Writers Matter

Winter ABC 2021: Day 8

I have been picking my mind on how to convey this message respectfully because a writer is tired of society underappreciating her profession. It’s the patronizing, “You need to get a real job” that blows my mind. This my job! Writing is a hard and paying job. The film-making industry depends on writers, digital and content marketing, the media’s lifeline is writing, journalists, novelists, web writers and editors, copywriting, academia etc. Writing is the blue-print of creative spaces. The belief that we are just doodling and playing on the laptop is ignorant and a regressed way of thinking.

Those who feign interest in your work and use it as a conversation starter are the worst because they fail dismally at hiding the condescension. It’s the kicks to think that I am always available and have nothing else to do. The failure to understand that I can be busy all day, working. Yes, I work from home, with strict 8-5 business hours and I am not readily available. I have worked with so many people and have a standard clientele base but the overall assumption is she not doing anything in her life. My PayPal account will tell you otherwise. Stop demanding and feeling entitled to our time and commitment. I will not drop my work to attend to your shenanigans. Non-writers need to understand the muscle behind this profession and the creative process which requires a lot research and reading.

All the literature around us is not work that was created during, “spare time.” That is hard work blood and sweat. There is a notion that working from home is a cool way to say you are unemployed and resorted to writing. It is not a social construct like a hobby that you do when you are bored. The ignorance frustrates my entire being. Writers tell our stories and immortalize us with words that will live on for generations to come. They shape our history and the literature that is integral to our education. The capitalist monster implies that a career that is not socially/economically acceptable is not a real profession. Society’s misconception and preconceived notions about writers need to change. We demand to be taken seriously just like any other independent profession.

If you write quality content consistently and market your work well, you can make a living as a writer. There are so many freelancing apps that pay good money for my work. Upwork is one of them which is my main go-to. It is legit and scam free. The passion and commitment to paint with words can never be undermined. Last week I studied neuroscience just to describe the creative process along with the chemical process that occurs in the brain. The concept, the research, layout, understanding data sets and editing can take days. The Digital era demands content writing because of the rise of internet activities and the need for companies to provide digital on-line information to their customers. The digital world is exponentially growing and writers are becoming more relevant.

Writers take time reflecting and interpreting the society. Its time for society to pay their due diligence to writers by recognizing us as standard professionals. Acknowledging the work and our place in the society. It is no child’s play.