All Good Things… Why I Might Create A Patreon... · 2:11pm Jun 20th, 2020
#Blog #Bloggerstribe #AllGoodThings…
19th June 2020
Hello, Chaps and Chapettes,
When you enjoy something, you want to do it more. This is especially true if other people watch what you do, comment on it positively, and are interested in seeing, reading, hearing, watching, ETC., more. However, there comes a point, if you do it often enough, that people will start to question whether you can do something else with the skill you enjoy so much. For example, I love writing. I also used to love to draw... Not so much anymore and I will be biting into that juicy topic in the next blog. On writing, I have started to be asked ‘why aren’t you writing a book, selling it, and making some money from it?’
This is probably the one thing that stands out in my mind from my friends and family outside of fandoms and internet writing clubs and whatnot. Even those who understand that to become as popular as J. K. Rowling or Dame Jacqueline Wilson means hard work, concentration, and a big, fat stack of luck, ask why I couldn’t be at least making a few pennies from it. While I appreciate the sentiment and interest in my attempts, there’s a couple of things I could say that would answer those questions. But first, I’m gonna grab a comfier chair because this one is not working for me…
That’s better! Okay, so, the first thing I would say is that this is currently a hobby for me. I do have a ‘real’ job, for the time being, that pays money, and while I could earn some pocket from my writing I don’t want to immediately turn a hobby into something I rely on to pay a few bills. That said, this opinion could change due to a number of factors, not least of one being that my ‘real’ job is ending in September. That is a big nervous bubble of energy that I’m tapping at and dealing with overtime but I am only getting so far at it. I have always said to myself that as long as I am flush enough to feel that I don’t need to ask people for money for something I enjoy, then I won’t. This has included writing, drawing, and creative ventures, and also when I’ve done spiritual/ psychic things as well. Apart from a handful of times, when I’ve agreed to do things for money, it has been because I really needed the money at the time.
Upon saying that, I am reminded of something my dad told me about doing anything creative but namely drawing. You have to factor in the time you took out of your own life to do the thing, the money it cost to do it, the materials, and anything else that was a cost in order to make the thing exist. Loosely, what he was talking about was a painting - You don’t just have to tally up the cost of the canvas, paints, any other items used, but also how long you spent on it when you could have been watching Grey’s Anatomy or Doctor Who.
I could do this with writing. I could say that I had to use electricity to type so that went on the bill at the end of the month, and I had to eat a sandwich to fuel myself up to write that chapter I wrote and posted for readers to enjoy for free, and I wrote said chapter while missing out on a walk or a relaxing time in front of the TV. Yet, what I find at the moment is that even if I reached out to people to ask for a bit of cash towards my hobby, I’d feel bad about doing so. I wouldn’t want people to feel as though they had to pay to see my work or else they’ll never, ever, ever see it again. Libraries don’t do that, other fandom writers don’t do that, so why should I?
I suppose, what this all boils down to is that I just don’t feel that I am good enough to charge people for what I do. Why should I ask for a profit from something that, I feel, people would not want to read, or would not even touch, or would completely ignore altogether? I would be a bum, basically, holding out a cup and asking for people to give me something for nothing. I don’t want to be that. So I have to decide how I want to handle this next chapter of my life. Whether I want to give this up and write something that will eventually have physical pages and a spine, or whether I want to stay on this train a while longer. Write things for free, give what I can to people in terms of advice and healthy outlooks, and try not to think about what the costs might be.
What I am thinking of coming up with is a health medium of the two. That is the reason for the title.
For a while, you may not see, hear, or read a new story or chapter from me. That will not mean I am not writing or doing anything or sodding off to a new planet. It means that I am working on it behind the scenes and making sure that it is ready to be read. However, what I may also do in the not too distant future is create a Patreon that will allow you to see and read it earlier, along with other rewards, while it is still in the workshop. It’s a spitball of an idea and I will do my best to make the Patreon a worthwhile endeavor if it is something I go with. All the while I will also plan to release work at a later date for others to read so that no one feels like they’ll miss out because they cannot afford it. I’ve been there, in that frustrating corner staring at a wallet with large minus signs and bailiffs almost at the door. I’d never judge or expect anybody who wanted a freebie.
But I’d love your thoughts. Honestly, if you think I haven’t got the talent, the drive, or the ability to hold this skill up or you think I’m being greedy, please let me know. I will value everything you tell me.
Stay safe, stay happy.
All good things,
Love, Scaramouche.
X
