Why I Write

I enjoy writing for money, it’s everything Noah Berlatsky describes in his October 9, 2013 Salon article, "Why Unsuccessful Writers Give the Best Advice".  In it, he contrasts himself with Ta-Nehisi Coates, a celebrated writer who'd recently been profiled in The Atlantic, quoted as saying that in his writing Coates never achieved "that perfect thing that was in my head, so I always consider the entire process about failure."

Aside from those times I write to be paid, I am far more often compelled—best word to describe it—to write great quantities of made-up stuff that, having a life of its own, strongly resists shaping itself for any other audience but me.  It’s embarrassing, but enormously satisfying.  I certainly rewrite my creations as necessary, but I’m not preoccupied with perfection, really, only clarity.  Nor even in my compulsion do I experience the existential struggle Coates describes.  I just need to write.  It would be nice to be paid, but fulfilling my needs is welcome compensation.

I will say that if I only wrote for money, I could say I write because it’s expedient to do so.  The writing for myself, out of compulsion, is what makes me a writer.

Make It Happen

Anyone for a footrace? Want to give yourself a deadline? Comment here if you're interested, I'd be happy to encourage you to give yourself a time limit. It works for me, maybe we can help each other get things done. Just gentle reminders, no trash talk.

Any takers?

Don't Pay for Work

I make it a rule of thumb not to pay for an opportunity to write. I understand that all professions have necessary expenses, but paying for writing “leads” turns me off.

Have you seen http://www.gofreelance.com/ ? Google them and entertain yourself with all the pro and con comments on their service. Of course, I suspect all the comments in favor are made by lackeys who have been paid-off, perhaps given a discount coupon to GoFreelance. And, surely, all the comments against are by GoFreelance competitors, disguised as clients.

That’s why I’m making my own stand here, in vvriters. At least I’ll have a coterie of persons I get to know and trust and hopefully we’ll find legitimate opportunities together.

I found one reference to GoFreelance which seemed reasonable, a soft-sell thumb's-up: http://www.freelancewritingsuccess.com/freelance-writing-assignments.php.

What's your opinion?

Ready?

Time was you'd get your degree and you were ready. Today, of course, education is ongoing and unending. I'm not sure the world is really moving faster, I am sure a lot more is expected of us each day. Whether the quality of our output has improved or not, we succeed first and foremost because we showed up—paraphrasing Woody Allen, unless someone else with the same idea showed up before he did.

I find it useful to wake up each day with selective amnesia. I remember only what I need to know to keep trying. I hope you keep trying too.

I am trying to get some leads on some good writing assignments. When I find them, I'll post them here, assuming they can be shared.

Write when you find work.

Freelance Freefall

Will the current economic crisis help freelancers, or hurt them?

It feels to me like the times are hurting everyone, even those in supposedly safer areas. For example, lots of nurses are losing their jobs even as we have a nursing shortage. Why? Because our economic system is not functioning properly.

Here's someone else's blog post, with savvy comments on this subject:

http://www.poewar.com/will-the-recession-hurt-your-writing-career/

Isn't it a moot point, though? You can be a success while everyone around you falls, and fail with your best work while others sail by. Statistics don't really matter, ultimately. It's all or nothing, either you're making it or you're not. At least it seems so to me.

Enjoy the ride.