So here we go, about 20 minutes to midnight and the long post that I was hoping to put up for the day has been delayed. My little girl is into everything these days, so my wife and I spent a good chunk of the evening doing a bit of baby/kid-proofing for her safety and our peace of mind. Around the time we normally do clean up, our little one started crying and was inconsolable until she had some anbesol for the gums and a small snack to tide over the hunger that she had developed thanks to being too sore in the gums to eat. Stupid molars, don't they know that I have stuff to be working on? I guess not. In fact, not just the molars and baby proofing were a problem.
Just when it seemed we were going to be able to get her down for the night, she trips over my leg and head bonks into something hard. Up for another 40 minutes with an ice pack to prevent bumps and watching Disney's Robin Hood to pass the time. Good thing the movie is well done, because I've heard oo-da-lalee I don't know how many times. At least the kid has good taste.
Anywho, the main point being that life threw me a curve ball tonight, so the long post won't be up until later in the week. Hopefully I can complete the tip post tomorrow in time. If not, I will likely swap the schedule (my own) around. It is frustrating having a hiccup in the schedule that I came up with, but the funny thing is, a part of me is grateful for the hiccup.
Now, interruptions can be frustrating, time consuming, and just all around tiresome. However, when compared with the fact that I could have been dead at this point and not have had my liver transplant, a part of me is grateful to be alive to experience the frustration of day to day setbacks. I mean, nothing sets you back more than death. Pesky being dead thing has probably ruined a whole host of potential novels, projects, and essays with other writers. So for me, an evening lost because I had to look out for the interests of my little girl is a worthwhile trade.
True, I do feel behind at times and wish that I was further along in my career. True, I am looking at a late night of editing writing, editing sound for the podcast, and planning for the next phase of my Junk Journal book--but even as I sit here typing the earlier weariness has left me. There are lots of curve balls that life can throw your way, and I've had my fair share. But when I think about it...
I get to be alive. I get to write. I get to spend time with my family whom I love. Those are pretty nice blessings to be thankful for.
Being behind one night doesn't seem that bad after all.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
5 Ways Writing is Like Cooking
Burnt toast tops my list for one of the most foul smells in the entire world. I'm sure we've all burned our fair share and screwed up things more than just toast in the kitchen. The smell got me thinking, mostly about burnt toast, but also how writing can often times remind me of cooking. Some of the basic principals in cooking are applicable to writing, especially if you are into the whole "let's make a food analogy because I'm hungry" genre of writing. Well I sure as heck am! Kidding aside, there are some times that I feel much of what I have learned in cooking can apply to my work as a writer. So without further flan--er, flare, here are Five Ways Writing is Like Cooking:
Don't Be Afraid to Get Dirty
One of the first things I had to learn about cooking was that I was going to get dirty in the process. Flour would be everywhere; dishes would pile up; and my hands were likely to get everything from frosting to chicken goop/blood on them. It was a hard fact to face. Well, this happens in writing too. Sometimes you might have to work in circumstances that are not ideal, not what you want, and not what you expect. You can't always be sipping soda and writing away on your laptop in some food joint. You won't always get to have that afternoon to yourself where you just ponder what to do next with your characters. You won't always be "feeling up to" doing what needs to be done. Much like cooking, you've got to get in and do the sometimes dirty work of writing when you are not comfortable. Sometimes writing like is baking fresh cookies (right from the pre-made pack, all nice and easy like); but other times it means you have a long afternoon ahead of you just to get one thing done. You have to also be ready to pull out a notepad and write ideas, character arcs, and dialogue on the fly. If an idea sounds like it would add zest to a story, but you aren't in your comfort zone--too bad, you've got to pull out that pad and write. It may look messy, you may have a lot more editing to do than if you were working on a computer, but it is just a part of the process.
