Today I started a new blog. It’s not for me and it’s not about me. It’s got little to do with me personally, strictly speaking – but it’s an issue that is dear to my heart.
A very dear friend of mine, a talented freelance writer and journalist, is facing eviction, and possibly also having to give away her lovely dog, who is like a child to her. I told her she could come stay here for a while, but of course that doesn’t handle it. Not for her, not for the hundreds of people in the same situation as her.
I am a bookworm. I read constantly. Books, magazines, blogs… I read it all. I value the written word a million times more than anything that can be shown on a TV monitor. You could take away my TV, and it wouldn’t bother me nearly as much as if you took away my books.
And it’s not just books. Hollywood may say they “make magic”, but what is a movie, or a show, without its writers? Just a bunch of images, silly dialog and possibly some GCI. Think of your favorite magazine: what would it be without writers? Probably just a bunch of full-page ads and fluff.
And yes, they are kind of taken for granted. In the current climate, the publishing industry is one of those taking the hardest hit – and the first to go are freelance writers. Meanwhile, everyone else thinks it’s a glamorous job and that they make lots of money – some are under the impression that there are a bunch of real-life Carries running around Manhattan and other large cities, who spend most of their time shopping, clubbing and hanging out, and writing whenever, and that little writing is somehow so well-paid that they can afford to do everything they do when they are not writing.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Which is why I felt that it would be good to have a place where out-of-work, freelance writers who are struggling because of the economic crisis could share their experiences, get and give support, and possibly receive donations, job offers, or really anything that might help.
I am just one person. We are all just one person, until we get together and decide to do something as a group. Then change can happen. And it starts small. We cannot be afraid of starting small. One has to start somewhere. I don’t know about you, but as far as I’m concerned, it sure beats just standing there watching, shaking my head, doing nothing.
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