Writers: Everyday We Hustling

I see this MFA as an apprenticeship, a time when I completely immerse myself in all things writing-related. Besides attending my classes and learning from my peers, I listen to interviews with successful writers to hear about their process and the trajectory of their career. I read articles written by editors to learn about what they’re looking for on the page.  I scour blogs for writing advice and sign up for newsletter updates to find out about the latest competitions and submission deadlines. Every single day, I learn something new.

The other day, while listening to yet another interview with a badass writer, I had an epiphany. Writers are hustlers. We have to be. No one’s going to give us a raise because we’re putting in extra hours. No one cares if we wrote today, or sent out a pitch, or revised a story. We’ve got to make our own fire.

That’s what being a writer means in the 21^st century. We can’t let the grass grow beneath our feet. The publishing industry is changing fast. Major publishing houses are merging, and baby indie presses are being born every day. With the internet as a platform for telling stories on an epic scale, the way we read as a society is transforming before our very eyes.

Writers have to juggle lots of bowling balls. Creating, networking, revising, reading, editing, submitting, mentoring, teaching, re-submitting, reading more, researching—and somewhere in there, sleeping.

Also, writers are sorta like lone wolves. No two writers are doing the same thing. We love commiserating and communicating with other writers. We join writing workshops and online support groups. But the truth of the matter is that we’re each on this journey alone—the lone hustler. In a way, we have to fly solo in order to do the work that only WE can do.

Part of being a writer is the solitary act of sitting at the writer’s desk. But without the other part, the engaged hustler, our work might never reach an audience. It’s a complicated balance between connecting with our creative self, which requires deep listening and intuition, and engaging in a meaningful way with the world around us.

There’s no slowing down in this business of writing. There’s always more to read, more to write, and more to revise. Some days, I’m overwhelmed by the abundance of great writing I want to read, magazines I want to pitch stories to, competitions I want to enter. My mind is a constant ticker-tape of topics I want to write about, residencies I’d like to attend, workshops I want to teach, and stories I wish to tell.

Mankind has been writing stories for a very long time (and telling them for even longer!). And yet, no matter how ancient the art of storytelling may be, there is nothing static about this craft. The way we tell stories is constantly expanding as we share with one another and learn new ways to create meaning from words. So, writers, get out there and ---

To Freelance or Not To Freelance

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Last week, I announced that I want my writing to reach a larger audience. Since then, I’ve been digging deep into the world of freelancing, finding out how to actually make this work.

I’m learning that freelancing takes a lot of time, between researching, reading, pitching, and writing. And so I’ve had to ask myself – why freelance? It’s one more thing taking me away from my “creative” writing, so it better be worth it.

Here are a few reasons why I think it’s worth it –

• Visibility: writing for different publications allows you to get your name out there. Also, it’s a good way to make contacts and network with editors and other writers. You never know how these connections might play out in the future.
• Money: even if it’s not a lot, it feels good to get paid for your writing. Writing is a skill, and I’d like to compensated for my ability the same way as engineer or massage therapist would be. That being said, it still might be worthwhile to write for a place that doesn’t pay, but only under special circumstances.
• Practice: my teacher tells us that everything we write is part of our “writing life,” even if it’s a thank you note. Freelance writing is another opportunity to hone your skills as a writer. We can always use more opportunities to practice writing clear, concise, and interesting prose.
• Portfolio: it’s important to have an arsenal of writing samples, specifically published pieces. Having a varied portfolio will beget more writing assignments, which will help your freelancing machine running.

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Here are some ways to be smart and efficient about freelancing –

• Do your homework: Take the time to read lots of different magazines to see what sort of content they are interested in. I find that it is better to do this upfront, but you can also commit to researching one or two magazines per week.
• Spreadsheets are your friend: Staying organized is super important when you're your own boss, so make sure to take notes on different magazines – what they are looking for, who is the contact, what is the word count, etc.
• Make a schedule: I get great satisfaction in checking items off a list, so I like to make a master to-do list at the beginning of the week to get organized. Some things to consider: Which articles will you work on this week? How many pitches will you send out? Keep track of where you’ve sent your work so that you can check back in with the editor if you haven’t heard from them in a week or two.
• Think outside the box: lots of places need writers, not just the sexy mags like Salon and Bustle. Think about something you're interested in, say knitting or kayaking, and get in touch with magazines about that topic. Also, you'd be surprised how little you need to know about something to write about it well. 
• Set aside time for unpaid work: This is SUPER important. It can be tempting to devote all of my time to paid work, but I don’t want to lose sight of the reason WHY I’m doing this. My freelance writing is in direct connection to my greater goal which is to have my writing reach a larger audience. Always keep sight of the bigger picture!

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AWP Conference 2015!

AWP : Bonnaroo
writing : music

Except AWP is even better!

I had no idea what to expect when I booked a ticket to Minneapolis and signed up to volunteer at AWP 2015. I also had no idea that my experiences surviving summer musical festivals were going to come in handy at the largest writing conference in the country.

AWP is the Association of Writers and Writing Programs and each spring they hold their biggest bonanza - the AWP Conference! Or, as it's known in the writing world, "AWP." 

