spin how fast you can get through a year's pay. If the writing does not go well, you'll have been out of the job market for a year, have no money and will struggle to re-establish yourself.
Therefore, I offer you option 4 - start your own business, find something that will generate a guaranteed income but will still allow you time to write. Investing in a couple of flats and filling them with paying tenants would be the most cost effective in terms of free time.
You could then sit at your keyboard whipping up comedy gems all day without worrying about buying food and other such useless trinkets.
5. Get through this One Foot In The Grave boxset and laugh the recession away.
I've been made redundant twice in the past, the first time with a substantial amount of money, the second time with 1 month's pay and ensuing panic. First off everyone's situation differs of course but speaking from my own experience the first time I was very young and spunked the money up the wall in 6 months (with a trip to Australia thrown in) and the second time I got another job sharpish. I look back now and the first instance is my biggest regret in my life.
I would say, take 1-2 months off and structure your days solely around writing whilst keeping an eye on the job market and keeping yourself visible within it. In this time you should surely get a decent amount of writing done and have a sense of how much you can achieve given the free time as well as some good work to 'get out there'. If possible then get back in full time work, writing whenever possible. If you can then punt some of your stuff out and see how it goes you may be able to make a balanced decision from a position of stability with some cash left on the hip for contingency.
It's all conjecture of course and I hope you don't mind my twopennies worth. Most importantly all the very best in whichever path you choose.
1. Definitely, undoubtedly, without a second thought, 1. The way things are going at the moment, you can't afford (literally) to be so complacent. It might take you a year to find a job anyway. But start looking, and take what you can before someone else does.
(Plus, if you find that your writing is going nowhere and you need to get back into the game in x months/a year's time, then an employer is likely to favour another candidate over the one who was so flippant about their job/industry/etc, and chose to spend time doing 'creative' (i.e. trivial, in their mind) things instead of being serious, responsible, and dedicated. Rightly or wrongly, it sends a message as to what your attitude would be to their company.)
Dear Mr Chapman,
You don't know me but I would like to ask if you can find it in your heart to send me some money. You see...
Nah jus' joshin' yah.
Some good advice there and whereas the heart says option 3, as others have suggested, the money will not take long to fritter away on that which we call life.
I think that Lord Summerisle has it right, unless of course you are sure that you have written or are about to write the next Office or Camberwick Green, because as we all know, nowt happens too fast in the old writing game. From the inception of an idea until the limo & night pissing it up at the BAFTAs or Oscars is generally a lot longer than a year.
But whatever you do best of luck and...any chance of a monkey?
Spend every single penny you've been given on lottery tickets.
If you win, it's time to write forever. If not, get a job...
BTW I sense that 'ultimate Chappers' the mega-poster who used to comment on every thread, however trivial, is about to make a comeback...
Dan
Invest heavily in the BSG. 
Sorry to hear that Chappers... Hope it's something you wanted.
I would heed everyone's (most) advice and get a new job when you can though. Especially with the way things are at the moment.
Only you know your situation and how long you can spend out of work. I would go for option 2.
Whatever you do make sure you have no regrets.
Quote: Craig H @ May 1 2009, 10:13 AM BSTWhatever you do make sure you have no regrets.
Regrets can make for great writing.