Think Twice But Keep Reading

Let's start by saying: I still love writing and literature... but my perspective has changed after freelancing for a while. I've come to see the politics and motivations behind certain articles. Writers fall into assignments that they don’t really want, or are forced to expand on ideas with minimal research, just to meet a word count. And in the age of the internet, writers don’t get paid well at all, and time is valuable, so they’re banging out articles as quickly as possible, and quality and truth end up suffering.

What I’ve written is no New York Times editorial. It’s fluffy pop culture conjecture, which appeals to the masses of mindless time-wasters. It's crap, but I don’t want to sell myself short. Writers like me have a ton of pride. Much thought goes into every single word. Even if I'm spewing out crap, I want it to be the greatest crap. The AP guy thinks like me, but he’s under even more stress, meeting tighter deadlines to beat the competition. Writing a headline that will gain a couple million hits isn't easy.

Every time I read an article, I wonder what was going on in the writers mind. How many articles has he/she written on the topic? How many times has he written an article almost exactly alike? How much time was spent researching? What were the sources? Did she pitch this story or did she get the idea from an editor? Editors want what’s best for the publication, as they should, and writers should follow orders.

Writing is still a creative release. Freelancing is fun, don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the challenge of tackling new subject matter, even when topics might be slightly uncomfortable. Maybe that’s the lesson I've discovered— if I want to write, I have to know how to write it ALL. The good and the bad. The stuff I love and hate. Just like any other job or duty. The sleepwalking matters too. Drudge through it every day, and don’t look back. Know every facet of the job.

And then I can increasingly appreciate the free time I find to work on my personal project. A novel, or this odd little blog. And then be happy to make a little money freelancing on the side, before it all turns to video.