"You going to AWP this year?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world!"

This year, it was held in the lovely literary city of Minneapolis - and it basically felt like being at the Grammy's of the writing world. Except sometimes you didn't know that someone was famous and awesome until you read their name tag and then you had an inner freakout moment.

Cutthroat Journal celebrates Joy Harjo

Ways that AWP is just like a giant music festival, but for writing:

1. There are people sleeping on benches and in random corners of the convention center / festival grounds.
2. People huddle around electric sockets to charge their devices.
3. You're trapped somewhere for 4 days. Obviously, the food will be terrible and overpriced. Like at a music festival, I came prepared with the essentials: almond butter, apples, hummus, carrots, and dark chocolate.
4. You are constantly having to choose between one cool band / panel presentation over another one happening at a different stage / conference room.
5. You lose your friends when you go check out that sci-fi author you adore (but they hate) but then run into them serendipitously at the panel on graphic novels.
6. You meet other people who love that obscure band/lit mag that no one else knows about.
7. You have no shame about asking your literary/musical heroes to sign your arm.
8. You sacrifice looking cute to wear comfortable shoes.
9. Your favorite band/writer plays new music/shares new stuff and you pee a little in your pants.
10. Your body and mind are exhausted after day one from all the walking between stages/conference rooms and taking in some much amazingness (inspiration overload?) and you're not sure how you're going to make it to day three.
11. VIP parties are not as cool as you think they're going to be.
12. Free drinks exist, if you can bear the long lines.
13. So much drinking and excitement = the inevitable post festival/conference cold. Cue to me binging on Emergen-C.
14. You leave the conference/festival feeling like you never want to hear live music/read a book again -- but you're also mega inspired to go out there and get your creativity on!

Roxane Gay reading at the Literary Loft

So why is AWP even better than Bonnaroo, the biggest music festival in America? Well, AWP is like seeing your favorite band, and then getting to hear them talk about how they write music, why they write music, what they're working on right now, what they think about dolphins, etc. 

Here's a photo of the keynote speaker, Karen Russell, and a dolphin.

But hands down, my most favorite AWP moment had to be this one:

Joy Harjo on the sax!

Next year, it'll be in L.A. and you can be sure I'll be there, Emergen-C in hand.

The Function of Art

I have been thinking a lot about the function of art, for several reasons. Firstly, my heart goes out to the French artists and citizens who are in mourning after the tragedy at Charlie Hebdo. This was a stark (and unnecessary) reminder of the significant impact of art in our society, and the important role that artists hold.

I also read this fascinating article, The Death of the Artist, which explores the trajectory of the artist throughout history. According to William Deresiewicz, artists used to be artisans focused on tradition above all else. In order to become "master craftsmen," artists apprenticed alongside the greats of their time, putting in their 10,000 hours and then some. Art back then was something to be built and crafted with care, like a seaworthy ship.

In what was later called the Romantic period, this all began to change. There was a shift away from tradition and rules in favor of individualism and originality. With revolution came secularization, and artists became prophet-like. Art moved away from craft and attained a "zenith of spiritual prestige." A century later, artists had become "cultural aristocrats," a far cry far from the lowly apprentices of the 16th and 17th centuries. 

In time, art moved away from the sacred and  into the realm of bureaucracy (I wrote bureaucrazy at first. Mistake? I think not). Deresiewicz explains that "after World War II in particular, and in America especially, art, like all religions as they age, became institutionalized." Institutions were created to "support" artists: museums, ballet companies, graduate programs, art councils, managers, agents, record labels, grants, etc. The trajectory of an artist became less spontaneous and serendipitous; now there was a formula for success and it involved climbing the professional ladder, as doctors and lawyers do.

Now, though, those institutions are disintegrating and the professional artist is left to fend for themselves. And so, the creative entrepreneur is born. This person must know not only how to create thoughtful art but also how to market themselves. Luckily, the internet provides us with a plethora of self-promotion options. And like any good business, artists must diversify. We have seen a rise in "multi-platform artists," people who claim to do it all but probably not very well. Additionally, like businesses, artists have moved towards selling an experience and not just a product - meaning they sell not only their work but also the creator and this person's lifestyle and process. I am somewhat guilty of this by writing this blog.

Several things are at risk for art today. First of all, artists have moved away from the long-held belief that one must put in 10,000 hours to make good work. Instead, they are spreading themselves thin and focusing too much on self-promotion. As a result, the artist of today makes many "contacts" - at the expense of lasting and collaborative relationships with others in their craft.

Additionally, the customer has become the central figure in an artists's life, and we all know that the customer is always right. Art has become a commodity to bought and traded. Deresiewicz  says it best: 

"It’s hard to believe that the new arrangement will not favor work that’s safer: more familiar, formulaic, user-friendly, eager to please—more like entertainment, less like art."

And so, this begs the question: What do we lose when we lose authentic art? What is its purpose in our culture? Yes, art can be entertainment and art can be aesthetically pleasing, but in my opinion, it does little if it is not challenging the status quo, making people think, and moving our culture forward.

Images taken from talkingpointsmemo.com