#169 The disrespect of writers (take two)

When you tell people that you are a writer; often the first question you get is...have you published anything?

Even if the answer is yes, the follow up is usually...anything i've ever heard of?

This tends to get the ire of most writers whether novice or professional.  It's almost as if writing is not an acceptable vocation if you haven't hit it big time. People don't realize that writing like anything does not automatically equal success or an income.  

I hate that writers are treated so disrespectfully and yet in other vocations, a person who merely tries is awarded praise and applause.  What's the difference between playing highschool basketball and writing a novel?  

Most people would say...

Playing high school basketball can get you a college scholarship and/or onto a professional team.

So the goal is to succeed, and any attempt made by that person, is considered an attempt at success.  

Few people mention that there are about 50-60 thousand highschool basketball players in the United States alone....nor mentions that only around 3% of high school seniors make it to the NCAA, and even less than that (only about 1.5 percent or 1 in 75) make it to the NBA.(1)

This isn't to say that there are no discouraging voices when one chooses sports as their calling in life, but because sports is more socially acceptable as a vocation, they are more likely to be pushed forward if an individual is shown to have a talent for it.

With writing that isn't often the case.  Many writers are told to give it up and get a real job (raises hand), because writing doesn't pay the bills.

I have often scoffed at this idea that writing doesn't pay the bills, but I will get to that later.

Writers are disrespected unless they have made it.  We often have to find support from outside of our families and social groups, because people have this general outlook that doesn't respect what we do.  It's more acceptable to pursue sports or acting or rapping than it is to be a writer.  Writing/the ability to communicate in written form is one of the foundations of every major intelligent civilization.  

When we look at civilizations of the past; we don't judge them by how they were able to swing a sword, or climb a tree, or how well they could sing or move their feet.  We judge them by if they were able to communicate complicated ideas through imagery or words.  We they able to use science and if so, whether they could explain their theories in a way that would allow others to read and understand them.  That is the sign of an advanced culture.

Take the Mayans for example.  We don't really care what they could do as warriors, but you know what we do/did care about...their calendar.  So what does a calendar have to do with writing?  Simple...it's a form of communication written on an object to express information.  This is why writing is generally considered an art form.

Writers used to be and to some degree considered scholars and people of importance, but nowadays it appears that writers don't get the respect that they used to, and that makes little sense.  

In my next post, I will tell you why Writers are more important than you realize.