Try New Flavors
No matter how appealing a recipe might sound, no matter how easy it might seem; sometimes it is hard to make yourself try something new in the kitchen. Similarly, sometimes you might have an idea for a character, plot arc, or story direction that sounds appealing, but will likely lead you in a direction you aren't entirely sure you want to go. Now, to be true, sometimes you might throw out an idea which immediately sounds like the liver and onions equivalent in the writing world. Nice for some, but just not for you. However, you might get something that sounds like a complicated seafood recipe. You aren't sure if the "flavor" or idea will really pan out. It might be an idea that you end up liking and want to follow through, but are not sure if you have the "umph" to follow it through. Whatever the case, don't be afraid to take a risk and try something new. In order for your story to be different, to have those things that set it apart; you need to be ready to try out some things which you may not be used to.
Don't Indulge in Too Much Junk Food
Okay, so this might seem like a stretch when it comes to the analogy game, but hear me out. There are some characters and scenes that are like the best junk food on the planet. Much like a bag of your favorite chips, sometimes characters and scenes come along and you just want to let loose and keep going back for more. Does this character's scene advance the story or move the plot or grow him? Nope, and who cares! More of this please! Who wouldn't want the Snape to keep insulting Harry for pages on end? What's a few more arrows and battering rams at Helm's Deep? And what about how in Game of Thrones...well, you get the point. Scenes and characters you love to write can be fun, but if you spend too much time with them, you fatten up the story without adding anything of benefit. I grant you I would have loved it if the Riddle Game from The Hobbit would have kept going, but I also know that if it went on too long it would have been the most dull scene in the book instead of the one of the most interesting ones. Cut yourself off before you have a mess to work off in editing. Speaking of which...
Clean Up When Done
Yep, when all the work is done, and the food is made, who gets to clean up the mess left behind? That's right, you do. Same principal applies here. Edits...*sigh* Yes, one of the words we as writers most hate to hear about. Editing and cleaning up after cooking just seem to go hand in hand, don't they? You know the end product is, and will be something good. You've already put in so much effort to produce something awesome, and then you realize there is still more work to do, and it is a whole lot less fun than the process of actually making something original. "But what if I just order a pizza? Won't clean up be a snap? Ha! I've picked apart your analogy in one fell swoop!" You know what I say to that? "Stop trying to stall and act all clever! Get back to editing!"
Sometimes You Spend All Day Making a Mistake
The last part of this analogy might be the hardest for you to hear. I joked about ordering out for pizza in the last point, but I've had to do just that before. I have had cooking mistakes that I realized as I was finishing up had just went completely sideways and tasted awful. Along those lines, you can write for hours and hours, spend a whole day working on something...only to churn out something in the end you realize is not just average or passable, but is like that burnt toast I told you about in the beginning. Sometimes you have to throw out all your hard work and start from scratch or go with something basic that will suit the needs of what you are writing. Sometimes you put in a whole lot of effort crafting a dish, or a scene, and have zilch to show at the end. If only writing were as easy as getting that pizza. "I'd like an order of plot please, heavy on the character development with a side of bread sticks." (Because you should always get a side of bread sticks with anything.) Now, this isn't to say that you should be afraid to start over or that backtracking doesn't happen. Sometimes I've arrived at the end of a chapter and realized that everything prior to the last sentence just won't work at all. But I started over because I had to. Or I chopped out what wasn't working and put something simple, yet sustaining in it's place. Sometimes I suspect we wish we could just leave that hole in the story just as much as we wish we could skip a meal. But in the end something has to be done.
As you might be able to tell, I love and hate cooking. Much in the same way I love and hate writing at times. However, as much as I need food, I need to keep on writing. I know at times analogies like the one I have written here can seem silly, or over-wrought, but I hope it has helped you. I suspect that for both of us writing, much like food, is a sustaining and nourishing thing. We need it in our lives to keep us going.
Well, time for a snack.
And a bit of writing, of course.
