It is written

There's *the* writers' strike and my own lesser writer's strike

With every passing year, I love writing more. I increasingly believe in myself and my voice. I love mentally noting all the shit you guys do and say to use in future pieces. I enjoy editing my work and I now actively seek out feedback. I like coming up with analogies and references. And I adore drumming up funny ideas and one-liners. So that’s why, a few months ago, I decided to become a travel advisor.

Last fall, when a freelance assignment with my biggest writing client came to a (dramatic and unhappy) close, I did the logical thing: looked for the next writing and/or editing gig. But one after the next left me depressed and disillusioned. I did a little soul searching. Had I soured on writing? What was it, really, that felt so off as I surveyed my options (besides the abysmal pay rates)? And what I came up with was this… I love writing more than I ever have and, as a result, I feel that much more selective about where I place my talents.

Sidebar: Writing this reminds me of that scene from Center Stage when Jody Sawyer tells Jonathan Reeves that she “would be spending my best dancing years in the back of a corps waving a rose back and forth, and I'm better than that.” (Too niche?)

I’m not trying to place myself within the storyline of the current WGA strike whatsoever. Instead, I’m realizing my own mini-strike (without signs).

But! It’s happening and relevant, so to state the obvious: I stand with the writers. Imagine a world in which robots write art for us. The strike is about more than just Chat GPT, but it’s a big part of the question that needs answering. AI cannot and will not have the emotion, nuance, and passion of human writers, who should be compensated and valued for their time and talent. Duh. My friend Maggie Mull’s perfect sign and comedian Taylor Tomlinson’s TikTok both with the mic drop.

Now, back to me! My strike is not about AI. It’s about taking my own writing seriously enough to not spend my best years proverbially in the back of a corps waving a rose back and forth. Because I’m better than that.