Quitchyerbellyachin’
I’ve checked out some other writers’ blogs and I see a lot of people sitting around bellyaching about not “getting published.” Well, what the hell is that all about? If you want to be a writer, get out there and do it!
To me, writing is not the thrill of seeing my name in print, or the hope of becoming famous some day, or having my words live on in posterity. It’s about making the house payment. I mean, if you’re going to go through all the agony and ecstasy of writing, don’t you want to get paid for it?
Because even if you do “get published,” or even write a book, it’s pretty hard to make a living at that kind of writing. If you really want to earn an income as a writer, you have to go where the money is. And you won’t find it in literary magazines.
Today there are more opportunities than ever for freelance writers – the web, PR and ad agencies, corporate communications and marketing departments, newsletters, newspapers, regional magazines, non-profits organizations, even radio stations.
Writing for others can improve your own writing, too. Working on features for newspapers or magazines helps you hone your editing and dialogue skills for short stories and novels. Want to write screenplays? Try doing a thirty-second TV spot. It’s the same thing, only shorter.
Of course, the problem is, once you start earning a living as a writer, sometimes it’s hard to find the time, or desire, to get back to the stuff you really want to do. That’s kind of what happened to me. After sitting at a computer all day, it’s the last place I want to be when I’m not working.
It’s like I asked a young gal who’s a medical researcher but says she wants to try writing: Do you want to be a writer or just write as a hobby? There’s a big difference.
The really lucky people are those who have somebody else supporting them while they pursue their writing. They’re the ones I’m a little jealous of.
I keep saying, when I move into the retirement home, I’ll finally get to do the kind of writing I’ve always wanted to do but nobody would pay me to do: Personal Essays. I mean, who’s gonna pay me to write a thing on how jet skis contribute to noise pollution on our lake or what a wonderful little community radio station WYCE is?
So I continue to write newsletters, brochures, web profiles and all the rest to keep food on my table and the wolf from my door.
(Note: In the near future I’ll be writing more specifically about the pros and cons of each of the for-profit writing opportunities mentioned above. So if you’re interested, stay tuned.)
To me, writing is not the thrill of seeing my name in print, or the hope of becoming famous some day, or having my words live on in posterity. It’s about making the house payment. I mean, if you’re going to go through all the agony and ecstasy of writing, don’t you want to get paid for it?
Because even if you do “get published,” or even write a book, it’s pretty hard to make a living at that kind of writing. If you really want to earn an income as a writer, you have to go where the money is. And you won’t find it in literary magazines.
Today there are more opportunities than ever for freelance writers – the web, PR and ad agencies, corporate communications and marketing departments, newsletters, newspapers, regional magazines, non-profits organizations, even radio stations.
Writing for others can improve your own writing, too. Working on features for newspapers or magazines helps you hone your editing and dialogue skills for short stories and novels. Want to write screenplays? Try doing a thirty-second TV spot. It’s the same thing, only shorter.
Of course, the problem is, once you start earning a living as a writer, sometimes it’s hard to find the time, or desire, to get back to the stuff you really want to do. That’s kind of what happened to me. After sitting at a computer all day, it’s the last place I want to be when I’m not working.
It’s like I asked a young gal who’s a medical researcher but says she wants to try writing: Do you want to be a writer or just write as a hobby? There’s a big difference.
The really lucky people are those who have somebody else supporting them while they pursue their writing. They’re the ones I’m a little jealous of.
I keep saying, when I move into the retirement home, I’ll finally get to do the kind of writing I’ve always wanted to do but nobody would pay me to do: Personal Essays. I mean, who’s gonna pay me to write a thing on how jet skis contribute to noise pollution on our lake or what a wonderful little community radio station WYCE is?
So I continue to write newsletters, brochures, web profiles and all the rest to keep food on my table and the wolf from my door.
(Note: In the near future I’ll be writing more specifically about the pros and cons of each of the for-profit writing opportunities mentioned above. So if you’re interested, stay tuned.)
posted by Keash at 12:06 PM
2 Comments:
I think the interesting part is to come and I'd like to see how you find work to do as a writer. Not that I want to do that kind of writing, but I always like to keep my options open.
As that young gal, I just wanted to say that I think writing can be valuable even if it doesn't pay any bills. I know you support these efforts too, and writing as a hobby - in my case, to capture my family's story - has inherent value to me even though I don't get paid a dime to do it.
Eventually, making some money might be nice. So I will, as usual, look forward to the advice to come in the next posts.
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