Don't Be Afraid to Get Dirty
One of the first things I had to learn about cooking was that I was going to get dirty in the process. Flour would be everywhere; dishes would pile up; and my hands were likely to get everything from frosting to chicken goop/blood on them. It was a hard fact to face. Well, this happens in writing too. Sometimes you might have to work in circumstances that are not ideal, not what you want, and not what you expect. You can't always be sipping soda and writing away on your laptop in some food joint. You won't always get to have that afternoon to yourself where you just ponder what to do next with your characters. You won't always be "feeling up to" doing what needs to be done. Much like cooking, you've got to get in and do the sometimes dirty work of writing when you are not comfortable. Sometimes writing like is baking fresh cookies (right from the pre-made pack, all nice and easy like); but other times it means you have a long afternoon ahead of you just to get one thing done. You have to also be ready to pull out a notepad and write ideas, character arcs, and dialogue on the fly. If an idea sounds like it would add zest to a story, but you aren't in your comfort zone--too bad, you've got to pull out that pad and write. It may look messy, you may have a lot more editing to do than if you were working on a computer, but it is just a part of the process.
Try New Flavors
No matter how appealing a recipe might sound, no matter how easy it might seem; sometimes it is hard to make yourself try something new in the kitchen. Similarly, sometimes you might have an idea for a character, plot arc, or story direction that sounds appealing, but will likely lead you in a direction you aren't entirely sure you want to go. Now, to be true, sometimes you might throw out an idea which immediately sounds like the liver and onions equivalent in the writing world. Nice for some, but just not for you. However, you might get something that sounds like a complicated seafood recipe. You aren't sure if the "flavor" or idea will really pan out. It might be an idea that you end up liking and want to follow through, but are not sure if you have the "umph" to follow it through. Whatever the case, don't be afraid to take a risk and try something new. In order for your story to be different, to have those things that set it apart; you need to be ready to try out some things which you may not be used to.
Don't Indulge in Too Much Junk Food
Okay, so this might seem like a stretch when it comes to the analogy game, but hear me out. There are some characters and scenes that are like the best junk food on the planet. Much like a bag of your favorite chips, sometimes characters and scenes come along and you just want to let loose and keep going back for more. Does this character's scene advance the story or move the plot or grow him? Nope, and who cares! More of this please! Who wouldn't want the Snape to keep insulting Harry for pages on end? What's a few more arrows and battering rams at Helm's Deep? And what about how in Game of Thrones...well, you get the point. Scenes and characters you love to write can be fun, but if you spend too much time with them, you fatten up the story without adding anything of benefit. I grant you I would have loved it if the Riddle Game from The Hobbit would have kept going, but I also know that if it went on too long it would have been the most dull scene in the book instead of the one of the most interesting ones. Cut yourself off before you have a mess to work off in editing. Speaking of which...
Clean Up When Done
Yep, when all the work is done, and the food is made, who gets to clean up the mess left behind? That's right, you do. Same principal applies here. Edits...*sigh* Yes, one of the words we as writers most hate to hear about. Editing and cleaning up after cooking just seem to go hand in hand, don't they? You know the end product is, and will be something good. You've already put in so much effort to produce something awesome, and then you realize there is still more work to do, and it is a whole lot less fun than the process of actually making something original. "But what if I just order a pizza? Won't clean up be a snap? Ha! I've picked apart your analogy in one fell swoop!" You know what I say to that? "Stop trying to stall and act all clever! Get back to editing!"
