Would I be able to mantain a writing career as an engineer?

Yes, you can absolutely keep up with your writing while working as an engineer. Maintaining a writing career, on the other hand, would be a bit more difficult, depending on what your definition of a writing career really means. But, it is not impossible. If you mean to write 1,000 words a day and have time on the weekends away from family and friends to edit your manuscripts, you should have no problem in that area. Assuming you have a talent and a desire to be an engineer, working as one would not likely lend itself to a typical 9 to 5 gig. Engineers typically work in project-based environments so, some overtime is always a possibility. Of course, some engineers can work up to 60 or even 80 hours a week depending on the project and the deadlines involved. Also, if you plan on having a family, adding that to engineering and writing, you certainly run the risk of becoming a slave to too many masters. If your passion is writing, then follow that passion. If you want a satisfying career with a very decent paycheck right after college and have the aptitude and desire to study engineering, then go for it. In the meantime, keep writing in the evenings and weekends while working hard and smart to become a good engineer. Bear in mind though that studying and working in engineering merely for financial security probably will not make for a happy or satisfying career.

Creative writing and engineering generally are two very different careers. Engineering is certainly the more financially secure career. It, of course, requires commitment to a full-time 40-hour work week. But that should leave you with a considerable amount of free time to devote to other activities, such as writing. If you were to be successful as a writer, you could slowly transition to writing as your primary career. My best piece of advice, however, is to choose a career in a field that you are naturally attracted to; something that interests you, whether that is engineering or some other Field. After all, if writing does not pan out for you, financially, that other career may become permanent for you.

-Pete Sturtevant, PE

Absolutely. One way that many professionals develop and expand their writing is by posting blogs. This enables you to stay current with your writing skills and over time the many blogs you post can become parts of White Papers and Books. There are great resources on how to develop a blog. Find a few to follow so you can experience the various writing styles and topics that are out there. Try this one: http://www.engineering.com/Blogs/tabid/3207/Default.aspx

You might want to consider a career that combines both your passions. There are many roles requiring strong writing skills as well as engineering knowledge. For example, I'm a Proposal Manager in the IT industry and I often describe my job as "writing stories that explain how to solve business problems." I am inspired by the challenge of engaging an audience by combining persuasive structure, elegant writing and professional methodology. There are many other roles such as Technical Author, Marketing Copywriter, Technology Journalist and Social Media. These types of roles will help you hone your writing skills while providing a solid career foundation. After that, it's up to you to pursue your dreams by finding the time, energy and inspiration for your novel.

Yes, you could definitely write in addition to a career as an engineer. Some people who write in addition to a full-time job do it every day (often by getting up early in the morning and writing before work); some write just on the weekends. I think either way can work. I would suggest a career/job that has a fairly regular schedule, so that you can establish/maintain a regular writing schedule as well. In other words, a job that doesn't require you to be on call and solve problems after hours would be great. The most important factor, though, is going to be your own determination to make it happen. You want to commit to your writing and not let anything stop you. I would also add that what you do on your own time that's completely unrelated to your job is typically none of your employer's business, to encourage or discourage. Good luck!