Lois has been digging up resources to give your Muse the hotfoot. That's very useful, but I've got nothing to add there, because my main expertise is in evasion- as Terrie also commented. Still, as good as I've become, apparently, we can all still learn from the pros.
Of course, we proudly boast published, professional Women of Mystery here, however I'm not aware whether any of us work in arenas where we'd be dues-payers of the Writers Guild of America. The WGA currently faces a potential strike and, as a result, we all face lots of "reality" TV shows (also scripted, but not credited or paid as such) and truncated seasons of our favorite dramas and comedies.
I don't claim to have a well-informed position on the details of the dispute, only the rosiest, most selfish hope that further negotiations will leave all involved with satisfied grins and my favorite shows with plenty of fresh episodes. I require well-told stories in other mediums to distract from the wrecks of my own. What about my needs, people?
Rob Long is such a professional Left Coast writer. In this L.A.Times article, he tackles the challenge of "not writing" if the strike is called. The odd situation, as he describes it, made me wonder if a chef's strike were called, could they cook themselves dinner? His musings are not only funny, but easy to understand for any writer as he examines some of the ways in which this remains a strangely-defined and practiced occupation. (snips mine):
...As a professional writer, I've always been pretty good at not writing. Not writing, in fact, is one of my chief skills. I can not write anywhere -- on a plane, in a coffee shop, in my office -- and I often feel that a day spent without not writing is a day wasted. I even keep a notebook by the side of the bed, in case I wake up with an idea at 3 in the morning and don't want to write it down in case I don't forget it...
When I think of writing, that's pretty much what comes to mind: sitting around, drinking a pumpkin latte and checking my e-mail every seven seconds. And my question is, if there's a strike, am I still allowed to do that?...
Friday, October 19, 2007
I am a Professional Writer, Therefore I Don't
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3 comments:
Hi Clare,
God Bless the Pros. Where would we be without them?
My evasions always involve actually leaving my computer and finding something else to do.
Gotta hand it to the pros--computer in hand, still they evade. Guess that's why they make the big bucks. ;)
I've so much to learn.
Terrie
I'm delighted to have discovered Rob Long, and to know that the pros have made such a science of evasion. I looked up his FM radio show. I think we'd do well to listen:
"This is Rob Long with Martini Shot on KCRW..... Years ago, when I told my agent that I had written a book, she said to me, "Hey, if you want $800, I'll give you $800."
Lois- HA! That's hilarious. Am I laughing or crying to hear the truth? I'll have to track down his show, too.
Terrie- I know how you feel. I bow to the greatness, although, at this moment, my surfing and commenting from the same laptop where I allegedly write shows I'm teachable.
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