Sometimes You Spend All Day Making a Mistake
The last part of this analogy might be the hardest for you to hear. I joked about ordering out for pizza in the last point, but I've had to do just that before. I have had cooking mistakes that I realized as I was finishing up had just went completely sideways and tasted awful. Along those lines, you can write for hours and hours, spend a whole day working on something...only to churn out something in the end you realize is not just average or passable, but is like that burnt toast I told you about in the beginning. Sometimes you have to throw out all your hard work and start from scratch or go with something basic that will suit the needs of what you are writing. Sometimes you put in a whole lot of effort crafting a dish, or a scene, and have zilch to show at the end. If only writing were as easy as getting that pizza. "I'd like an order of plot please, heavy on the character development with a side of bread sticks." (Because you should always get a side of bread sticks with anything.) Now, this isn't to say that you should be afraid to start over or that backtracking doesn't happen. Sometimes I've arrived at the end of a chapter and realized that everything prior to the last sentence just won't work at all. But I started over because I had to. Or I chopped out what wasn't working and put something simple, yet sustaining in it's place. Sometimes I suspect we wish we could just leave that hole in the story just as much as we wish we could skip a meal. But in the end something has to be done.
As you might be able to tell, I love and hate cooking. Much in the same way I love and hate writing at times. However, as much as I need food, I need to keep on writing. I know at times analogies like the one I have written here can seem silly, or over-wrought, but I hope it has helped you. I suspect that for both of us writing, much like food, is a sustaining and nourishing thing. We need it in our lives to keep us going.
Well, time for a snack.
And a bit of writing, of course.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Easy Come, Easy Go: Writing Job Woes
Six hundred-plus words written, possibly for naught. Even in the world of freelance writing gigs that sometimes is a hard blow. I was so certain that this one job that I got through a freelance writing site was going to deliver a steady few bucks each week. I don't mean that in a cocky way, just that I was offered a trial spot, was given a prompt and told to write something short. So, I wrote a 600 word article, sent it off, and....a week later I still hadn't heard anything back.
So I did a bit of poking around, and by poking around I mean I went to the website that had said they were going to hire me, but wanted to test my skills first. There on the site I find an article with a theme similar to the prompt I was given that went up two days after they said that they were likely to hire me. Now, opportunities come and go in this business. Sometimes sure things are not so sure, some times you land something semi-steady. Sometimes you see stuff dry up. There are feast times and famine times. I guess I would call this "food snatched off the plate times" if I had to put a name to it. Funny thing is it would not bother me as much if I had been told by the client that they went another direction--like, incredibly short copy.
I wrote 600 words and spent a few hours on my article. The article they went with on the site was roughly 150 and is something I could punch out in roughly 30 minutes.
That kinda stings.
Funny enough I put in that many hours, sometimes more, when I do an article for another freelance site where I am not even trying to do a contract. You basically follow a writing prompt, put the work out there, and hope the client likes it. Sometimes you wait weeks (or months depending on your place in the que) to here back on whether they've bought the post, seen the post, or rejected the post. Maybe it is a pressure thing. There is no pressure when I write those blog posts. They may take it, they may not. My feelings are not hurt either way. However, I guess it hurts a little when you actually contact the person and talk to them rather than do all business anonymously.
On to other projects I suppose.
The Junk Journals go well. I think I've reached the end of what I can actually pare down in my home (for the time being) and now I have to take these numerous notes, essays, and observances and see if they work as well as I hope for self-help book to post on Amazon. Maybe it will go well, maybe it will not see the light of day as sometimes happens with creative projects. Either way, things are what they are. I have my hopes for other projects, but I don't always want to talk about those things in a public way. You have to keep some stuff to yourself until it is ready. Right?
Anywho. I'm working on another writing tips/advice article for tomorrow, so I hope to "see" you again tomorrow. Talk to you then!
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Leave Your Favorite Books Alone
If you are holding your favorite book in your hands and are just trying to relax by reading something: compartmentalize that part of yourself that thinks you could have written it better. Critiques are off the table, no trying to analyze and pick it apart. Just don't do it!
Sure we are told over and over again that if you want to be a better writer that you should read as often as possible, and I believe it is true as well. However, I don't think enough is said about the relaxation part. Sure, reading helps us to learn to be better at the writing craft, but lets not get so caught up in trying to extrapolate lessons from the story that we forget to just sit back and enjoy the ride. Some books I will jump back and forth between just reading and picking apart. Some I read just to pick apart and others I read over and over again just to enjoy.
