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January 15, 2008
Writers, get some respect: One of my favorite TV shows lately is Monk, a murder mystery that features an OCD detective. A scene of particular interest to writers was one where Monk went to a studio lot in Hollywood as a part of investigation. He’s taken around the lot on a golf cart. As they passed people walking around his guide pointed them out – “That’s so-and-so, the star of the sit-com, that’s what’s his name, star of some popular soap opera. Monk was impressed with all of the celebrities. When they passed another guy, he asked his guide, “Who is that?” The guide shrugged and replied, “Him – oh, he’s nobody – he’s just one of the writers.”
The writing profession is a fickled thing. On the one hand, people who know little about the publishing profession are impressed when you’ve had a book or an article published or when your screenplay is optioned. People come out of the woodwork wanting to know how you did it. They expect you’re like John Grishom—with money and prestige flowing in. Writers know that except for a few lucky people, the writing profession does not provide immense wealth. (We still hope.) Then there’s those people who are in the business. Some publishers and agents see writers as a nuisance – but one they can’t live without. They want their best work at the lowest price. They don’t understand that to get ten pages of “the good stuff” the writer may have to write 99 pages of garbage. How long can it take to write 10 pages of dialog they wonder? Doesn’t it just “flow?” Can’t you just write it quickly on demand – and get it right (and top-quality) the first time?
This is where the marketplace and creativity clash. Because many people don’t think of creativity in the same category as other work, artists have always had a hard time making money. In ancient days, artists (I’m including writers here) were sponsored by wealthy barons or princes. Why? Because there was little market place for their work. Nowadays it’s different. There are very few artists who are paid to be creative by some wealthy rich-rock (maybe a few at some universities). Most artists have to earn their own way in the marketplace just like an accountant or a taxi driver. The right brain of the artist has to either summon up enough left brain to do the business of marketing or to have someone (ideally an enthusiastic agent) do that type of work. Trouble is, artists usually have to get some attention first before an agent will even look at his work. And when the writer finally gets something published, he quickly learns that success is determined as much by what the author does AFTER writing the book as during the writing process. Marketing is the game, and unless the artist already have an audience (like Steven King) he’s going to have to become a salesperson extraordinaire to get the newly published book into the hands of a wide audience.
So what’s a writer to do. If you’re a member of a union you can strike to get more respect (and residuals.) For the average writer, respect comes from peer recognition (such as winning that Edgar Allen Poe or O. Henry award) or by selling yourself in the marketplace. These are things that writers need to keep in mind. Even before your great American novel is published you can do several things to help along your success: become a member of one or more writer’s groups; go to writers conferences and meet and learn from editors, other writers, and speakers; read good books about the writing craft; pay attention to how successful writers are promoting their works.
As is evidence by the WGA strike, that writer in the Monk episode wields a lot of influence. Unappreciated as the writer might be by some in the profession, it’s hard for shows (or the publishing industry) to continue without the creativity, talent, and hard work of writers.
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