poet overboard

Emma McGordon
Friday, May 29th, 2009

Hello hello hello people. It’s about time I got my act together, as i see i’ve missed a number of blog entries. So where’ve i been? Well up and down the west coast main line to London a couple of times in search of the perfect job that would allow me to support myself while still having time to be creative. Does this exists? What do other poets and writers do to support themselves. I know Charlie does broadcasting, do you other guys manage  to make a living out of this full time? Byron seems pretty busy with festival festivities. I have some questions:  If you do get a job as a writer should it be involving helping other writers, or, something totally different to give you wider perspective on life, I’m soooo indecisive at the moment. The job I was going for sounded great, but as i didn’t get it i’ve now started re-evaluating everything. Does being a writer give you an identity that may conflcit with another assumed identitiy if say you joined the fire service? I remember the first careers advisor i ever met when i was 16. I told him i was going to be a poet and he was like well you’re the kind of person who if i say no to you’re probabley going to prove me wrong in a couple of years. I guess that was his backhanded way of saying go for it. I’ve worked as a journalist for a year, i was postwoman for 3 days (i was so worried about sleeping in that i actually didn’t go to sleep for three days and ended up having hot and cold sweats all over the letters) and I’ve done lots of education work in schools, universities, a couple of residencies plus commissions. Every career advisor I’ve seen since that guy has asked me if i’ve thought about teaching, you just need to have whipped in the eye by a school kids tie and they think you’re perfect for teaching. No no no.

Sorry guys, i’m having a bit of a rant on you.

Shaun has been editing my film and that should be on here soon, i’m going to email him now in fact. i hope this sorta makes up for the diary entry i missed and the one that should have been here wednesday. Okay now what’s this about a stamina redraft piece?????? I’m back on board now guys, just spitting out brine water and removing the seaweed from my hair x

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ABOUT THIS AUTHOR


Emma McGordon
Born in West Cumbria, has connections with the Liverpool and Newcastle areas, trained journalist and once worked as a postwoman for one week.

  1. annamaria
    May 30th, 2009

    hi Emma…all; good questions, very hard
    unless you’ve written Harry Potter or have a private income to a earn a living totatly by writing…we all tend to doa bit of this and a bit of that…nothing wrong with that, keeps you alive and in the world…i tend now to earn my living mostly by writing related things, even if it’s not pure writing..and can;t quite believe it…, but i suppose it’s come after many years of waitressing in seedy bars in hong kong, potatoe picking, care assisting, TIE, withy bending…
    but this was my week last week.
    monday…in a school encouraging boys to write..
    tuesday…..writing poems for a collav=boartion with some musicians
    wed…in a school again
    thurs…met Mel from apples and snakes…about working with children out of school
    friday…tried to start Radio 4 play
    sat…performed at a festival with said musuciians..
    sun..trying to write radio 4 play again
    mon..wriiting stories fro Secret Six project
    tues..tidied shed so could pretend to write radio 4 play again….
    wed…working with young carers helping to them to write a guide for other young carers…
    thurs..can’t remember…
    …so, let your writing take you in all directions it leads i reckon..how rich it can be….and it all informs what you have to say…
    annaz

    Reply

    Ann Wilson Reply:
    June 2nd, 2009 at 4:53 pm

    Hey Emma

    Sorry you didn’t get the job. The film is looking great, Shaun is just doing some final touches. I’ll catch up with you soon.
    Ann xx

    Reply


  2. Charlie Jordan
    May 31st, 2009

    Great post, and welcome back ‘onboard’:) Whatever jobs you didn’t get truly are their loss, or wouldn’t have been right for you in some way. It’s a tricky one isn’t it, earning any money from writing, let alone enough to survive! I do some radio cover work, but only bits and pieces these days due to networking meaning that most regional jobs no longer exist and are just done from London now…. so the last year or so has been certainly ‘challenging’. I’m all ears on how to find ways to make it pay if anyone has any other suggestions?? It seems you have to make such an effort pitching for a few days work, but it takes a few days worth of pitching/interviewing/workshopping before you’d get to earn a few quid if you actually get the job – frustrating isn’t it? Or you discover some other agenda that wasn’t clear on the brief that rules you out anyway…. oh joy! they do seem to love changing their original guidelines….. Any advice on how to develop a thick skin for all this would be gratefully received, or how to be more confident actually selling ourselves as writers/artists would be good.
    As you’ve been doing your residency in a hostel, I noticed Sarah Jane from Spiel is doing some sessions in a residential home as part of an outreach programme…. would something like that be possible for you to do now you’ve developed a relationships with this space, and engaged the people in it? Also are you near Kendal, as I’m there for the Litup on 11th/12th June and it would be good to catch up for a coffee if you’re around on the friday?

    Reply


  3. Byron Vincent
    June 3rd, 2009

    I told my careers officer I wanted to be a photographer, he laughed and informed me that construction labourer was a far more realistic goal. Apparently he’d failed to notice that I’m 90% twiglet.

    I think bar person used to be a noble profession for a poet, until Tom Cruise spoilt it for everyone with this nauseating offering.
    Do not watch this if you’re prone to depression, it may tip you over the edge.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZsiY9S4WpI

    Sorry for inflicting that on you Emma. Watching that clip makes me shout all the worst swear words out loud at my computer, its like poets kryptonite.

    Can’t wait to see the film.

    Happy (job) hunting

    Reply


  4. Naomi Wilds
    June 16th, 2009

    when i saw my careers adviser and told him I wanted to work in the arts, he said,’ oh it’s very competitive, I think you’d be better off trying something else.’ I ploughed on, got lots of volunteering and badly paid jobs and about 3-5 years of working in the right field but wrong job until landing one which was more in the right direction. All the same worries apply. I love Anna’s day by day analysis of her work, think that’s the juggle fest which we’re all in. There seems no ultimate wisdom on how best to combine writing and income streams – some say do a non-brain engaging day job so you have creative space in your head, others say do something which stimulates. Think some of the guest bloggers are interesting models on this one, look forward to hearing what they have to say about combining your own writing with another life…

    Reply

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