I will NEVER open my favorite books to do anything other than read to enjoy it. If you can't turn of the criticism or are under the assumption that you need to be able to pick apart your favorite book in order to be a better writer; I could not disagree more.
There are some places we go in the real world to escape from the daily grind. Places where we can enjoy the sublime beauty of nature, places where we can take a deep breath and refresh ourselves. If we are true about being writers, wouldn't we want that one well where we can be refreshed? That one book that we refuse to sully? I wouldn't go to my favorite hiking spot and start pointing out issues like the view was not as good as it could be, or if it was overgrown in spots, or if too many people seemed to be there these days. I would have ruined it for myself and would forever be hearing that critical voice, forever looking for the flaws. I would be trying to fool myself into thinking that somehow I was going to grow by being able to take a "critical and educated eye" to something beloved to me.
I guess that just might be me though. I admit there are books that I really like that I am willing to think in a critical way. But there are other stories that are dear to me that I would never think of trying to pick them apart. Not that there might not be flaws in them. I just want them preserved in my mind the way they were the first time that I read them. I want to be able to have the experience of approaching them always like an old friend that I would warmly welcome. I would never approach my wife or a life long friend with a desire to some how "better myself through criticism of that which I love," so why would I do it with my favorite book.
Not saying that we should make idols out of certain books either. If we can preserve our enjoyment of a book though. If we can have just one spot--one story rather--that we can breath in, I think that is a thousand times better than any perceived benefit from being critical.
That's just me though.
Sure we are told over and over again that if you want to be a better writer that you should read as often as possible, and I believe it is true as well. However, I don't think enough is said about the relaxation part. Sure, reading helps us to learn to be better at the writing craft, but lets not get so caught up in trying to extrapolate lessons from the story that we forget to just sit back and enjoy the ride. Some books I will jump back and forth between just reading and picking apart. Some I read just to pick apart and others I read over and over again just to enjoy.
I will NEVER open my favorite books to do anything other than read to enjoy it. If you can't turn of the criticism or are under the assumption that you need to be able to pick apart your favorite book in order to be a better writer; I could not disagree more.
There are some places we go in the real world to escape from the daily grind. Places where we can enjoy the sublime beauty of nature, places where we can take a deep breath and refresh ourselves. If we are true about being writers, wouldn't we want that one well where we can be refreshed? That one book that we refuse to sully? I wouldn't go to my favorite hiking spot and start pointing out issues like the view was not as good as it could be, or if it was overgrown in spots, or if too many people seemed to be there these days. I would have ruined it for myself and would forever be hearing that critical voice, forever looking for the flaws. I would be trying to fool myself into thinking that somehow I was going to grow by being able to take a "critical and educated eye" to something beloved to me.
I guess that just might be me though. I admit there are books that I really like that I am willing to think in a critical way. But there are other stories that are dear to me that I would never think of trying to pick them apart. Not that there might not be flaws in them. I just want them preserved in my mind the way they were the first time that I read them. I want to be able to have the experience of approaching them always like an old friend that I would warmly welcome. I would never approach my wife or a life long friend with a desire to some how "better myself through criticism of that which I love," so why would I do it with my favorite book.
Not saying that we should make idols out of certain books either. If we can preserve our enjoyment of a book though. If we can have just one spot--one story rather--that we can breath in, I think that is a thousand times better than any perceived benefit from being critical.
That's just me though.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Keeping Up the Pace
How many words per minute can you type?
Can you do 60 words or more a minute?
I wish I could.
