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Freelance Tips - Jenn Hollowell

Most of the information presented here is based on my experience, on the spot findings, and progress in my own freelance writing career.

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Freelance Tips - May 2008

Is Writing an Art?

May 20th 2008 13:59

Are You an Artist?

Do you consider a freelance writing career to be one where "art" is involved, or is it just a job? Do you feel as though it takes a certain amount of creativity to complete any writing task, even those that are boring or uninteresting?

This topic has been debated by many. Over the years, I've seen writers argue this point and, in most cases, the core of the disagreement seemed to be comfort. Some writers don't like referring to their writing career as an art or a creative adventure for a variety of reasons:

* artists are sloppy
* artists are starving
* artists are struggling
* it's difficult to sell art

Well, in some cases, this is true when you think of being an artist in that context. However, in the literal sense, artists take on many different meanings. Just because you tag yourself as an artist or a creative individual . . . that does not necessarily conotate failure.

How do you perceive your career?

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Posted By: Jenn Hollowell - Category: writing

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9 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 20th 2008 16:15

Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk

i think journalism is a craft or a trade as it requires studying and learning reporting and researching techniques, and creative (fictional) writing is an art . . . but im pretty flexible with how other people want to label themselves

Comment by Jenn Hollowell

May 20th 2008 16:19

Freelance Tips
Reality Mom

I agree - I found journalism to be very dry at times. However, I was able to be creative when coming up the lead and compelling interview questions. So, I guess there was a sprinkling of creativity in that job. It wasn't one of my favorites, though, to be honest.

Comment by Whitney

May 20th 2008 17:48

Gaming Life
Pet Advice
Tech Stripe
Alternative Look

I think that it's an art. It requires patience and skill to make a name for yourself, to define your work, and to better your work and yourself, just like an artist of pain, sculpture, etc.

Personally, I think the people that feel that when you write something the first time and it does not need editing as it's perfect as is, have an amateur's eye. In most of those cases, the work would be so much better with a little editing and revision. These people never better themselves, and constant write the same basic premise over and over again. (I realize that's a whole other topic, but I'd love to hear what you think. Maybe a new post. Ha)

Comment by Jenn Hollowell

May 20th 2008 17:51

Freelance Tips
Reality Mom

This is a GREAT idea for a post! I agree 100% - it's a sad reality. There are also those amateurs who refuse to wade through the trenches and develop a track record . . . they expect things to happen over night. It's frustrating to see.

Comment by Irene

May 20th 2008 19:56

Women In Cinema
Grammar Matters

To me, writing is both an art and a science. I've done my share of creative and non-creative writing (although my adult professional career has been strictly non-creative writing), and even when I wrote creatively, I was consciously being a 'technician' about it. That sounds clinical, but what I mean is that--again, for me--the inspiration is the easy part; writing (which encompasses putting words to paper, planning, organising, re-reading, revising, etc.) requires skill and a certain logic.

I don't understand why some writers would object to having their work called 'art'. They might prefer something that sounds more respectable, I guess, but an art is just something imbued with (subjective) beauty, elegance, creativity. Even the driest kind of writing--let's say business writing or technical writing--benefits from artistry and linguistic beauty, which in this case doesn't mean purple prose but clarity, restraint, and effectiveness.

Comment by Whitney

May 20th 2008 21:20

Gaming Life
Pet Advice
Tech Stripe
Alternative Look

Jenn I agree. I tried talking to one of these people about how you can edit your work to make it so much better, and the response I got was basically "writing is art and the writer wrote it that way for a reason, so it doesn't need to be edited to be made better." HUH? You can always edit a piece of work to make it read better. I know I've read several current Best Sellers with grammar mistakes or funny wordings that could have been made so much better with a little more editting.

I'll be the first to admit, that it is possible to over-edit, but a little editing doesn't hurt

Comment by Jenn Hollowell

May 21st 2008 11:32

Freelance Tips
Reality Mom

It's funny that you mention this because I had a similar conversation. I replied saying, "if that were true, there wouldn't be erasers and there would be red pens." Of course, this sent the person off into a huff. Then I compared editing to how an artist continues to rework a painting . . . words need to be reworked just as much as brush strokes do in order to get everything just right.

Comment by Whitney

May 21st 2008 13:27

Gaming Life
Pet Advice
Tech Stripe
Alternative Look

I definitely agree 100% In a way people that think that piss me off... Or just rub me the wrong way... Either way it's very frustrating.

Comment by Jenn Hollowell

May 21st 2008 13:43

Freelance Tips
Reality Mom

@ Irene: I'm sorry, Irene, I responded to you yesterday but it never showed up on the site!! STRANGE!!

I agree with the points you've made and thank you for commenting. There seems to be a lot of social stigma (that I've experienced, anyway) with writers not liking to be associated with artists - mainly, in my encounters, because artists tend to be viewed as lazy and not really out to accomplish much. I'm very much a go-getter in the writing and the art world, so this has always frustrated me.

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