I came across this podcast ‘Tiffin Inn’ where in the first episode, Tim and Art discussed about the importance of procuring a degree in writing. The gist revolved around the essentiality of the degree for a novelist (or any kind of writer). Here are my two cents, as a writer and a wanna-be novelist:
On days like today, I procrastinate more and write less. Ask any writer, and they might tell you that their procrastination is not limited to Netflix or Instagram. If you must get a PhD in procrastination, sign up yourself under a writer’s program. We have a creative list of side things to do when we want to avoid doing the job- to write that goddamned novel or blog!
When I started writing for the first time (as a ghostwriter), I found it hard to introduce myself as a writer. Whenever someone asks me, ‘What do you do?’ I said, ‘I write articles as a freelancer.’ I could have simply said, ‘I am a writer.’ However, those four words were challenging to speak.
When I quit working as a freelancer, it became more difficult. I do not have a profession. Writing does not pay my bills. I am here (procrastinating often and writing less), claiming I would write a book. When you publish, you become an author in a natural order. What happens when you write a book (which may or may not be complete)? What do you call yourself when you are doing it?
‘Can I call myself a writer?’ – this question has itched my mind for so long- longer than my pride would admit. For a newbie writer who came out of engineering college and worked in a Telecom job- claiming the identity of a writer was hard.
That’s when I found this definition for a writer- ‘One who cannot not write.’ The only sentence where a double negative doesn’t infuriate me. I fell in love with this line. Sol Stein’s definition of writing simplified the whole ‘who am I?’ for me. Also, it made me love writing more- if I could put someone’s mind at ease or stir the comfortable mind with words and nothing more- isn’t it a beautiful win? A win that almost sounds like poetry.
However- and there are lots of however-s in this post- process of writing isn’t easy either- because writing IS an unconventional job/profession. Growing up, I knew I liked writing- putting my experiences on paper to form a connection with someone else. I am talking about 20 years ago. It was when you were required to choose a job that ‘pays’.
‘Of course, authors get paid. Music directors get paid. Artists get paid. What are you talking about? How is art an unpaid job?’ Well, I am talking about the other 90 per cent who fail. You have to be ridiculously good to survive and make it to the 10 per cent who gets paid. That’s exactly why these jobs are unconventional. Sometimes, it doesn’t pay your bills.
Seeing the established authors, singers, and directors generates a dangerous hope in the hearts of those who aspire to flourish in art. Speaking of hope, I find it dangerous to an extent always. It might be because of the trauma I am yet to find and heal. That’s right. It’s me. I am the problem. It’s me.
Keeping in mind the volatility of success in these jobs, pursuing it as a mainstream education is naturally frowned upon. The result- engineering- and I have this internal joke about engineering- it is a purgatory for young adults when they have no idea what to do with their life.
I signed up for classes and workshops, learning technique after technique from the authors who made it in the real world. One problem with this kind of ‘self-learning’ is you don’t know which technique you need and which you can discard. TMI kills the eagerness for learning. Another is you would use it as a method of procrastination. When I find myself in ‘writer’s block (which happens to everyone at some point), I think that I lack creative skills- voila, another workshop or class on Skillshare.
I wouldn’t say that ‘self-learning’ is altogether bad. It is a necessary evil. You may as well not write if you are going to write terribly until the end of your life. The trick is to know when to stop.
Without a structure for proper writing, I found that my first hurdle is inconsistency and lack of discipline. Looking up at every successful author’s writing routine, you might be surprised to find them writing at least 1000 words every day. Not the kind we write in a diary. But the kind that makes sense and contributes something to the story we are writing.
Anyone can have a creative flair for telling stories. You can be incredibly creative, but if you don’t have the discipline to sit down and write for at least 3 hours every day, your story will only exist inside your mind. It is easier said than done. I made up my mind that I would finish the book in 3 months- however, the real process was daunting and energy-consuming.
That’s where the real community comes in- a tribe that can relate to your fear and struggles. As a writer, you must have a backbone community, who can collaborate on your journey. What’s more fun than sharing the love you have for a similar thing?
Having someone who does the same kind of thing you do will bring additional benefits like new techniques, solving writer’s block by collaborating on prompts, being a constant reader for each other, and more. There is a chance you could find your first editor in your community. You get honest feedback- not the brutal ones that amplify the imposter syndrome in you.
Having a degree in arts really helps. You don’t pass the degree without writing a certain number of words (your thesis would be a novel-length, I suppose). When studying the art of writing, you realise the seriousness of your goal.
Grammar, vocabulary and writing techniques can be self-taught. It would take a long time to achieve discipline and form a community. A degree in arts is an acceleration. However, it is not something to regret about.
The readers in your circle might be another reason for your imposter syndrome to resurface. I often hear my family and friends telling me that my vocabulary is too hard. They think that they need a dictionary for my writing to make sense. The redundancy of this feedback confused me. On one hand, reading Kafka and Murakami, I knew I am lacking a lot and had to improve more- in terms of vocabulary, voice and style. On the other hand, I am a posh writer, who uses ridiculously big words that makes the reader’s life difficult.
The presence of a community that reads the same standard of books that you read makes a big difference in a writer’s life.
You can never avoid the question ‘Where do I start?’ when you follow your passion. The job of a proper education in arts is to make you face that question first and clear it. If you are self-learning like me, you must knock on a lot of walls that look like doors, and sigh when it does not open. It is something inevitable.
I don’t think a degree is what you need if you want to become a blogger or novelist. An AI is trying to do our job, as I write this. Any ‘unconventional’ job in arts needs passion and talent, and that’s all. Do I wish I had a degree in Literature? Yes, I do. However, do I regret not having it? Absolutely not.