Not because I think this skill will be of use in landing me a kick-butt secretarial job or some other recorder type position, but because I feel like my typing can't keep up sometimes with my train of thought or my ability to dream something up. Not meant as a brag, just a fact. I could probably rattle off a story into a microphone faster than I can type it. Except I'm not really the "tell an oral story" kind of guy. Much as I love the oral tradition, as it is called, I love the written word more. Sometimes I can only ring out one idea or paragraph at a time and I plod along to get the job done. Other times I feel like if it weren't for other obligations I could just write from dawn til' dusk. Yes, those obligations even include potty breaks. When I, or another writer, get into that coveted "leave me alone, I'm writing" groove it leaves me wondering: can we as writers ever hope to keep up with our own ideas? Do we lose great ideas that will never enter our heads again? Can we compensate if our mind clicks along but the keyboard doesn't?
First, I have to say from experience it feels like a monumental task to keep up with my creative side when I can only crank out about 30-50 words a minute. Just because I am a writer, doesn't mean I can zoom along the keyboard...well, most of the time. I admit sometimes I feel like Mario and I can crash through mental barriers like I've just touched a invincibility star and writer's block is so many goombas. I love those times, as I'm sure every writer does. Should I feel bad for the times that ideas come more slowly though? Maybe they just needed a bit of time to marinate. I'd like to think that most times I can keep up with my own thoughts, but there are times when I can't. Have you had those times?
I have been flying along at the keyboard, a scene is coming together just the way that I want then BAM! I have to make a decision about one of five directions the story can take from there and sometimes they can be incorporated into a latter part of the story. So the easy solution to that problem would seem to be that I could make a quick note to myself, and come back to that idea later after I pursue another one. The problem is that it doesn't always work that way for a writer. Some times you can see for miles down the writing road, but you know that once you start on one path, you can't see those other paths quite as clearly. Sure, you can kind of trace them there in the distance and you know their final destination if you check a map or look at the notes you took. But much like real life, a map can only tell you so much, and a seeing a map of where things go is not the same as seeing the road that gets you there. At times like that I envy the cartoonists and artists that I know, both at home and on twitter. Artists like Apelad or Walmazan create several iterations of a design and can show it off and the viewer can get a clear picture of the ideas they were going for in each design. I am not sure if it is easier, but when I get stuck trying to remember where a certain pathway was going, I envy their talent for making a picture convey more than just a thousand words. So how do we compensate for those times when we have lost a thought or know that we might have had a fantastic idea that we totally lost track of?
I wish I had a fantastic answer or that one was out there either online or in a book.
I've heard everything from "write it down" to "draw a picture about it when it comes along," nothing seems to work though. Sometimes you are blessed and you can easily lock on to that old road you nearly took and add it to the story you were writing. Sometimes you totally forget why that particular arc was interesting or so full of promise. Either way, you need to keep pace with yourself and keep writing.
So here I am writing, trying to keep up a pace that will help me not only stay ahead of my thoughts, but will hopefully allow me to stride confidently down whatever story path I choose. I hope those of you who actually read this blog can stride ahead too and keep up a good pace.
Can you do 60 words or more a minute?
I wish I could.
Not because I think this skill will be of use in landing me a kick-butt secretarial job or some other recorder type position, but because I feel like my typing can't keep up sometimes with my train of thought or my ability to dream something up. Not meant as a brag, just a fact. I could probably rattle off a story into a microphone faster than I can type it. Except I'm not really the "tell an oral story" kind of guy. Much as I love the oral tradition, as it is called, I love the written word more. Sometimes I can only ring out one idea or paragraph at a time and I plod along to get the job done. Other times I feel like if it weren't for other obligations I could just write from dawn til' dusk. Yes, those obligations even include potty breaks. When I, or another writer, get into that coveted "leave me alone, I'm writing" groove it leaves me wondering: can we as writers ever hope to keep up with our own ideas? Do we lose great ideas that will never enter our heads again? Can we compensate if our mind clicks along but the keyboard doesn't?
First, I have to say from experience it feels like a monumental task to keep up with my creative side when I can only crank out about 30-50 words a minute. Just because I am a writer, doesn't mean I can zoom along the keyboard...well, most of the time. I admit sometimes I feel like Mario and I can crash through mental barriers like I've just touched a invincibility star and writer's block is so many goombas. I love those times, as I'm sure every writer does. Should I feel bad for the times that ideas come more slowly though? Maybe they just needed a bit of time to marinate. I'd like to think that most times I can keep up with my own thoughts, but there are times when I can't. Have you had those times?
