The 'Starving Artist' or 'Learning Artist?' The Path to Becoming a Writer

The 'Starving Artist' or 'Learning Artist?' The Path to Becoming a Writer

Therone Shellman 11/05/13

Yesterday I was speaking to a gentleman in regards to the idea of the term "Starving Artist."

I told him my honest thoughts and experience from what I've seen in the publishing world. This can be applied to all the arts.

So much enthesus is placed on success in the monetary $$ sense, that it drives people to cheat and do anything to get to where they consider success to be. For the most part the writers who have carved their names into history are those who have taken the painstaking task of learning words, language and story telling.

People ask me about self publishing, and I always stress to take writing classes. Can you write a few books and make a lot of money without really learning the fundamentals of writing? Yes. Can you expect to be around 10-15-20 years or a lifetime? No, hire other writers to write for you.

My question to a few aspiring writers has been, "Do you want to be one of them individuals who builds an audience, but because you didn't take writing seriously you now have to buy stories, hire writers to do rewrites for you, and maybe even do more to keep an audience? There is always going to be the pressure to keep putting out good work, one after the next. People expect no less, and they shouldn't. Is that the pressure you want to deal with knowing that you yourself don't have it in you? You want to know what drives some artists to drink and drug? Read some of their biographies. Or better yet watch some of the countless movies about the past lives of many public figures.

It may take you 5-10 years or maybe less to learn the Craft of Writing and be able to get your vision across effectively. Be mindful and prepared because it never ends. This is school, this is learning, this is a sacrifice which you have no choice but to undertake. Well, this is if you're serious about writing and being a writer. Or you can be like the millions of others who say, "I can write a book, and many do." Just because, one writes a book(s) doesn't make them a writer. It sounds messed up to say, but ask a literary agent and let them tell you their thoughts. I bet you they will agree.

Early on in my career I was allowed the opportunity to witness what many consider success in this industry. Once I got there, my eyes opened and I realized that I was not upon the path I visioned for my literary career. I was within the realms of more egoes and bravodo then Writers. Everything happens for a reason though, and I would be faced with some business issues but also an opportunity to take a step back and refocus. Talent is overrated, and I say this in my own case. It wasn't until my fourth book "Survivor I Changed the Rules Pt. 1" when I started to really look at writing and the overall process seriously. I decided that I was going to become a writer first and then partake in the business of writing and making money. Writing and Learning the fundamentals of writing is what I've been doing the last four years.

When I speak to aspiring writers I can only speak from experience. Learn writing, and then the business of writing. When you become a very good writer, there will always be an opportunity to make money. We live in a different world then the writers of the earlier century. First become a writer, even if it means you will have to wash dishes, be a janitor, or do some lousy job which makes you sick to your stomach to think about. The fact is you'll need to dedicate countless hours to writing and learning what to write. What does the aspiring actor do? What does the aspiring music artist do? Writers have a little more of an advantage though because, via self publishing we can create our own financial destinies, today or tomorrow. But first become a writer.