“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
― Ernest Hemingway
Getting back into the freelance routine after two really amazing weeks at a magazine office has been a bit challenging, kittens. The truth is, I like being around other people, working on some team assignments, and seeing work I’ve done contribute to something. I get a lot of satisfaction with my freelancing work and I have no plans to quit it ever, but I confess I’d sure as hell like a steady income again and being around an office of people who make a living writing is equal parts inspiring and jealousy-inducing.
Obviously the cure for this is to find a job that pays me to write regularly…but you would not believe how hard that is. I’ve been hard at that very goal for months now! Of course, I’m still learning a lot. For the past year my writing has largely been copy work, which pays the bills (mostly) but doesn’t come with a lot of reflected glory (and I admit, I’d like just a little glory). But now that I’ve got some journalism and solid copy work under my belt I’m trying to transition to including magazine articles and other mediums that I want to gain experience in.
As with all work, with writing ultimately what I need is a foot in the door somewhere. I’m working with an editor I met at Red now on one pitch that she really liked and connected with (gah, I’m so hopeful it’s a bit ridiculous) and I’ve contacted some local magazines about possibly doing freelance work for them as well, and am prepared to (politely) hound them until I get replies. I’m making progress. I’m just impatient!
Anyone else going through a work/life transition? Or my fellow writers out there have any words of wisdom to impart? Here are your links, tell me what you’re getting up to this weekend!
This is amazing! Sir David Attenborough Planet Earth’s Olympic curling!
Fascinating post from the Atlantic! I don’t classify myself as a particularly bad procrastinator, but other issues mentioned in this (imposter syndrome, being the top reader/writer in my class growing up only to turn into a little fish in a huge pond later, fear of failure) I deeply identify with.
Also from the Atlantic, but I thought this was an interesting followup to last week’s link of face “good” sides.
While I admit Lean In has some failings in relating well to women across class lines and other divides, I found a lot to like in it, and I’m pretty supportive of several of the Lean In projects. This latest is a majorly good one – a collection of stock photos to portray women more diversely and accurately than the media boils us down to. This Buzzfeed article has a great, edited selection for those who don’t care to search the 2500+ and growing collection.
Wanting this latest Blanca Gomez print.
The pace of medical science astounds me sometimes. Someday this technology will help people like my siter-in-law, currently on a waitlist for a lung transplant.
This is a thing? Unless we’re carting corpses out of debutantes bedrooms, poisoning one another with pastry, or destroying our siblings reputations (all of which, it much be said can usually be done at a typical Rodgers Family Game Night), I want no part of this.
The headline of the week. Mostly because I really loved Bosch’s work from my art history course at university on the Northern Renaissance
This kid is doing something pretty fun on Instagram.
Need to escape the proletariat? Quick, pick a pseudonym!
Small Dog Syndrome 
Everyone wants to be a writer.
You have to outwit, outwrite, outsell, outcharm and outwait them all to get your shot. It’s not rocket science. You really have no idea how competitive it is until you try to join that race. That doesn’t mean give up, but impatience will not get you anywhere. Network your ass off and start accumulating a lot of impressive/smart clips. Those two things will open doors. Not much else will.
It’s damn hard and weeds out the weak, lazy and ambivalent. The rest of us are still duking it out!
I think everybody wants to be what they think a writer is 😉 The reality of course is hugely different. I was talking to one of my best friends the other day who also knew she wanted to write from a young age and we were reminiscing on how we wanted to be writers when we grew up…and we have! I mostly support myself doing copy work while she does grant writing, but nevertheless, we live by our pens one way and are constantly looking for others. It was pretty neat to reflect on, actually.
One thing that really bugged me when I told people at university that I wanted to write for living was the idea they had that I could do it part time or just whenever I felt like it (putting it after marriage and children of course, in their minds) and still be successful at it. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve hard to argue that it’s a job that requires the same amount of time and work – sometimes more! – as any other way to make a living.
People think (wish) it’s dead easy. Snort.