Much like any predator, a Writer’s motivation to hunt for a means to be paid for his writing is inversely proportional to how close he is to starvation. Nothing quite transforms a Writer into an entrepreneur as an empty wallet, an empty fridge, and an empty stomach. But unless he has unmatched tenacity and incredible skill in writing his genre of choice (whether satire, essays, or, god forbid, fiction), the Writer will most likely support himself by writing content for blogs, websites, and the internet in general. Because as we all know, Reader, the internet is sanctuary for opinions and facts no one will ever notice.
The problem arises when the Writer rejects this reality and substitutes one of pure, unbridled indulgence. He might imagine penning the next entry to the American Literary Canon and obtaining the rather large advance and, in this visually driven era, movie deal that such a thing might incur. Imagine the Writer’s surprise, Reader, when he finds that his only immediate means of income lie in selling three-hundred-word articles on local floral delivery services for three dollars each.
But if he is hungry, he will hunt, and he will take any scrap no matter how little. He will write three, six, fifteen, thirty thousand words a day for a meager dollar bill if no better opportunities exist. If he is worth the title of ‘Writer’, he will. Because writing qua profession is not taken up for wealth or fame or even respect (they may be a byproduct, but never the intended result). No, Reader, a Writer writes because he must. Do not let the melodramaticism obstruct the meaning. But suffice to say a Writer will not be happy unless he makes a living (no matter how meager) with words.
You might, Reader, cast these off as simply the idealistic, broad and sweeping, hopeful ramblings of a romanticist, of a Writer that takes his profession much too seriously. Well perhaps you are right, but let us hope that you are not. For then, let us pity the fool that takes up the Writer’s pen in the hopes of striking gold.
