I'm not sure if this problem exists in other arts, but in writing, people are generally expected to write around their real job.
There's a pair of crappy words. They exist for the sole reason of forcing writers to answer their calling in a few hours of free time. Believe it or not, writing (and learning to write) is work. So a successful writer is expected to have no life outside of work, period.
One can't go to college to learn writing, specifically - at least not in my corner of the US -, which means that young writers must dice their writing time even smaller, between absurd amounts of homework, a job to keep them alive, and the job they actually want.
Society needs writers, and yet does nothing to foster them. Our services are expected to be done well, for a cheap price, and around the obligations that make us normal citizens.
Christ, but I wonder if there isn't something easier out there--like digging ditches, or swimming to the moon.
Least Favorite Son at Untreed Reads
13 years ago
2 comments:
I am not sure what your point is? In any profession you have to be good enough to make a living, if not you need to have another job or someone else willing to look after you. Many people write for a living full time, they just have to spend a lot of that time writing what other people want--and only some of it writing what they want to.
I guess my reaction stems from writing being such a draconian field. A mediocre plumber can make a really good living, as can a mediocre electrician, politician, lawyer -- even mediocre artists in other fields have various avenues open to them.
But there doesn't seem to be a place for the mediocre writer. Anyone can go train to become a mediocre plumber. Anyone can go train to become a mediocre writer. The difference is that the plumber will invariably find work, and the writer will be forced to retrain into a different field.
And this BAFFLES me, because so many people *HATE* writing. So many students come to me, bitching about how stupid their essay assignment is -- how come these people, upon entering whatever field they finally choose -- don't go out and hire wordsmiths?
Or do they? Am I just completely overlooking some massive and hyper-active writing market?
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