Two really good recent books I read that were penned by first time novelists..

[WCGreen]

American Rust by Phillip Mayer and Beautiful Children by Charles Bock.

American Rust is a multi layer look at the disintegration of a small mill town in PA with all the action centered around the murder of an itinerant.

Beautiful Children is a frenetic multi-layered time jumping amazing book about Las Vegas, the Porn Industry and runaways.

Both have a lot of interesting POV's and a whole lot of stream of conscious.

[tabasco]

1. I'm thinking about quitting my job and writing a book.

I'm a writer for a newspaper but I have a burning desire to write a novel.

It would need to be a full time endeavor.

[Pab Sungenis]

2. Don't.

It's a jungle out there. The competition is too great, and legitimate agents/publishers are too hard to get to.

Never quit your job to write a novel. Write it in your free time, even if it takes years.

[tabasco]

3. Yeah, that's what I'm told.

I have no delusions of selling much, at first.

I'm fortunate to have a very low-cost lifestyle.

I could help support myself with photography.

Do you know anything about outfits like:

http://www.publishamerica.com/

Thanks for the advice. :)

[Pab Sungenis]

4. NO! NOT PUBLISHAMERICA!

NO NO NO!

Here's a good place to start: http://www.wizardessbooks.com/html/PA_stories.htm

[tabasco]

5. Thanks Pab!

I do appreciate it.

[Rob Gregory Browne]

7. Self-published writers rarely sell a lot of books

If you have a burning desire to write a novel then stay in your job and write it at night. The desire will keep you going and the job will keep you eating. Then if you sell the book to a legitimate publisher, you can consider quitting your job.

But the truth is, many of the published writers I know still have their day jobs. The publishing houses don't throw money at you unless you're Stephen King or a step or two below him on the selling chain. (Or they think they turn you into the NEXT Stephen King.)

You can make a living, but it won't be an extravagant one. But then we're not writing only for money, right?

[bluescribbler]

6. I would also recommend

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski.