You want to be a writer?

January 1, 2012

Don’t. It is thankless and brutal work. If you want to live like a writer, which I understand is some of the allure of this whole being a writer, become a mid-level accountant instead. It will give you salary enough for cigarettes and booze and be rote enough you can stay out late smoking and drinking and getting your art talk on and still be able to do your work and get paid, which will fund your next night and etc.

If you still want to be a writer, if for whatever reason you can’t fathom not writing, and it bugs you when you’re not putting words to page in the same way that people who run get grumpy when they’ve missed some days, know this: you probably need to read more than you’re currently reading, and you’ll probably need to write more than you’re currently writing (this advice, of course, is for me, in as much as it’s advice for anyone. And really, isn’t all advice somehow rooted in the things we know are best for ourselves?)

And if you want to make any kind of money being a writer, go ahead and make good on making and keeping connections. This is where I’ve failed and continue to fail. And while yes, it would be nice if art for art’s sake was able to rise above and remain pure and unmarred from the business of art, that’s not the case. To be a writer you’ve got to be able to sell, too. So practice that, and put forth effort towards forging lasting relationships. You can’t make it without them.

9:00am | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZlJibyE5ZOU6

(Notes: 54)