Large and Crazy Things at Work

[grubbytap]

I've gotten into Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, AKA Ani's Wee Artsy Top Choice School. So, remaining obstacles:

1. Parents.

2. Money.

3. Doubts. As in, Really Importante Doubts. I mean. Yes, I want to be a writer now. But I don't want to be disowned by my parents, and moreover I don't want to be a Starving Artist all my life. I'd quite like to be successful, actually. And I know I could be anything I want from here--I'm good enough at math and smart enough in general to be, say, a chemist, or a lawyer, or an engineer. My grades right now are great. But I don't want to be any of those things, and I don't wanna wait till I'm in my forties to get published. I want to learn how to do it well, and then do it well as soon as possible. If I go to Pratt, they will teach me how to become a writer. But if procrastination and laziness defeat me, well, I'm done for. And that, Hamlet, is the question.

But come on. It's Brooklyn. And if I go, I can call it Prat's Institute for fun. Teeheehee.

....

Heehee.

Also, tomorrow is my 18th birthday.

Yes. I am coming of age.

Comments

[weirdlyyours.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the acceptance letter! Maybe you can double major? Or, you can just mooch off someone until you're a famous, established author. :D :D Anyway, you seem really into Pratt so just go for it.

[grubby-tap.livejournal.com]

Weeeell...Pratt, besides being INSANELY expensive, is sort of a really specific art school. So the only majors they offer are architecture, visual art, creative writing, and some fashion and design stuff. So it's like, once I'm in, my profession is chosen forever.

And it's not that I dislike the profession, of course, it's just writers seem to have a history of going insane/dying penniless/becoming raging alcoholics. You know.

[raingirl3179.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday! In honor of your birthday, Kenneth got shore leave to come home from the Great War and have tea with Hubert Cumberdale and Marjorie Stewart-Baxter and you. And if I can find one, I'll gift you a grubby tap; I know how you've dreamed of them ;)

[grubby-tap.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'd love that from the bottom of my cucumber-green heart!

[dru-plus-spike.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday!
Brooklyn is wonderful. NYC is wonderful. I think you'd have an awesome time living here.
I'm old so I'm giving you some unsolicited advice: My parents wanted me to major in something practical in college. So much so that I never followed my passion, art, in high school because I never thought there'd be a viable career options. So I majored in criminal justice and now I'm miserable. I can't get a job in the field I want due to my utter lack of a portfolio, experience, education, and professional contacts, and I don't want any of the jobs I can get. This is your education, not your parents', although they may be footing some of the bill. If they love you then they'll accept, if not like your decision. And if they hold it against you, then they're not very good parents.
Also, as a freelance writer, there are many writing career options in NYC. There's always a job for proofreaders and the pay is good. From there you can move to copy-editing. There are also loads of publications here that are always looking for new talent.
So keep your options open and good luck!

[grubby-tap.livejournal.com]

Ironically enough, just as I started reading this comment my parents called me up and we had a two-hour talk about this whole college deal. Very disheartening. I think my dad is basically bent on crushing my ideas of the future with his Mace of Practicality and Doom.

One of the things I first thought of was the location--all I knew was that a lot of publishing companies in America are naturally based in NYC, and I imagined that while I was scraping a book together I could get a job at one of those doing things like editing and establishing some kind of relationship with the high-up people, making an impression maybe. And then when I did have something I wanted published, I could work from the inside out rather than send my manuscripts to hundreds of publishers and get ignored.

But I dunno. I know squat about the publishing business, really, except that it's challenging, and some of the stuff my parents just said to me has creeped me out. They're immigrants, y'know, so they're all "MAKE MONEY! DON'T TAKE LOANS! HAVE SECURE JOB!"

Sighhhh...

[dru-plus-spike.livejournal.com]

I think I care about this so much because I don't want to see you make the same mistakes as me.
It's true, college is expensive and it sucks having student loans, but they are your friend--once you consolidate them, the rates are fixed and the payment terms are reasonable. This is definitely something worth spending on. Also, there are loads of scholarships and grants out there. It's a pain in the ass getting them, but I recomend applying for loads of small scholarships or grants. There's less competition plus more of a chance of winning.
When you're in school, definitely get an internship. I was too depressed/busy working to intern but they're an excellent way to make contacts. Also, try to get a book-related job. One of my best friends, glorifficus worked at Barnes and Noble through college. He found out that the store would be hosting Marjane Satrapi for a reading of her latest graphic novel, Chicken and Plums, and asked permission to interview her. He managed to interview her and his writing just kind of spiraled from there--he interviewed Allison Bechdel who wrote the graphic novel Fun Home and Clifford Chase, the guy who wrote Winkie. They got published on Bookslut and now he has a column there.
You're a good writer and I think you could really grow here. Just remember, you have to do what's right for you. You have to live with your own decisions.

[grubby-tap.livejournal.com]

It's taken me a while to respond to this because I'm still in a total muddle.

The thing with art--and most professions--is it seems that you really need to study them professionally and full-time in order to break into the industry. You need teaching and equipment and lots of time. But I think writing is different in that most writers nowadays have to start out writing in their spare time, between day jobs. Back in the Renaissance and stuff you'd have patrons, but now you need an agent and stuff like that, I hear.

So if I must have a day job that isn't writing, then maybe my parents are right and I should study physics and math and stuff in college so I'll have a good salary while I'm at it.

But then I'll have no way of improving my writing or even knowing if it's improved, and maybe I'll never finish, let alone publish, a book.

Your friend sounds very lucky, though. It's just hard to depend on luck. Sighhhh. Well. I don't have to decide till May, and I can always transfer, I suppose. Thanks for such a thoughtful response, and I did take your advice--I've applied to 3 separate scholarships since I wrote this entry. (I had to submit a poem for one and a sci-fi/horror story for another. Very nearly right up my alley, I guess :P )

[withering-flame.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday! Make sure someone gives you 18 pinches. :D

[grubby-tap.livejournal.com]

Yikes! RUN AWAYYYYYYYYYYYY...

LATE

[bellavaruka.livejournal.com]

But Happy Birthday! I'm so far behind on emails and internets that I just now got to this post. x_x I'm a terrible online friend! But I hope I'll get to read soon that it was wonderful!

Re: LATE

[grubby-tap.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! You aren't terrible, it's lovely to get a happy birthday whether it's late or not. And I wouldn't call it wonderful, but it was very pleasant. So no complaints here.