No Money?…. Are You Really a Writer? Part 10 of 12
July 25, 2009
Money is one of the things that can sometime make or break a writer. Especially as the email suggests it is the focus of the writer. I wonder how many of you have read the first and second email, if not, check them out, as they will make this series make sense. Welcome to all whoa re new, and to all who are regulars, welcome. now, on to my little soapbox for today.
I’ve been beating around the bush, as the saying goes, and not giving my true point of, view, for one I want to hear your voices, before adding mine, and I’m bound to keep it polite, or at least diplomatic. Well, I’ll work on on the diplomatic parts a bit later….
Here’s my take however long winded and extended it might be. While I believe that we should have some money, and be allowed to make money as writers, and any writer that quits a full time or part time job without a net needs to make money, the ones who write as a hobby or have another stream of income can get away with being more “open” to writing for less, or no, money.
It is the value you place in your work after all, not the money, if I make 10 or 1,000,000 dollars on a book or something I wrote, (granted a million is a great goal…. for anything) and I put my heart and soul into it, that writing is good. If I write based on how much money i get after any expenses, that is not worth it.
Connection come into play here, as people will talk about their experiences with each writer. I believe that writers must treat each assignment and fellow writer with honor, respect, and gratitude that each deserves. It’s not easy being a writer, and it’s worse if the focus is on making a boat load of money.
I suppose I’m bad that way, I admit that money is nice, and it’s not a thing that should be feared, or have people feel that their monetary goals are bad. I look at the different side as well, that when you focus on money, you might find yourself losing the very thing that can make you that money…
The people who support you.
My Question for you today is this: How do you view money in terms of your career and life as a writer? Is it nice to have or the all consuming thing?
3 Comments
jenniferneri
I view money as the thing that can allow me to be a full time writer. Without it, my time would have to broken up into something that makes me money, writing, and all else, instead of only writing and all else.
AmberInGlass
For me, it's just something that is nice to have, but it is something that everyone has to have. To some extent anyway. No money, no shelter, no food. It would be hard to write without those things.
Unfortunatly, it can be a vicious circle. If you aren't making money yet with your writing, then you have to have money from somewhere else. As Jennifer put it excellently, your time will be broken up between earning money, writing, and all the other things you need to do in life. Sometimes focusing on making money, can make it even more difficult to write.
At least for myself, that is certainly the case.
Damaria Senne
I'm with jenniferneri. Money allows me to be a fulltime writer. Without it, I would have to find another job to cover my needs and write less. So it's not a nice to have, but a necessity.
That said, I'm very clear about work that I do for the money and jobs I do for career satisfaction. the best part is when an assignment offers both money and job satisfaction.