I have been flying along at the keyboard, a scene is coming together just the way that I want then BAM! I have to make a decision about one of five directions the story can take from there and sometimes they can be incorporated into a latter part of the story. So the easy solution to that problem would seem to be that I could make a quick note to myself, and come back to that idea later after I pursue another one. The problem is that it doesn't always work that way for a writer. Some times you can see for miles down the writing road, but you know that once you start on one path, you can't see those other paths quite as clearly. Sure, you can kind of trace them there in the distance and you know their final destination if you check a map or look at the notes you took. But much like real life, a map can only tell you so much, and a seeing a map of where things go is not the same as seeing the road that gets you there. At times like that I envy the cartoonists and artists that I know, both at home and on twitter. Artists like Apelad or Walmazan create several iterations of a design and can show it off and the viewer can get a clear picture of the ideas they were going for in each design. I am not sure if it is easier, but when I get stuck trying to remember where a certain pathway was going, I envy their talent for making a picture convey more than just a thousand words. So how do we compensate for those times when we have lost a thought or know that we might have had a fantastic idea that we totally lost track of?
I wish I had a fantastic answer or that one was out there either online or in a book.
I've heard everything from "write it down" to "draw a picture about it when it comes along," nothing seems to work though. Sometimes you are blessed and you can easily lock on to that old road you nearly took and add it to the story you were writing. Sometimes you totally forget why that particular arc was interesting or so full of promise. Either way, you need to keep pace with yourself and keep writing.
So here I am writing, trying to keep up a pace that will help me not only stay ahead of my thoughts, but will hopefully allow me to stride confidently down whatever story path I choose. I hope those of you who actually read this blog can stride ahead too and keep up a good pace.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Turned Down from a Low Paying Job: Good or Bad?
So, I actually got a response the other day for what I think of as a "throw away" job. As you can probably guess from the title of this post, I did not get said job. Here is just a little bit about the job that I was turned down for:
-The pay was ridiculously low, but wouldn't be that time consuming
-There was a "possible" bonus if the work was completed in less than a day.
-The client required a resume', cover letter, filling out a "why are you applying for this job" was required, and a writing sample (which although standard in most applications, seemed a bit over-the-top considering the other info they wanted) in order for you to be considered for said job.
-It took me about a half hour to apply for the job.
-Turn around time for hearing back from any job is usually around 24 hours, I got a response within 20 minutes.
I am left wondering whether I should feel insulted or grateful that I didn't get the job. It wasn't like this would make or break me to do the job. A bit of extra cash in the pocket is nice, and resume padding to show that I am working is also nice. Should I keep trying to apply to jobs like this though? They eat up about an hour, sometimes two, of my time when I get them and they pay next to nothing. I mean sure, every dollar I make is a dollar more that I did not have. Every dollar earned puts food on the table, helps keep the electricity running, and all of those other little necessities in life. Occasionally I can use these throw away jobs for fun personal expenditures like an old Nintendo games, money toward summer vacation, and other such diversions. But in the end is it worth it?
Should any writer be okay with taking the super-low paying jobs? I truthfully do not know because I feel as if the case could be made for it being helpful or hurtful. On the one hand, one could argue that the Joe jobs help writers to flex the literary muscles, get typing speed up or least in shape, and build character and knowledge. I admit that through a series of lower paying jobs I feel like I have gotten to know a bit more about everything ranging from retro television to different facets of the culinary world. However these were blog articles that were not exactly helping me to do a little something I call "meet basic needs." Sure, I feel like the experience has helped me to keep my fingers limber and my mind churning, but in the end have I gained enough intangible benefits to justify continuing to take on a job that pays very little, monetarily speaking.
