The Writing Lifestyle: Is There Hope?

It really irks me when writers tell aspiring writers not to expect to make a living writing. Normally this would come off as sound advice; it's just that there's a bit of a credibility problem. I mean it seems rather incredulous when someone who makes a living writing tells you not to go for it because it can't be done. They make it come off like some "Just Us League" that only the select few get in and only then it is because of their good graces. Look, I'm not harboring any delusions about "the biz".

It's a tough market, there's a lot of competition, and you're going to get a lot of rejection notices. I just find it hard to believe that the odds are that slim. If you're persistent and have talent (whether it be a natural knack or acquired through practice) I truly believe that you can make it as a writer. There are enough literary journals, magazines, and e-zines out there that provide opportunities for budding writers. It's true, not all of the magazines and websites pay you for your work, several do pay even if it is only a few cents a word. You may not become the next Stephen King, but you can live comfortably.

The book market is a tougher nut to crack, but again, it can be done. Look in any book store. Not every single one of them is a New York Times best seller, some of them are even..let's be nice and say sub-par. Even so, they were published. The key is to keep your chin up and to keep practicing. Forget those naysayers and dream-squashers! If you want to be a writer, then you should strive to be a writer. There are workshops, and classes to help the aspiring writer who suffers from procrastination (I myself fall into this category) get into a writing regiment and several books on how to become a better writer. See? You can write about writing! The playing field is vast and there are options aplenty.

Another important thing for writers to do is to read. Reading the work of others can help you by showing you how it's done. You can expose yourself to the styles of different writers and see what works both in genre and writing style. On the other side of the reading coin, you can also see what doesn't work so well. More importantly, you need to research to see what magazine or literary agency would best suit your work. This information can be found either online or in books. There's a smorgasboard of companies so for both the publishers' and your own sake it would behoove the writer to make sure that your work is what they're looking for. Sending a piece to a magazine that doesn't publish that sort of work would be a futile effort and an unnecessary rejection slip.

You CAN make it as a writer. This is the mindset you need to keep if you are going to make it. A pessimistic view will only create a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's cliche but you need to take Thomas the Tank Engine's philosophy to heart. Just keep at it.