News and Notes from the Writing Desk: What Day Is It Again? Edition

I'm right here in my usual chair, typing on my usual laptop, trying to not scream in frustration when another person/group/company spouts some version of "We're all in this together." Dude, I get it, but that phrase is like nails on a chalkboard now.

Moving on...

Failed Attempts

I've been trying to maintain my schedule throughout all this, even though everyone else's schedules have suddenly be thrown up in the air. However, more and more of my work time is spent on the creative than the conventional (which may turn out to be a good thing in the long run). I was going to jump into an informative article with a fast turnaround about funds and grants for writers during this time, just to try my hand at a more journalistic approach and feel like I'm being somewhat helpful. However, there were problems.

I didn't end up writing the article because I couldn't find funds and grants for writers that were attainable, using my professional writing situation as a prime example of a common applicant. While I know I'm not at the top tier of freelancing, but I have enough experience to not be considered a beginner--which should be the wheelhouse of the applicants for these programs.

I looked at places like Patreon and Freelancers Union first, which are both touting emergency grants. I looked at the application for Patreon, and it was geared more towards creatives that had suddenly lost gigs, rather than someone who may have lost work, but it may not have been in their most creative space. So it wasn't really a great fit for a writer.

I also checked out the Freelancers Union fund that is awarding $1000 grants to freelancers suddenly out of work. This application also has some fatal flaws for someone who primarily ghostwrites, like myself. The application asks for proof of lost income, which can include canceled contracts or communications between the creative and the client. The catch for a lot of creatives? Many of us have NDAs, and so the choice comes down to potentially violating an NDA by submitting this kind of documentation or passing on this opportunity to get a grant.

After this, I went through a long list of emergency grants for writers that I found through a Twitter thread. Most of these were geared toward the common fiction/non-fiction writer, but highly unattainable. There was one application where you had to have published a book through a traditional publisher AND have published at least five short pieces in what the organization considered "highly reputable publications" to access just $500. Now I know full-time writers don't make a lot of money from writing alone, but you would think someone who meets these requirements would probably not need the grant because they have enough writerly street cred to have other income streams.

I kept going through the list, but once I found a grant application that actually asked for an application fee, I was done. There was no longer a positive, helpful article in me. The only advice I have for writers now? Better hope the government comes through with their promises.

The Positives

While I may have slightly abandoned what I wanted to work on for my Camp NaNo project, I have been working hard to get pieces done for my April poetry prompts. You can find my prompts on Patreon (free to access), and you can find my finished pieces on Medium. I also have a huge list of potential publications to submit to, so I need to get on that, because publication isn't stopping for the most part.

I have to spend this week going back through my list of fiction to-dos because I want to have a plan for May and, if I'm being ambitious, the rest of the year. I know my plans always get thrown to the side if the tiniest thing comes up, but I like to have a plan to refer to, even if everything else is chaos. So now I'm going to go schedule out some of the chaos and see what I can get done this week.