Pay the Writer! And all creatives...

Hi Everyone,

I just accepted Robert's invitation to join The Crooked Table. Thanks for the invite Robert.

My name is Ryan and I'm a freelance visual journalist (photographer) here in Tampa. I'm also in grad school at USF with several folks on this blog. If interested, some of my work can be seen at www.ryankmorris.com. The website needs a lot of updating, but for now, it is what it is.

So I wanted to share a video with you. Please watch it! The link will be at the end of this post.

Trying to make it as a "professional" freelancer in any field is a challenge! What we want to do is be creative and maintain the passion for whatever it is that drives us--be it writing or photography, or any other creative endeavor. But, the creating part is only a small fraction of the process. It might be the most difficult, but it certainly isn't the most important. If you want to eat, pay rent, and be able to afford to have the time to spend writing, you have realize that you're running a business!

As an individual, you are still a business. And as a writer making yourself available and your work to others, you impact your colleagues and their ability to earn a living doing what they love too.

I have lots to say on this topic of feeling like and acting like a professional. And the fear it takes to start negotiating with people that want to use you. But,it is a must to learn to value your time and your work in order to continue to doing what you love. Computers, cars, cell phones, condos and everything else we need and use to enable us to write or shoot costs money and it has to come from somewhere. So why not have it come from the people or companies that rely on us and want to use our work or services?

I hope this post starts a discussion and I don't intend for it to be a tirade, but this video really speaks to me and I wanted to share it. Plus it makes me laugh like crazy! Look at the comments too.

So here goes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE

Thanks again for the invitation!
-Ryan

Press Pass? Who says you need a Press Pass?!

.....or business cards even???

Hello fellow members of The Table!

Before I get into my post let me just share with you all how excited I am right now!

Last night could have looked like a total coincidence.

A total case of dumb luck.

Or maybe it really WAS the writing gods at work.

As most of you know (or maybe you don't but you will), I write for an online women's publication called The Go-To Girls. (Under the name Piper Jeffries).

Well, recently, instead of writing strictly current events blogs for them they've now got me writing new CD releases (under Monroe Bennett).

Since this publication gives me about 98% creative control I decided last month to review a local unsigned band from New York.

My editor printed it and I asked her if I could continue doing that and she gave me the nonchalant, "Sure. Do whatever you want."

So, this time I decided to review a band that a friend of mine has been playing with called New Season. (Check them out, they're great!)

What perfect way to review a band than to see them live, right?

Well, last night I went to one of their shows.

I was chatting with some of the members and letting them know what I was doing and whatnot.

Apparently, some fans of another band overheard and saw me taking notes and were saying things to me like, "Hey, this guy's in a band too."

The wheels in my head started turning.

Recently, I've been asked to do an advice column for a new alternative magazine called pOke Magazine.

My friend, Misty, who works for them also asked me if I'd be interested in covering Tampa shows and events since I live here and everyone else lives in Polk county. (The magazine's being distributed mainly over there but they want to branch it out too and hope it gets bigger.) I told her I'd probably be too busy and to be honest with you, I couldn't see myself doing something like that.

Lo and behold, I was wrong.

"What if?" I thought.

"What if I covered this thing, wrote up a good story, interviewed a bunch of people, and they ran it? More awesome than that, what if I did this all the time? It would only be like once a month. I could handle it, right?"

So I took a chance and the next thing you know I'm like VIP or something.

I'm talking to bands, fans, managers, and the owner of the place. (Demmi's at Market and 7th in Ybor.)

I got free drinks and I truly felt for the first time in my life, like a Literary Celebrity.

People kept asking me for my email address, myspace, websites, etc.

I didn't have any business cards so writing it all down in my really, really bad handwriting (and being half-drunk) was getting difficult.

(It's ok though. I just ordered business cards for my bad self...)

I had the time of my life and almost everyone I talked to was really cool and receptive.

It was amazing to me how people start treating you once they find out you're with the press.

Especially these bands that want to make it big someday.

(Oooooh! The POWER! Muauhahahahahaha! Lol. Kidding, of course.)

But it WAS really cool.

And news that is WAY more awesome than that.

Misty ok-ed it and the story will run next month.

Also, I'm now going to be doing this a lot more often.

But in the meantime, check out my current stuff at the links on my Myspace and also keep an eye out for the FIRST issue of pOke, coming out on Nov. 29th.

And I'd like to thank all the cool new fans and friends I made last night and a VERY special thanks to Kyle Collinson and the rest of the guys from New Season for getting the whole thing rolling in the first place.

"Daring to dream, living to create" (my blog's slogan)is quickly becoming a reality and I consider it a huge sign that there is no doubt that I'm a writer and that I love every second of it.

VIDEO: Writing Tips from Author Lia Scott Price: Part 2

Here's the second part of that interview with Lia Scott Price, for whoever's interested...

-Rob

My contribution to our new video segment

This video's pretty cool and I'm sure we can all relate!

Enjoy!

Silencing the Inner Monologue

I'm in week two and a half of NaNoWriMo and already something wonderful has come of it: I have finally murdered the little voice inside my head that makes me second guess my draft work. You know, the little voice I complained about a week or so ago? The one telling me that everything I'm writing is crap? Yeah, she's dead. Or at least out of commission for now.

And my writing has really come to life.

Words are just pouring out and I am already more than half way to my goal of fifty thousand words. Of course, a lot of those words will go or be changed when editing time comes, but for now, I am letting my imagination have the reins. Surprisingly, since I have been able to let go of that perfectionism, I am having a really great time writing. It's been an adventure again; discovering the characters and the places and just going along with the story as it comes out. Its been really fun.

I will admit that my self-critic rears her ugly head every now and again, but that 50,000 word goal (and my thriving drive to compete with my friends) has really helped to shut her up. So for those of you who were thinking about doing NaNoWriMo and didn't have the time to do it this year, I would highly recomend it for next year. Or maybe we could have our own Crooked Table contest in January (I know better than to say December, since that is probably the craziest month of the year for a lot of people). We could set our own word goal and see how we do. What do you guys think?

Anyway, hope everyone is doing well! Happy writing!