I hope you keep writing no matter what happens with your career. Your story is always a good read.

I have to second your emotion! I didn't become a semi-full time writer until I semi-retired from my day job. Even now, I'm supporting my writing by doing software dev. Maybe I'll luck out and one of my novels will take off, but with Amazon publishing 4 million books per year, I'm not holding my breath.

Writers generally don't make money. It's best to use writing as a secondary source of income until that big break comes (always believe that it will!).

The way I look at it is this: I have things to say. It's possible most people just don't give a rip what I have to say. I'm saying them, anyway. Sort of a "let the record show" kind of thing with my political rants, and with my novels, well, my characters don't like living in my head any more than I like them there, so they need their outlet, too!

That's why I like that silly phrase, "write on!" even though I rarely use it, lol.