At one point this summer, I lamented to my then boyfriend that I was getting frustrated with writing articles and felt tempted to focus entirely on copywriting. I'd had a long string of sources cancel or reschedule interviews at the last minute, which meant I had to scramble to meet my deadline (I always meet my deadlines, come hell or high water). Not to mention all those unanswered queries.
"I love interviewing people and telling their stories, but who needs all these headaches?" I said.
His response was the exact opposite of what I'd expected. In my mind, any sane person would choose the option that has fewer headaches and higher pay. But he told me that I'd be letting myself down if I didn't keep plugging away at articles. The copywriting process might be simpler in most cases and the pay higher, but he hated the idea of me completely "selling out."
Sure, I enjoy writing brochures and website copy and press releases, but copywriters generally have less of a personal stake in those projects. We don't get a byline, so it's easier to distance ourselves from our copy. That makes revisions a lot easier to stomach, but it also means we don't feel a sense of ownership or personal pride in the finished product.
I get practically giddy when I see my name in print, especially when it's a story I relate to on a personal level. There's a sense of accomplishment when I finish a copywriting project and it meets all of the client's parameters, but it's filtered through the voice of the brand, not my voice. (Still, I disagree with the idea that it's "selling out."It's still writing, and writing is a carefully honed craft.)
Much as I hate to admit it, he was right (partly). After a few months of mostly copywriting and a few article assignments trickling in, I'm working on establishing a better balance between the two areas. I've thought a lot about choosing a direction and focusing all my efforts there, but ultimately I decided that I'm fortunate simply to be writing full time. I let the higher paying projects subsidize the low paying, highly interesting ones so I get a mix of topics and formats. In the end, I just love language.
Have you ever felt pulled in two (or more) directions by your writing? How do you balance creativity and commerce?
Flickr photo by Eric M Martin