Saturday, July 19, 2008

Dismissing Denial--Writing for Money?

I admit that I can be intensely hard-headed and frustratingly slow sometimes...

One of my major pet peeves with myself is that I have this bizarre tendency to always take the long way around...

And I tend to work in paradoxes. For example: I will say that I have no interest in something that could otherwise benefit me, or may clearly be the route to take, but I refuse it on principle. In this, I realize that I refuse to do certain things on the basis of their "obviousness". I also refuse the obvious because of my fear of being sustained by what why may (or may not be) 'the mundane'.

To quote a much younger version of myself completely devoid of context: "Mediocrity killed the cat".

(Yes, I was the cat. At 22, I was the ultimate metaphoric female feline, wrapped up in a state of constantly licking my psychic wounds, checking my hair, twitching my tail and only accepting affection on the basis of non-chalance and non-commital. A smarter, yet far more skittish kitty than most, I was also a fan of quoting George Washington's Farewell Speech in my avoidance of "entangling alliances". But I digress. My point: I couldn't commit to a 2-year cell phone contract, let alone much else. It really is amazing that I even thought about graduate school. But again, I digress.)

Perhaps I am still that metaphorical cat in search of something more in my life that lends itself to some amount of ethereal escapism, but thank goodness that I am no longer 22 and turning down marriage proposals like a dieter turns away cake...

On that note, where it may have been utterly vulgar to admit this at 22, I can happily admit today that I have begun to embrace the importance of avoiding my avoidance issues. For example, there is a certain freedom in a simple routine. And there is nothing wrong with conceding a few things for the greater good one has in mind. Perhaps I have taken the long way around only to know that I would not be enjoying where I happen to be at this moment if I had not taken the time to embrace the milieu of alternative views.

So, here is where I need your help, dear reader friends: Time and again it has been suggested to me that I find a way to write for money. At first, I refused this on principle. Then, I refused on the basis of the idea that I don't have the time or energy or ego to even remotely think that I have what it takes to write for money. But, upon closer inspection of my current reality, I desperately need to raise some extra cash for my impending return to the Middle East. I am a writer before I am a waitress, bartendress or any sort of affective labourer...and as much as I have sought to circumvent the label of "writer", I think it may be time to dance to the music that I seem to share with the world of people who paint our world with the jumble of words which endlessly float through our minds...

Now, I just need to figure out HOW to write for money. Any brilliant suggestions? I have no idea where to get started. I am thinking travel sites or on-line mags that wouldn't mind a few of my messy political witticisms infused with anthropolitical insights from travel...

Thoughts?

Namaste

6 comments:

Alan Ward said...

Writing for money, or writing for _real_ money? If it's the second kind you need, forget it. The field is already filled up with people who prefer to write than to get their hands dirty doing real work ... OK, OK, I'm just kidding! A little bit. You may find quite an amount of competition out there.

Now, it strikes me that you do have some language skills that you could cash in on, either doing interpretation or -- even better -- documentary translations. Not whole books, but short documents, contracts and suchlike.

Tell us how it goes!

Namaste said...

Haha. No, Alan--I am talking about making a few extra bucks on the side doing what I already do. All things considered, I already have a main profession among "people who prefer to write than to get their hands dirty doing real work". Ahem...

Oh, and for the record, all of my language skills are dirty--acquired from the street than from the lofty tower. Only a fool would hire me for doc translations or interpretation.

Like I said, this is just a little side thing. I'll keep ya posted if anything should mature from it.

Anonymous said...

I stumbles across your blog awhile ago. What caught my attention and kept me coming back was your descriptions of living in another country. I'm sure I'm not the only one. So what about, either on this blog or starting a second one, and letting people pay you to advertise on the blog?
I can't begin to tell you where to start...I've never done it. I've seen enough blogs with advertisers in their side bars to think they must be making something on the deal...

Just a thought. You could make some extra cash and educate those of us who have never been, nor will likely ever see the places you've been and will be.

Mia

Anonymous said...

ack! stumbled

Brian said...

You know my opinion on this topic. :)

I would suggest, also, mags/sites that cover issues in the areas you've visited, who might be interested in op-ed kind of pieces from someone who's spent time there. You have a very different perspective on the matter than the usual politicos who opine on the subject, that's for sure.

Anonymous said...

I was going to mention that much of my 'excess cash' is now funding the revolution in various locales. None of which is cheap BTW. But I hope it will pay some larger dividends to the country & my countrymen soon. Cheers & Good Luck! 'VJ'