Whew! I just finished up another cover story for the local arts and culture paper here. Of course, when it comes out tomorrow, I’ll plug it shamelessly on this blog, link to the online edition, jump up and down sixty-three times, and then go snag a few issues from the newsstand.
I love doing this writing thing. I love interviewing, talking to the editor, and trying to creatively piece together a story. It feels so natural, suffering this way. I put on my lucky “whore” t-shirt that Wendy from the Life With Buck blog sent me, and start typing away. Although I sometimes sit in my chair for fourteen hours at a time, sweat pouring from my brow and curse words flowing freely from my mouth, I feel a sense of satisfaction unlike any other. I phone all of my loved ones beforehand and warn them that it’s deadline time. “Don’t call me. I’m freaking
out, and I’ll be mean and grouchy until I get this done.” They seem to understand. At home, I whine and bitch, Tom hides from me, and I start looking like an insane bag lady. The dishes pile up in the sink, pickles become my meal replacement, I smoke like a factory, and drink massive amounts of caffeine. I’m telling you, I love it.
When the smoke clears (literally) and the story’s submitted, I’m my happy, normally-dressed self again. The kitchen sparkles, I talk enthusiastically with friends and family, and prepare real meals that don’t include kosher dills.
On the downside, I think I’m averaging about 73 cents an hour right now, and I’ve started pulling stuff out of the closet to sell on E-bay. If you want to buy a really strange-looking wooden spoon with a picture of some Ayatollah on in, let me know.
OMG I’ve met my twin!
LOL. This is so funny.
Woo Hoo! Feels good, huh? Congrats and I am looking forward to reading your latest…
Totally understand the dishes piling up and insane amounts of coffee thing. Me too. Can’t wait to read the story. I have two more days until my deadline. I’ve turned into a language interpreter for the big giant software company (thank gawd I don’t really work there). They need someone like me who can deciper crap like this: “and to better categorize segments and the value propositions that the segments will find compelling and to frame the messaging that will be most effective” SAY WHA?? And that’s only a miniscule, harmless snippet of the 78 page pile of dung I’m working on.
See – I NEED to read your posts for sanity!
I love how you put it, “I love doing this writng thing . . . suffering this way.” I love writing too, and I’m ready to leave my teaching job to try and earn some kind of living, meager or otherwise, by my pen. Any advice or tips?
@ timethief: Are you my evil (on deadline) twin, or my kind (no deadline pending) Patty Duke cousin-like twin? Either way, it’s nice that someone else relates!
@ Alyson: I think Tom would disagree!
@ CuriousC: It feels really good!
@ Little Miss: I don’t know how you do what you do. I fell asleep twice, then started bawling after reading that sentence that the software company wrote.
@ ABarclay: I think you’re a fantastic writer. I really don’t know what to tell you, because I haven’t been making enough money to “officially” consider this a living. Little Miss is a copy editor, Wendy from Life with Buck is a writer/ editor, and Beth from the “Beth from Avenue Z” website (on my sidebar) all earn their wages by writing, and they’re all amazing. All I know how to do is write (sorta), and I haven’t figured out the income-generating part of things yet. I’ll keep you posted, and I hope you’ll do the same. Good luck!
Well I can definitely relate to the deadline thing of “everybody and every thing needs to go to hell right now because I’m writing.” Dishes pile up, as do cigarettes in the ashtray, and I eat turkey sandwiches and Cheetos instead of meals. It all tends to make me very sleepy, however, and I usually give in to sleepiness even if it’s only 11 AM.
And hey, I’m so glad you’re getting use out of your Whore T-shirt. It looks great on you!
I laughed so hard at that t-shirt. OMG.
Can’t wait to read your newest article. Writing for a living sounds much like having a baby… lots of labor, sweating, and swearing before the delivery and then everyone oohs and ahhs profusely over what you’ve produced.
@ LWB: My body gets so sore! I put pain patches on my shoulders just to keep going. What kind of martyrs ARE we to think that this is enjoyable?! I love the shirt!
@ Brian: Isn’t it great? I still think you ought to market the Stella/ Betch shirts. You’re right– it IS like having a baby, only it’s more like quintuplets, with no medication. Then, when it’s all over, you say– “Wow– that was great. Let’s do it again!”
OK, so, let’s see. Is this right? Do pickles help you write? Or is that just what’s left in the fridge? Would you please tell us what kind of pickles?
And yeah, LWB’s t-shirt does look pretty hot on you. Even in that dungeon.
It ain’t easy creatin’ shit is it now? You have to pull it out of thin air!
And so you do mmq! Thank YOU.
