I write with a quill--still.
I still write with a pen and paper.
Believe it or not, I am actually a fan of the traditional style of authorship; and oftentimes condone those awkward technology-reliant writing mediums.
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If you are one of those people who used to deem that being a writer is another hipster-related fad--I want to say this point blank--no. Writing per se is never, never easy.
I want to start this entry with being dead fair. Being a writer isn't a "special line of work" I wished or even hoped to exercise every single day of my life; nor did I ever imagine it as my long-term occupation. As a matter of fact, I used to be one of those people who tried to equate writing as a lowly-paid work. Only after working hours after hours generating ideas and putting them into words, I came into this realization that writing should never ever done or exercised without a purpose.
Talking It Over A Cup of Coffee
I have been working as a writer for more than two years. I have to be completely frank, it wasn’t easy. The day I thought that I could eventually lay my thoughts into creative and flowery words was also the very day I felt downright depressed. I realized I have so much more to learn, discover, and do. My articles have gone through a great deal of editing; from the hands of the Americans and then to the scrutinizing eyes of the very confident native English speakers: Brits. Again, it was like hell every single day.
Then a group of writers huddled and shared their “little” sentiments as to why a lot of us experienced such "great depression" in the office. We finally realized that the only thing we thought we do best has dramatically burned us all out.
A friend of mine, Jeremy, a 2011 UP Journalism graduate had experienced this, as well. He felt that the only thing he used to love doing had already taken all of his strength--as if he never felt this so drained his entire life. He said, “Nagsusulat kasi tayo dahil gusto at hilig natin. Ngayon, nagsusulat tayo hindi dahil para sa sarili natin, kundi sa kumpanyang pinagtatrabahuan natin.”
My thoughts, exactly.
Your Words Versus Mine
Apart from many of the things I used to complain about, I also have a few good memories being as a writer. For one, it was a huge learning curve, not just for me, but also for everyone I shared a bit of my life and my words with. I learned how to be an obsessive-compulsive writer-editor (I don’t want to describe everything in detail, but I am confident enough that your imagination is wilder than mine.)
So then I learned that learning and correcting your own words is better than rewriting someone else’s craft.
Go for 450-word article or go home.
But My Life Is More Than A 450-word Article
It’s true. If I may say, I now write 700 to 1,200 words a day. Yes, I still work as a writer, but as a freelance writer. I used to love the craft-- but now, I’m loving it even more. I can’t say exactly the do’s and don’ts, but as for you, allow me to quote Michael Christian Martinez, “Dream high, work hard.”
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