Harsh Reality Number 1

 

Since starting this blog last year, I have regularly been asked about how to become a professional writer. Mary, one of my keener subscribers (see – I didn’t forget you), recently raised the topic again and prompted me to think some more on it. Some of the issues related to this discussion I covered previously in my series on The Professional Writer, but what I didn’t cover was how to get writing work in the first place.

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For many, the article that follows may seem negative and discouraging. That is not my intent. I merely want to illustrate the harsh realities of the grit, learning, commitment and – let’s face it – luck that goes into convincing someone to actually pay you for your words.

Writing is Like No Other Job

I achieved the goal of professional writing last year, a few weeks before I started this blog to discuss my experiences and observations. But, and I really do stress this, I had been working towards this goal since approximately the age of twelve. That’s about a clear quarter of a century of plodding away at my amateur scribblings and working in other industries – from dirty factories to bland offices – as I waited for the stars to align correctly. So, for those of you who have only recently decided to pursue a career in writing, don’t expect it to be as easy as applying for any other job you’ve held.

Writing is definitely not a regular job. Sometimes, it can seem like it. I travel to the office every morning and work from my cubicle next to the marketing department, across from accounts and a floor above the sales team. But when trying to get a writing job, the differences become apparent.

Finding work as a writer is more akin to launching a career as an artist. It takes more than just knowing which way to hold the paint brush or pencil coupled with a determination to succeed. It takes talent – and I’m sorry, but that doesn’t come with an easy course at the local adult education centre.

What is the lesson here? Follow your dream, but be prepared that it may take time, persistence and heartache. Also, be prepared that it may never happen.

This leads to the next point.

Es Sanchez