The quote regarding friends’ and family’s understanding writers is one I find rather interesting. Like every young adult going to college, my family and friends often ask what I’m majoring in and what do I intend to do once I graduate. It’s not an easy question for anyone to answer, but even more so for a writing arts major. The looks I often get are ones of trepidation and confusion. Said faces only get more befuddled when I tell them I want to be a video game critic, but that’s a story for another time. Bottom line is, no one outside of the writing field has a solid grasp on what the profession truly is.
The first problem I ran into when I began to write seriously was that I never really believed any of the praise I received. In most cases I figured I wasn’t as inept as the average high school student, so in comparison I must have looked fairly competent. It wasn’t until senior year journalism that I actually started growing as a writer. My teacher was well versed in the subject, but unlike everyone else, he balanced praise with fair -and more importantly- constructive criticism.
Another thing I’ve noticed over the years is the lack of guidance by those close to me. Not because they don’t care, or at least I hope that’s not the case, but due to a lack of knowledge. How does one get into a career with a writing arts degree? None of them know. Most think such a degree would lead me to be a reclusive novelist, sitting in my home all day. We in the know however, have a clearer picture of what things are truly like. Many writers do freelance work for quite sometime before getting anything permanent. Meanwhile, on top of the writing, they’re balancing some other secondary income source.
Most of the knowledge I’ve accumulated to getting me on the right path has come from those already working in the field. It’s not always an easy thing to do but I’ve found that the best way to get good advice is by going straight to the source. Seems obvious enough right? Sadly, not everyone does this and they rely entirely on what they’ve heard from family or school.
What I’m saying is, the path to a career as a writer of any sort is not an easy one. It’s oft made more difficult by people who know next to nothing about the subject trying to give advice. While it’s nice to know that they care, it’s best if you take such guidance with a grain of salt.
The first problem I ran into when I began to write seriously was that I never really believed any of the praise I received. In most cases I figured I wasn’t as inept as the average high school student, so in comparison I must have looked fairly competent. It wasn’t until senior year journalism that I actually started growing as a writer. My teacher was well versed in the subject, but unlike everyone else, he balanced praise with fair -and more importantly- constructive criticism.
Another thing I’ve noticed over the years is the lack of guidance by those close to me. Not because they don’t care, or at least I hope that’s not the case, but due to a lack of knowledge. How does one get into a career with a writing arts degree? None of them know. Most think such a degree would lead me to be a reclusive novelist, sitting in my home all day. We in the know however, have a clearer picture of what things are truly like. Many writers do freelance work for quite sometime before getting anything permanent. Meanwhile, on top of the writing, they’re balancing some other secondary income source.
Most of the knowledge I’ve accumulated to getting me on the right path has come from those already working in the field. It’s not always an easy thing to do but I’ve found that the best way to get good advice is by going straight to the source. Seems obvious enough right? Sadly, not everyone does this and they rely entirely on what they’ve heard from family or school.
What I’m saying is, the path to a career as a writer of any sort is not an easy one. It’s oft made more difficult by people who know next to nothing about the subject trying to give advice. While it’s nice to know that they care, it’s best if you take such guidance with a grain of salt.
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