Yes, I am building character, but am I character building? Is the willingness to take on the small jobs costing me the opportunity to work on personal creative writing projects in a way that may not cost money now, but may cost me later in a more personal way? I guess any of us who write, draw, or engage in other artistic endeavors face this sort of time management question every day. Will I be spending time on my work or a client's? Whatever choice we make, we are committed 100% to getting the job done in the best way possible. A 500 word article on gas grills for a client, or part of the first chapter for a new book, which choice should I make? I truthfully am not quite sure at times which choice to make. I wonder how often my artist friends from Woot go through this same sort of decision process. Do I pick my stuff that "may" make money in the future, or a client's stuff that will make money now. Do I start a project that I have high hopes will become known in my field, or do I tackle a sure fire job that will keep my name in the work pool?
For now I am glad to not have the landed the low paying job. If I delay my own hopes and dreams too long they become a pocket full of never realized wishes. I know that there will be plenty of days when I will take such a job because I need the work not just for a bit of money, but to keep my mind in shape. Today I work on my stuff and my dreams though, if only for a short while.
-The pay was ridiculously low, but wouldn't be that time consuming
-There was a "possible" bonus if the work was completed in less than a day.
-The client required a resume', cover letter, filling out a "why are you applying for this job" was required, and a writing sample (which although standard in most applications, seemed a bit over-the-top considering the other info they wanted) in order for you to be considered for said job.
-It took me about a half hour to apply for the job.
-Turn around time for hearing back from any job is usually around 24 hours, I got a response within 20 minutes.
I am left wondering whether I should feel insulted or grateful that I didn't get the job. It wasn't like this would make or break me to do the job. A bit of extra cash in the pocket is nice, and resume padding to show that I am working is also nice. Should I keep trying to apply to jobs like this though? They eat up about an hour, sometimes two, of my time when I get them and they pay next to nothing. I mean sure, every dollar I make is a dollar more that I did not have. Every dollar earned puts food on the table, helps keep the electricity running, and all of those other little necessities in life. Occasionally I can use these throw away jobs for fun personal expenditures like an old Nintendo games, money toward summer vacation, and other such diversions. But in the end is it worth it?
Should any writer be okay with taking the super-low paying jobs? I truthfully do not know because I feel as if the case could be made for it being helpful or hurtful. On the one hand, one could argue that the Joe jobs help writers to flex the literary muscles, get typing speed up or least in shape, and build character and knowledge. I admit that through a series of lower paying jobs I feel like I have gotten to know a bit more about everything ranging from retro television to different facets of the culinary world. However these were blog articles that were not exactly helping me to do a little something I call "meet basic needs." Sure, I feel like the experience has helped me to keep my fingers limber and my mind churning, but in the end have I gained enough intangible benefits to justify continuing to take on a job that pays very little, monetarily speaking.
Yes, I am building character, but am I character building? Is the willingness to take on the small jobs costing me the opportunity to work on personal creative writing projects in a way that may not cost money now, but may cost me later in a more personal way? I guess any of us who write, draw, or engage in other artistic endeavors face this sort of time management question every day. Will I be spending time on my work or a client's? Whatever choice we make, we are committed 100% to getting the job done in the best way possible. A 500 word article on gas grills for a client, or part of the first chapter for a new book, which choice should I make? I truthfully am not quite sure at times which choice to make. I wonder how often my artist friends from Woot go through this same sort of decision process. Do I pick my stuff that "may" make money in the future, or a client's stuff that will make money now. Do I start a project that I have high hopes will become known in my field, or do I tackle a sure fire job that will keep my name in the work pool?
For now I am glad to not have the landed the low paying job. If I delay my own hopes and dreams too long they become a pocket full of never realized wishes. I know that there will be plenty of days when I will take such a job because I need the work not just for a bit of money, but to keep my mind in shape. Today I work on my stuff and my dreams though, if only for a short while.
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