Once in a great while I have to explain the difference between my job, "Writer," and "Author." I'm both, but what I excel at, my claim to "fame," so to speak, is writer. Often the credit for what I do goes to someone else. I "ghost-write" for them. Then I laugh and tell them the old joke that defines my career:
What's the difference between a writer and a park bench? -- A park bench can support a family.
LOL
It pays the mortgage, my truck loan, food and medical bills. I'm doing okay. And I wouldn't trade my freedom for anything. I mostly do technical pieces for the mining, construction and drilling industries. Lately I like to quip that, if gas prices don't go up soon, I won't be able to afford to fill up. The hit that the Big Four are taking has production down is killing my clients. While the Big Four can wait it out with their deep pockets, and are even BUYING oil at these prices, storing it away, until they recoup their losses in the future (you WILL see $4 and $5/gallon gas again someday), the equipment manufacturers are hunkered down, almost silent. And those are the folks who sign my paychecks. I know only that I have a job through Christmas... and that's good enough. I can always go back to writing for the government. They have deep pockets, too, and that's what I did before I fell into this.
I also define what I do by a metaphor one of my undergrad profs used to make. He called writers "dream guessers." And in some online venues, that's my nick: DreamGuesser." I learn what you want said, then I say it so well you sign your name to it as yours. And give me money.
He compared writers to the dream guessers of a tribe in our area. Young men at about 12 years of age would go on a vision quest. Whether you believe they were struck with divine inspiration of the Great Spirit, or were just delusional after three or four days of going without food or water, they stumbled down into the tribe again from their isolated lookout on nature, and related their vision to the elders in the tribal council, closed session-like. One of the elders had the horrendous job of "guessing" the meaning of the vision. The other elders used wooden tongs to take embers from the tipi fire and pelt him with them until he did so convincingly. My hunch is, he was in a hurry -- as I am most days -- to get it right quickly.
That's what I do. I'm under the gun again tonight. After I leave this forum I'll be enclaved until I come up with a 1,200-word piece on a blasthole drill that a mine bought, which must win approval of the equipment manufacturer, and the mine, and my own company bosses. And all the captions for the photos I took Whew!
But I also knew I was close to the 1,000th post milestone. And I wanted to make it good.
With that said... the following is my Pipesmagazine 1000th post -- not guessed, but lived. Offered as author, not writer.
What's the difference between a writer and a park bench? -- A park bench can support a family.
LOL
It pays the mortgage, my truck loan, food and medical bills. I'm doing okay. And I wouldn't trade my freedom for anything. I mostly do technical pieces for the mining, construction and drilling industries. Lately I like to quip that, if gas prices don't go up soon, I won't be able to afford to fill up. The hit that the Big Four are taking has production down is killing my clients. While the Big Four can wait it out with their deep pockets, and are even BUYING oil at these prices, storing it away, until they recoup their losses in the future (you WILL see $4 and $5/gallon gas again someday), the equipment manufacturers are hunkered down, almost silent. And those are the folks who sign my paychecks. I know only that I have a job through Christmas... and that's good enough. I can always go back to writing for the government. They have deep pockets, too, and that's what I did before I fell into this.
I also define what I do by a metaphor one of my undergrad profs used to make. He called writers "dream guessers." And in some online venues, that's my nick: DreamGuesser." I learn what you want said, then I say it so well you sign your name to it as yours. And give me money.
He compared writers to the dream guessers of a tribe in our area. Young men at about 12 years of age would go on a vision quest. Whether you believe they were struck with divine inspiration of the Great Spirit, or were just delusional after three or four days of going without food or water, they stumbled down into the tribe again from their isolated lookout on nature, and related their vision to the elders in the tribal council, closed session-like. One of the elders had the horrendous job of "guessing" the meaning of the vision. The other elders used wooden tongs to take embers from the tipi fire and pelt him with them until he did so convincingly. My hunch is, he was in a hurry -- as I am most days -- to get it right quickly.
That's what I do. I'm under the gun again tonight. After I leave this forum I'll be enclaved until I come up with a 1,200-word piece on a blasthole drill that a mine bought, which must win approval of the equipment manufacturer, and the mine, and my own company bosses. And all the captions for the photos I took Whew!
But I also knew I was close to the 1,000th post milestone. And I wanted to make it good.
With that said... the following is my Pipesmagazine 1000th post -- not guessed, but lived. Offered as author, not writer.
