Fee or Free?

It used to be said a job is no longer a job if we are doing what we like doing. Hypothetically, this also means when what we like doing becomes a job, it is no longer a pleasure doing what we like doing.

Life as a writer is very much the same. I used to write for leisure on topics of my own interest, and I enjoyed every minute and second while I was doing it. However, when the day came for me to make a living out of what I like best, writing became more of a pressure than pleasure. Deadlines now come as part and parcel of life and rushing is a norm. Inspiration and creative thinking no longer come easy as before, and hard work seems always the order of the day. All these often boil down to one question—am I writing for free or for a fee? When I write for a fee, expectations are always tagged with the price, and this is seldom fun. When I write for free, it is usually done with pleasure and there is no pressure.

Many, like me, enjoy writing for pleasure. Pleasure alone however is not enough to keep me and my family living happily ever after. In the real world, if I hope to survive, I need to be paid for what I write. What I write however is not up to me to decide, and depends on the demand required by the respective publications. If a publication wants me to write on topics such as lifestyle, like what’s hot what’s not, nightlife favorite spots, latest in the fashion and entertainment world, I’ll just have to go along and mix around with the people famed for such lifestyles, whether I like it or not.

Life as a writer is not all a bed of roses. It is also not all just about doing what we like best because every rose has its thorns. In order for me to make a living, it matters whether I am writing for free or for a fee. If I wish to survive, I will have to go with what’s in demand, what make news and what people want to read. I am no saint though I very much want to live my life free from the entanglements of this world. Eventually, however, the question remains the same. In what way can I survive? Should I follow the instructions of my editor and write what’s in demand—which bears consequences of mixing with the wrong crowd—or do I keep myself clean and lost credibility in the industry?

If you are in my position and you are a writer working for a publisher, which path would you take? Would you maintain your dignity to stay clear from mixing around with the wrong company or would you simply do what is demanded of the job and leave the rest to taking a step at a time?

Slowing Down

Living life in the fast lane is never easy.

I've been rushing all my life. I rush to catch buses and trains, I speed walk to reach places, I hasten my pace of working to meet deadlines. I am always conscious of lost time and every minute counts in my life. I am breathless most of my time, and my heartbeat is faster than usual.

I am now learning to slow down. I miss the bus and train if I have to, I walk slowly and careful, I work the best I can do, but I won't rush to finish my work even if there is a deadline. I am learning to be less conscious of the limited time I have, and I am catching my breath, slowing my hearbeat to normal pace.

Why? Because when I rush up the stairs to catch the train or run after a bus, I heat up and I can't relax, my blood shoot up. I don't walk speedily as before, because on many occasions I have fallen and injure myself especially on wet floor. Just recently, I rushed and I rushed to meet the deadlines my supervisors gave me, but the materials I need never come on time, and at last minute I will always have to stay staggering number of hours overtime. When I miss the deadline, of which is no fault of mine, my supervisors, the project managers themselves, did not bother because the deadlines they set are for driving people, by which they themseleves fail to meet, nor see the urgency, so why should I bother?

The result of all this is a regular reading of 150/90 blood pressure for the past six months, and I've been advised to start taking anti high blood pressure medication to bring it down. I am constantly faced with dizziness to which even Stemitil has now lost its effect on me and I am breathless easily.

There is no point in rushing to meet the targets set by men, for their expectations have no end. If our health is at risks because of them, life is not worth living the way it is. Enjoy life while you can, find rest and relaxation, laughter and joy, for by God we have been created, and for His purpose we have been made. Take time and do the things we have always wanted to do, but don't get to find time to do. Live life abundantly (John 10:9-10).

Inspiration vs Hard Work

We usually think more creatively when we are relaxed. Unfortunately, many of us think at the worst of times and often under pressure, when we are forced to make decisions.

As a writer, I often have to muse and think over the subject before I write, and I write best when I am relaxed. I get inspired easily when walking through the woods or while taking long nature walks. Unfortunately, such luxury are seldom available when I am on an assignment, which often has short deadline, so I do the next best thing, similar to what everyone else do when they are pressured - research and compile, then write.

Research and compilation is common in most environments, and if you know the process of problem solving, you will probably know what I mean. In a corporate environment, problem solving means identifying, analysing, implementing, and evaluating. This is not dissimilar in any other environments.

First, research and gather as much information on the subject as possible. Next, sort out the useable from the unusable then select what goes into the story. Finally write in one's own words the story based on all the information gathered, re-reading it to edit and modify where necessary.

A story written based on hard work is seldom satisfactory to the author, but at least it gets the work done. In a perfect world, the author has a lot of time to think, and if one gets a chance to write a novel or a book, some inspiration will definitely be essential. However, if writing is a daily or periodical routine that makes up a high percentage of press news and factual content then option two will be more appropriate in solving the immediate problem.

Therefore, when writing becomes a pressure instead of pleasure, it is time to retreat and rediscover inspiration within nature.