I came across a job posting today. They were looking for someone who could write quirky and unique blog posts - for low or no pay, mind you. Hey, it's not surprising the world is full of wannabe writers who hope to make a living with pen and paper - not being stationery sellers thereat.
Still, I doubt a writer would give up The Dream even after finding out that $11,000 per year is the revenue the legendary average author allegedly receives. So 90% of us are ready to dish out "treasures of the mind" for free in our little blogs, dedicating the rest of our time to writing utter tosh - and then Polishing it to the state... of tosz. The rest worship the Muse Royaltinia and shop for real estate.
Anyway, it got me thinking: when a recruiter hires you for a writing gig, how exactly does he or she measure your level of quirkiness and uniqueness? It's not a language or computer skill... and isn't everyone unique even when their writing is totally mediocre? Mathematically speaking?
I guess it's all a matter of taste, just like that mythical "voice" Janet Reid likes to bring up so insistently in her Query Shark blog. What exactly the "voice" is, nobody knows, so I guess we can file it under the heading of "uniqueness".
But one of the greats once said: "The moment you start writing to match a trend, you lose your voice".
So I guess the content we consume these days is mostly voiceless. Because there's no life outside trends.
Still, I doubt a writer would give up The Dream even after finding out that $11,000 per year is the revenue the legendary average author allegedly receives. So 90% of us are ready to dish out "treasures of the mind" for free in our little blogs, dedicating the rest of our time to writing utter tosh - and then Polishing it to the state... of tosz. The rest worship the Muse Royaltinia and shop for real estate.
Anyway, it got me thinking: when a recruiter hires you for a writing gig, how exactly does he or she measure your level of quirkiness and uniqueness? It's not a language or computer skill... and isn't everyone unique even when their writing is totally mediocre? Mathematically speaking?
I guess it's all a matter of taste, just like that mythical "voice" Janet Reid likes to bring up so insistently in her Query Shark blog. What exactly the "voice" is, nobody knows, so I guess we can file it under the heading of "uniqueness".
But one of the greats once said: "The moment you start writing to match a trend, you lose your voice".
So I guess the content we consume these days is mostly voiceless. Because there's no life outside trends.
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