Everything else seems easy compared to becoming published.
You wanna become a doctor? No problem. Go to school, take your boards, complete a residency, and voilà.
An architect? Even easier. Thanks to technology, you don't even have to know how to draw.
For almost every profession, you follow the steps (schooling, internships, training, etc.) and then you become who it is you set out to be.
This isn't a rant about how hard it is to become published, but rather the opposite, how easy everything else seems. After attempting (and hopefully obtaining) publication, I can do anything, become anyone I want to. How awesome is that? Pretty darn awesome if you ask me (and I did).
So, if you weren't trying to become a writer, who would you be trying to become?
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This week in books 7/14/17
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This week! Books!
But first, a programming note. Posts will be a bit sporadic in the next few
weeks as I am headed to San Diego for the wonderment known ...
7 years ago
15 comments:
Apart from writing, all I ever wanted to do was become an English teacher. I did. Life is good. :-)
I will quibble w/ the doctor bit (and I know an architect or two who might disagree about the easiness of their success) -- I've watched my wife spend the better part of her younger years toiling. 4 years of med school, 1 year internship, 4 years of residency, 1 year fellowship in which she was working and studying 80 - 100 hours a week -- and finally, finally, she's got a real job... where now she has to worry about lawsuits etc. I would never wish the stress of a medical education on anybody.
It may statistically be easier (though not everyone gets into med school, or passes STEP I, II, and III, and passes 1 - 3 rounds of board exams, plus the re-certification exams every few years), but the effort required, IMO, is unparalleled.
Ultimately I get what you're saying about the more whimsical nature of publishing. However, I would hazard to guess that if most people put in 80- 100 hours a week of writing for 10 years, they'd probably get a thing or two published.
Wanted to be a rock star once :) Gave up on that. Looks like it may have been an easer route to follow ;)
Good for you Shannon!
Trust me Bane, I know. I come from a medical family, including my husband. What I ment was there are steps to take to be becoming a doctor, and when you complete them, your a doctor (you just have to worry about paying back students loans, oh yeah, and lawsuits).
Alliterative-who didn't want to be a rockstar? I was in a band and all. We never played in public, but still...
With most professions, you work hard, do what you're supposed to do and you will get your desired career.... Not to say it's easy, but if you work hard, nothing can stop you. With a career in the arts, there is never a guarantee. You could go to school, learn everything you can, write and write for years and you could still be unpublished.
Well said Stephanie!
Well said Stephanie!
LOL... change of perspective there puts a nice twist on it. That is pretty true, pay-->school-->voila
I think the issue extends to all of the creative crafts.
I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up, so far all I've come up with is 'old'.
I have an award for you today, Stephanie! Happy Friday! :-)
Void--I know! I feel like I'm still a kid, but the calender tells me otherwise!
Thanks Shannon! I'll swing over right now.
I never really wanted to be a writer. I guess that's what sets me apart from alot of you who are trying to break into the industry. I love books, reading, movies and love a great story.
I always thought I'd be a singer...
Really, Jen? That's cool. My brother's the singer in my family; my sisters the artist and that leaves me to be the writer :)
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