"Writing is bosh. There is only one way to make money at writing, and that is to marry a publisher's daughter." - George Orwell
:) How true is this. I have often wondered, how people in the writing biz make money, and why is that I am not. Guess a shift is needed to electronic or broadcast medium, but that would mean giving up on writing, forgetting about Feature writing. Expansive (a very restrictive term in print media) is only possible on websites and magazines; sometimes the broadsheet goes easy on the word count.
What can I do besides writing? Do I want a shift to broadcast? Will I be happy with magazines? - No concrete answers for any, what I know is that am comfortable with features and slack bad when it comes to reportage. It will be close to a year since I started editing and writing, and with each passing day I feel, that I write just for myself, wonder if anyone even notices my byline (that reminds me, I need to keep the count going, its all about bylines here, all about your written work here. But how yielding is this experience?) I remember the first byline I got, I was ecstatic, took the sheet home and showed it to everyone concerned, and people wondered what the big deal about this is? Yeah it’s an article, its got your name on the top, so?
*Smile* ask me how big an achievement this was for me then, but now the excitement of seeing my byline has died out, its more to do with the count, next job will be better then, will be easier for me to command a price and designation, am I going the business way?
Nothing much has changed, I still write/prefer writing about issues I am interested in (takes a lot to convince the editor about it- you see there is a peg to it, trust me on this Mr. Editor) and only I land up reading what I write, honestly this has never affected me, actually I am a trifle surprised at myself, but this is how its always been, I never really care who reads my work or not, as long as editor clears it and it doesn’t land up in the fancy TOI dustbin.
Someday I will write for Time Out, one magazine I have always wanted to write for, maybe Sanctuary will also be fine, Mr. Naresh Fernandes and Mr. Bittu Sehgal please enlighten me as to how can I get an entry into your editorial board?
Writing doesn’t pay, I have come to terms with this crude reality, but decided to follow my bliss and here I am, undoubtedly savouring the bliss, writing it is! But reality bites, I need to move on, above the bliss and get real, need to-maybe- take a shift-do something new-find another bliss- and keep writing as a hobby, as my escape ground, as my private world where its all about love with words and ideas and bizarre imaginations, a world weaved out of my own creation.
As always I have drifted away from the point and also misplaced the peg. At present am here, won’t be there tomorrow, what am doing now, won’t be doing this tomorrow, what I will be- no faint idea, for now am drifting to someplace and yes I still love writing, for the sheer sense of fulfillment it brings to me.
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3 comments:
i think this goes to every form of art and not just writing. finally writing is an art in itself so it must hold true for the same. every artist finds satisfaction in his work or creation and that is all a human mind really craves for isn't it? money is just overrated. though everyone knows one cannot be satisfied no matter how much money one possesses, everyone still goes after accumulating the most one can. as long as artists remain happy creating their works, without caring for money or its form, i believe artists are then at their best and it is a life i am jealous of. once the artist sells himself and becomes slave to someone else's ideas, either by creating work for this third person or by executing someone else's thoughts and not his own, he becomes a dissatisfied bastard just like the rest of he beings. or such are my beliefs. hope i made sense.
ekdun sense-ful tha bhai.. :)
p.s:uh was wondering, Rupa publication has been named after the owner's daughter? If yes, I'm single.
Thanks! :)
Oh got no clue about Rupa et al, try your luck nonetheless...to that luck! :)
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