by Eva Maler

Created on: June 02, 2009

From Aspiring to Writer- but how?

"I am a writer." Yes, though I've never published a book and at the moment struggle to see my first play put on stage, I think I've earned the right to use this line. I've been writing since I was able to hold a pen (I'm useless at drawing, and I had to put the pen to use somehow). Little poems, songs, I started a novel - but then stopped at some point and now, well, I've written a play.

When I first thought about writing as a career opportunity, things looked a lot easier to me then they eventually turned out. I was convinced that if I just wrote something good, intelligent, unique, enough people would just race to me. Everyone says I'm talented, I know I am talented- so why is it that no one is at least slightly interested to stage a play of an "up and coming writer" (which sounds better then "girl with a money job who dreams of fame , riches and fortune").

Writing ( by the way just like acting in my case ) starts to become a really annoying thing the moment you decided that the time has come fort the world to greet their literary goddess (me). Because the world, frankly, couldn't care less. The world has a credit crunch going and kids to pick up from school and really no time for another bloody writer, thank you very much.
Having said that, it is, of course, not the writing that is annoying; the annoying bit is the fact that the moment you present your work to some one who by profession nows better (editors, directors etc) inevitably becomes the moment wou realise just HOW much you still have to learn,

So the question as it is not: "Are you making a living from it?", " So, what of your stuff has been published? (alternatively, for actors: "So, what play are you in at the moment?") or: "Who arte you writing for?" The answer to the latter is obviously: "Myself." A writer is a person who writes even though he/she really tried to quit. You are a writer from the moment you pick up the pen up to the point you start listening to your mum and get yourself a proper job. If you get up in the morning to go to your money job, get home at 8pm and then sit down at the computer (I would actually like a type writer, just for a bit of nastalgia here) to work on your literaray baby, then you are a writer. Hence, I am proud to announce that I earned the label writer.

Being a writer is not a profession, it's a state of mind. Full stop.

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