My experience in the MFA in Creative Writing program at Vermont College was interesting in this regard. Most of the fiction writers who taught there had other jobs, mostly teachers at colleges.
In the 2.5 years I was in the program, one of my instructors had his book chosen as an Oprah Book Club selection. Obviously at that point he didn't need to teach anymore. He stopped teaching for a while, but then he actually went back to teaching because he loved it. Another instructor's book become a worldwide bestseller, and after taking time off from teaching, she finally went back to it. I imagine it was for the same reason--a love of teaching.
Even the instructors I knew who didn't teach (outside of the Vermont MFA program) and who considered themselves fiction writers first and foremost earned at least part of their living doing other things: writing reviews, public speaking, etc.
I could go on for a long time on this subject, but I would end up boring even myself!
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In the 2.5 years I was in the program, one of my instructors had his book chosen as an Oprah Book Club selection. Obviously at that point he didn't need to teach anymore. He stopped teaching for a while, but then he actually went back to teaching because he loved it. Another instructor's book become a worldwide bestseller, and after taking time off from teaching, she finally went back to it. I imagine it was for the same reason--a love of teaching.
Even the instructors I knew who didn't teach (outside of the Vermont MFA program) and who considered themselves fiction writers first and foremost earned at least part of their living doing other things: writing reviews, public speaking, etc.
I could go on for a long time on this subject, but I would end up boring even myself!