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Topic: The end.
| Author | Message |
| sue ellen mischke | Posted – 6/12/2008 11:31:39 PM | show profile I don't think I want to write anymore. It is no longer my profession, and my skills are getting weaker and so is my drive. I am upset to let it go, as "writer" is what has defined me for the past 11 years. Sad creative times for The Donna Chang. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 6/12/2008 11:49:16 PM | show profile Maybe you're in a creative dry spell. No need to be all final about it -- either apply discipline and write ANYWAY .. or give it a rest and enjoy soaking up good fiction. There's always critique, and I bet a really great handbag you're great at it. I took a break of a couple years from writing, and when I came back I had a renewed ... je ne sais quoi Cheers! |
| writesonwater | Posted – 6/12/2008 11:54:38 PM | show profile | email poster A friend of mine was lead guitar player for John Denver for some of his most productive years. Then, a break. Music stopped calling. Suddenly, a decade later, the muse came back. http://searchwarp.com/swa334160.htm Here's a link to my story about him. ------ http://writingporch.blogspot.com/ http://jlouiselarson.blogspot.com/ http://familyrootsandwings.blogspot.com/ |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 6/13/2008 8:24:50 AM | show profile I agree. Burnout is endemic to this biz and there are plenty of reasons why. A few things....is this your *only* identity? (surely not.) If it has been, time to get and enjoy the multiple identities that come with a (larger) life...the more communities/lives you are a part of, the more skills you have, (languages, cooking, emotional intelligence, etc) the less you have to rely on writing alone as your ID. Maybe you need to just have more fun? I won't ever make a living playing softball, but I enjoy being my team's lead-off hitter. Etc...It is very, very easy to lose one's drive when it feels you're not making progress or having any fun or learning anything new. The skills getting weaker part is really tough. Several of the most accomplished writers I know are taking part-time low-residence MFAs -- these are people who have already edited a major magazine and published a well-reviewed book -- and loving how much they are learning. I think it's almost impossible to improve these skills while cranking it out all the time. It impressed me that they were learning so much mid-career and clearly energized by that. |
| voracious reader | Posted – 6/13/2008 8:26:57 AM | show profile Hey, I'm a former "writer" who still writes. My first and second jobs after college were in Public Relations and I wrote press releases as well as speeches. I HATED it. While my kids were little, I did freelance work for the local weekly newspaper. Gave me the opportunity to meet many people in my community which led me to my current job which I LOVE. I help kids write their entrance and scholarship essays for college. Believe me when I say that I DO NOT write the essays. Instead, I promote the Hemingway in all of them! :) Furthermore I still pitch articles to publications regarding rare disorders and occasionally do a little speechwriting, which I stil hate. I still consider myself a "writer" though I'm not published that often ( a few times a year). However, I've found my niche which makes me happy. Sue Ellen, you're a dynamic woman, don't worry about labels. Follow your instincts and you won't regret it. Good Luck! |
| sue ellen mischke | Posted – 6/13/2008 9:21:45 AM | show profile Thanks, yous. CK is right about eductaion. While I was gettinng my MA in Eng Lit, I was fully inspired. I would like to take some sort of classes now, but I am leaning toward photography. For the last 11 years, I was a professional writer: I wrote for major national newspapers/mags, external corp. publications, ad agency copywriter, ghost writer for F100 CEOs for their books and articles, etc. Since I stoppd doing that to become a marketing director in the luxury goods sector, I see my technique and skills slipping away. It worries me, but at the same time, I'm not inspired to write. The same thing happened with my music career. I studied classical clarinet for 15 years with the world's best performers, I played with an Italian orchestra, performed many solo concerts as well, and then one day...I let it all go, and now my technique is poor and I fear I have lost it forever. I see the same thing happening with writing, and it worries me. Writeson is probably right about "just write anyway." I have to force myself to do it until the inspiration and drive returns one day. |
| pholiday | Posted – 6/13/2008 11:59:26 AM | show profile It sounds like you have another really great passion--music. Why don't you move out of your writing comfort zone and head back to the clarinet for a bit? Life is too short to be numb at work. And we all know that the Chang is plenty talented enough to pick back up writing whenever you want. Just imagine, playing you instrument and feeling your technique come back. Everyone needs to change it up sometimes. |
| keltoi2 | Posted – 6/13/2008 2:17:22 PM | show profile Great. Now I have Jim Morrison running through my head for the rest of the day. But SE/DC, if you can make a living without writing by doing something else you enjoy, by all means do it if you're tired of writing. Maybe you just need a break from it. One of the nice things about writing as a career is you can always go back to it in some fashion. No need to write off (bad, I know) your career; just put it on hold until the muse returns from vaycay. |
| catlondon | Posted – 6/13/2008 2:59:33 PM | show profile Maybe your just a career serial monogamist. There's no law that says you have to be true to one calling your entire life. |
| Homer | Posted – 6/13/2008 3:35:15 PM | show profile How about writing about music/musicians? |
| df | Posted – 6/13/2008 3:40:39 PM | show profile Hi Su Ellen, what you describe is a very familiar feeling. Though I think its very different compared to music (I have a similar experience there too, and I can't even remember how to read notes after years and years of classical education ;-) but writing is different. Its more like riding a bike. I think for some people it comes in bouts. About 10 years ago the last thing I wanted to do is write, and i started my own marketing agency. I couldn't have been happier not to write, and if I had writing jobs I outsourced them, if I could. About two years ago I started writing again, now again very different stuff, my own stuff. I personally think that writing 'industry' stuff as I call it, such as annual reports, CEO ghostwriting and press stuff is also contributing to a high writing burn out. Its not yours, but still the pressure is high. So I guess many former writer first transfer into the 'industrial writing' field and then for a while out of writing totally. But the urge to write comes back, once the time is right. |