Now does the shirt say “Lucky Whore” or is it lucky either way is great. I don’t think you need much luck as you are good at what you do. It’s so nice when people get to do what they want in life.
Congratulations! Writing is not meant to pay the bills; it’s in response to the Muse that won’t let you not write.
BTW, that 73 cents an hour is more than Hemmingway made when he was first writing in Paris. Of course, that was about 90 years ago and 73 cents was worth a hell of a lot more then than today, but really—who cares? Right? Write! Write! Write!
Ms. McQueen,
This is such a strange coincidence… the other day I was asking myself where I could get a really strange-looking wooden spoon with a picture of some Ayatollah on it. How much is it going for?
@ David: Pickles are the fuel that sustains my existence. I always try to keep at least two jars in the fridge– one kosher dills, and one bread and butter or sweet gherkins (for dessert). The shirt is pretty stylish, isn’t it? Especially with the garland of flowers that I always wear on my head. By the way, do you have a pickle smoothie recipe?
@ RM: Ha!!! You’re right– that should be “lucky ‘ whore ‘ t-shirt. ” I think I’d make a rather unlucky whore– I’d probably earn less than the 73 cents an hour that I’m earning by writing.
@ I think in Hemingway’s day, you could buy a small house for 73 cents. Oh well. You’re right– we who write gotta write, right?
@ Beth: I won’t tell you how much the spoon is, because the WordPress Police would close my site. There’s some story behind that spoon that some old middle eastern man once told me, which has to do with all of the words written on it, but I’ve forgotten it. Maybe I should make one up, just to increase its value!
But can you get more of an audience by writing in a magazine or a local paper than you can get here? WordPress said that some day they will allow advertising on blogs here. — The biggest personal (non corporate) blog that I have seen had 1.5 million visitors a year, but it was part of a newspaper. Isn’t that the trend?
Ah! That photo, that pose! Truly beautiful, though not as uplifting as the picture on your sidebar asking people not to steal. I look at it every day. It teaches me a lot. It has made me a better human being.
lol
Is that girl on the top the same actrice who’s starring Piaf on the cinema?
ehhehehe
She really looks like.
How have u been?
@ cantueso: I prefer writing here to writing anywhere else. It doesn’t pay, but I have the freedom to write (almost) whatever I want, and I get to interact with other bloggers. I’ll never say never as far as advertising goes, but I’m just not interested in doing this for money.
I’m so glad you like the picture on my sidebar!
@ Elton: Hi! Glad to “see” you. The actress is Theda Bara, from the era of silent movies. I adore her, and it’s usually her pictures you see scattered around my blog.
Well MMQ, it’s wonderfully balanced of you to fuel yourself with both the sweet and the sour pickles, and yet, there is the palpable desire to know further detail … can’t explain it … this lurid Internet always leaves me wanting more …
What are your pickle brands of choice, or do you make your own pickles?
Sadly, I have never made a pickle smoothie in my life. In fact I haven’t made any kind of smoothie in over a decade, as wonderful as I know them to be.
Theda Bara. Of course. That’s HER in your dungeon and LWB t-shirt! I feel so disillusioned! I thought that those penetrating eyes were moonbeam’s own! Oh well, it’s OK. Still love your blog.
You get so many comments, so rapidly, moonbeam that I can hardly keep up with your numerous friends! I loved the description of your creative process (minus the smoke and nicotine, really looks like my own – only I get really dirty with inks and acrylics and stuff! i have to peal off paint days in a row untill I get clean again; and I eat also non-kusher pickless). I’m in a forced (by the holidays) vacation and just like you, very low on income. Exept I cannot sell spoons on ebay – don’t have no credit card or paypall things… but I discovered I can survive on 40 cents a day (if you need the recipe tell me but I hope you’ll never need it!) Bye for now… and I suppose having so much comments AND deadlines could be really a bitch (that’s the expression?)
@ David: Pickles are a very important part of my life. I guess my pickle of choice is Claussen, but in a pinch, anything will do. I’ve even made a run to the convenience store down the road and bought those gigantic pickles in the plastic bags with all of the juice, just to get my fix. Since you gave me the recipe for the vodka, cigarette, liver and flax meal smoothie, I had assumed that you had a recipe– alas, that, like my Theda pictures, is but an illusion. I do feel a major kinship with her.
@ Ion: I love the comments, and commenting on other blogs too! When I’m not writing, I often paint, and I love getting messy with all of it. I’ve ruined more clothes with acrylics than you can imagine (well, actually, I’m sure you CAN imagine it). Please e-mail me your “life on 40 cents a day” recipe. I may not be able to do all of it, but I could certainly use some suggestions.