Interesting day yesterday. I was hard at it contacting folks from the conference when the phone rang. The client who was supposed to give me a call actually did. On time. I’d forgotten. Very strange! That meant I answered as though I were approaching a telemarketer – an abrupt “Hello” instead of my more office-y “Hello, this is Lori.” Luckily I was able to recover quickly, and the conversation went very well. Here’s hoping the projects will be piling in soon.
I’ve been frequenting a membership-based writers forum lately, mostly because I’ve paid for it as part of my membership. What continues to astound me is how many writers will beg for advice, get it, then argue it not applicable to their lives. In one case, the writer wanted pricing advice. I gave mine, and she replied that the price I’d pointed her toward wasn’t enough. That begs the question – then why ask if you already know what you’re going to charge?
Same thing happened on another thread with another writer asking about freelancing while traveling. I said that traveling shouldn’t matter for interviewing as I’ve done all mine on the phone. The writer said, “But I like to get a feel for them by visiting them.” What can I say – you’re screwed then, sister.
It’s a new form of writer’s block. If the words aren’t the problem, then the logistics are. The price, the conditions, the communications, whatever are the latest roadblock that stymies and stalls the most fervent writing passions. And much like writer’s block, it’s no more than a bunch of hooey.
For those writers who push back on every bit of advice they receive, here are some reasons for the roadblocks:
You’re afraid to succeed. My gawd, imagine if you scored that project AND earned a decent amount! You’d then have to complete the task. And what if you fail, you’re thinking? The likelihood is slim. More likely you’ll do fine and move on to the next worry.
The higher price makes you feel inadequate. For some people, the price point freezes them up like a bucket of water in an Alaskan January. You can write for $50 an article, but $1,500? My lord, you’ll have to behave like a grownup now! Yet you fail to realize that the price is acceptable to the client not because they’re big spenders, but because you’ve been charging too little all along.
You’re a writer-by-proxy. Sitting in the coffee shop talking about all these writer’s blocks and price problems and logistics issues gives you the same high as writing without actually putting fingers to the keyboard. However, it’s not a career nor are you a writer until you actually write something.
You don’t really like the subject. But you’re a writer, you think. You HAVE to like it. No you don’t. Moreover, if you don’t like it, you shouldn’t take the job.
You don’t really want to be a writer. It made sense to consider it because of the kids, the husband, the odd hours you need to be wherever you need to be. But in your heart, you’re not convinced it’s the job for you. There’s no shame in admitting it or leaving it behind. That’s what I’d call a good business decision.
What examples of writers putting up roadblocks have you seen? What does that indicate to you?
11 responses to “Kicking Down Roadblocks”
I think you're very wise to say to those who don't really want to write that it's a good business decision NOT to do it. It can seem convenient at times because of the reasons you mentioned, but if you aren't passionate about it, you're going to be unhappy, and that will show in the results.
The biggest roadblock I've heard from fellow writers is "I gotta eat" as a reason to keep a client or gig they hate. Of course, bills have to be paid, but I think I would do some serious cutting back/saving and then dump the client ASAP instead of just keep plugged away at something I despise. I don't need a new pair of shoes if that $50 puts me that much closer to getting rid of a lousy job.
With newbies, the most common roadblock I've seen is that they expect to start at the top. Many seem to have a sense of entitlement, thinking having graduated college qualifies them to earn $50K a year as novice freelance writers…without doing any legwork to find their own markets. We're supposed to share our best clients, I guess.
Ashley, that's because I've seen a few writers who floundered for years only to find out later they didn't really want to be freelancers. And that's okay. Admitting it is hard, but it's not failure. And I hear that "I gotta eat" stuff, too. Okay, but wouldn't you rather be eating pasta with the best imported cheeses than a can of Chef Boyardee?
Paula, I think you're right. It's the feeling that "I'm here – share because I deserve it" attitude. I've been fortunate not to know anyone like that, but it does happen. I have a degree, too. I started at the beginning just like everyone else.
"That's not my process."
Fuck your process. "Process" has become a buzzword for doing things only one way and never trying anything new.
First day in class, I tell them we're throwing THEIR process out the window, they're playing in my sandbox for the duration, and we're trying new things.
Most of them who ask for advice and throw it back in your face are the ones who don't really want to do the work.
You don't have to accept advice if you believe it doesn't work for you. But you DO have the obligation to be gracious and say "thank you" if someone has taken the time to answer your question.
Bwahaha! Devon wins the internetz for the day with that nifty little salvo.
I'm reminded of a popular sign in a lot of the Old West-style bars around here: "NO SNIVELING." That pretty well sums it up for me.
I have a friend who's a perfect example of your final bullet. She likes to write (actually she LOVES it, which I honestly don't), and she craves the idea of being a writer…but she lacks the cojones to truly make the hobby-to-business transition. I've tried to counsel her gently, because she's a sweet, thoughtful person, but nothing replaces internal fire.
Devon, I agree with Jake. You get the prize for the best internetz today. 🙂
They stick in their comfort zone, which has gotten them where they are – at a dead end. One little step over into a new area can free up so much, but so few are willing to try.
Jake, we had someone like that in our last writer's group. She'd read stories, we'd interject our points, and her response was usually "Oh, I'm not going to send it anywhere anyway, so it doesn't matter." Not exactly the entire point of a writing group…
I see the same as Ashley. People are in desperate situations and need money fast, so they go for the easy route to get jobs. But, then they stay there, without making an effort to try for something more.
I often wonder about outside pressures.How many aspiring writers never go for it because of others telling them to look for a "real job"? How many are told to stop dreaming and face reality? I don't hear that as much anymore, but I still do on occasion. It hurts, but then again, who cares what they think?
Then there's the flip-side. It goes along with your writer-by-proxy point. They write a letter to the editor of their local paper and it gets published. Now, they're a writer. I wrote a Haiku poem in 6th grade (or something like that) about a slingshot and it was published, along with a few others, in the local paper. Therefore, that must make me a poet. LOL!
Wendy, that makes you part of the ee cummings circle of geniuses. LOL
That very talk – the "Look for a real job" stuff – was the reason I decided to be a freelancer. Call me contrarian. 🙂
When someone tells me to get a "real job", I look at them and say, "hmm, I'm doing what I love and getting paid for it. What's not real?"
Most people who pull that crap are in jobs they hate and don't have the guts to change. No patience for them.
And when those around you try to bully you into doing something wrong for you by calling it "responsibility", time to cut the deadwood from your life, even when they're related to you.
In order to survive as a freelancer, you need a touch of ruthless along with the inner fire Jake mentioned.
A touch of ruthless, yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
Till the day he died, my father-in-law would ask me, "So, when are you going to start your own business?" I'd just smile politely and nod, knowing that a PhD who worked for corporations his whole life couldn't possibly comprehend how well a free spirit like me was doing at my chosen path.
Oh Devon, I've long ago stopped defending my choice. I usually say something along the lines of "It's not for everyone – you have to be dedicated and have a business mindset." Shuts them up fairly well. 🙂
I see it as you do – they hate their jobs, and maybe they're sporting a large dollop of insecurity and fear.
I cut my dead wood for sure! And I proved him wrong. As they say, living well IS the best revenge. 🙂
Jake, good for you. You understood his confusion, which was nothing personal by the sounds of it. To him, structure was everything. to you, structure was there on YOUR terms. How much greater is that?!