| beenthere | Posted – 6/13/2008 4:11:32 PM | show profile I am feeling the same way, although I am more editor/project manager than writer. I'm in the process of trying to figure out if it is task related--that is I'm just burned out/bored by what I do-- or if it is environment related. The last three staff jobs I've had did not value editorial at all. We were essentially looked at as morons, especially if the secretary caught a typo in a published piece (never mind the 200 we fixed). Designers are looked at as tech geniouses, sales people/marketing people, well everyone knows how glorified they are. I am tired of going to work and feeling underappreciated and undervalued. It's a crappy way to spend the day. I also agree with you about skills slipping away. I feel like there was more care put into the quality of the work years ago then there is today. It seems like having the expertise is no longer valued, churning out the work is more important. But watch your ass if anyone else catches a mistake. Maybe it's not the quality of your work. but the quality of the people you are working for that is slipping. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 6/13/2008 10:55:10 PM | show profile When you talk about your musical talent -- impressive! -- I hear the same theme as your writing....you have been accustomed to running (and good enough to) with the big dogs. Once you've done that (pardon the awful cliche) it's reallllllly boring to snooze on the porch with the puppies knowing you are capable of so much more. And, if you do not somehow seek out and hang out with SMART and talented people who keep you at your best you will get all flabby and crappy and demotivated. Been there, did it. Only this year, for a few different reasons, am I feeling energized about work, after not feeling very excited. It's one thing to be competent, and totally another to be at the top of your game...which, musically, happens when you play with other top musicians. With writing, it's really tough to find very smart people who have the time, energy or skills to help you keep developing. Wish I had some wisdom to offer, but only empathy. |
| voracious reader | Posted – 6/14/2008 9:46:29 AM | show profile http://www.amazon.com/review/product/0316166618/ref=cm_cr_pr_link_1 CK - I am sorry that you feel the way you do about seeking out smart people that challenge you and your writing. I've attached the above book for you, SE and Beenthere to check out because the themes in Ann Kreamer's book echo what all of you are feeling. Ann Kreamer is a former creative director for Nickelodean/Nick at Night and is married to Kurt Anderson. Not only do I find her topic for her book "Going Gray" provocative, I'm struck by her inspiration for writing the book. Furthermore, there's a chapter in the book where she's surrounded by brilliant people and she thought she was out of her league. In the crowd she began doubting herself for giving up her demanding career. Reading her book, you realize that they were the ones surrounded by brilliance. Here's my point, I love to be around SMART people who challenge me. But now being in my 50s I take more pleasure in challenging others rather than others challenging me. That's probably why I love working with students. Furthermore, while sitting on my porch, last evening, one of my close friends called and asked what I was doing and I told her to come by and sit for a little while (I was waiting for company - as usual). My friend is always looking for the next challenge in her career. She's currently pursuing a Ph.D. in pharmacology, just for fun, I might add. Anyway, she came over and said to me, "I just wanted your company so I could recharge my brain." Believe me, I want to be around people who challenge me and especially challenge my writing. But look at people like Ann Kreamer and my friend who find their inspiration in other places. Had Ann Kreamer not abandoned her career at Nick, would she have ever written so wonderful a book? CK, I'm glad you are now energized by your work. Everyone should be. Believe me if I had to send out another quarterly press release I'd probably want to slit my wrists. Years ago, one of my mentors always said to me to follow my instincts. When I was much younger it was difficult to hear what my instincts were saying. Nowadays, my instincts are very easy to hear and they serve me well. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 6/14/2008 10:19:00 AM | show profile VR, thanks for your post....I am also in my 50s, just into them, and am not desperately seeking challenge as much as ways to up my game and stay sharp. The book I think fantastic on this point is The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, someone whose work I've always admired. And being energized by work is pleasant, but it's also my ASJA board work and other initiatives that have recently proven fun and satisfying. Money is money. Work is work. Life is a lot bigger than focusing solely/primarily on that. Watching so many friends and family die in the past two years -- 10 or so -- has shifted my priorities. |
| Rocky Mountain Writer | Posted – 6/14/2008 11:34:52 AM | show profile Beenthere, you must work where I work. It's pretty humiliating to have the least grammatically inclined person on the staff parade around with your mistake like he/she could "do your job in a heartbeat." I once got a redressing from one of the presidents for changing the word "peruse" to its proper meaning. They, like many other readers, were under the impression that it meant "to scan." Now that everyone who blogs thinks of themself as a journalist (without an editor), the value of those who craft the written word has fallen. I'd love to know how we keep the respect in our profession. |
| sue ellen mischke | Posted – 6/14/2008 5:21:02 PM | show profile Oh...did I say I wanted to be around people who challenge me? I didn't mean that. I am usually capable of challenging myself. It's inspiration to write that I lack. I enjoy the company of all tyes of people...from materialistic snobs to goth artists to indie rockers to snobby intellectual elitists to blue collars. Diversity is a wonderful thing. |
| Rocky Mountain Writer | Posted – 6/25/2008 4:30:28 PM | show profile Sue Ellen, I'm wondering if you ever broke your streak? I'm suffering from notwantingtowriteitis myself and I'm not sure how to snap out of it. In my case, I hate the subject material and how commercial media has become. I'm writing yet another story about the same old people who bought the cover this month. Soooooooo, if you broke out of the funk, how did you do it? |
