It's Time for Evolution - Writing Into the Future

            As a college graduate who has had a difficult time finding a job, it should come as no surprise when I say that the job market has changed. Actually, it might be redundant. I’m going to take that a step further and repeat that it continues to change. Particularly as a writer, this is nothing new. Newspapers are on the down, e-magazines on the rise. Not only is the publishing world changing to digital, but it is also becoming more scattered and less intensive. By that, I mean the stories are shorter, snappier, operating on the understanding that most people would rather read something in less than a minute than spend ten reading an entire article.

            So where does that leave jobless writers like me? Well, we have to adapt. We have to get competitive. The world is moving ever faster and we have to sharpen our skills and hone our instincts if we have a chance in hell of keeping up with it. Oh, and strengthen our coffee. We mustn’t forget the almighty coffee.

            I’m writing this after a trip to a nearby city for a little talk with the local newspaper. There is opportunity there, not just in the monetary sense, but also that I have a chance to sharpen my skills, to become more of what the world is demanding for writers now. Plus, it won’t hurt my resume either. I cannot express in the Kelswitch how excited I am about this, and how terrified. I’ve never done anything like this before. I wasn’t one of those writers who worked for the school newspaper. To my knowledge, we didn’t even have one. I haven’t been publishing stories to magazines since I was thirteen, and I have no writing awards to my name.

            So what the hell have I been doing for the entirety of my life as a writer? Well, writing. I’ve never written for a newspaper or any publishing of that nature. But three years ago, I’d never written a blog either.

            My following is minimal at best. But one thing I hope I have proven with the Kelswitch is a dedication to regular writing. Even if no one else wants to read it, even if it’s not particularly good, I’ll still be here every week, rambling on about whatever is nagging my brain at the moment. Perhaps this new venture with the local paper will make the Kelswitch better, in a roundabout way. I said this last week in Back to School Blues, when you’re a writer, you’re always learning. You’re always improving.

            It’s evolution, dude. You learn and grow, if you hope to survive.

            Happy Monday y’all. Until we meet again, Kelswitch over and out!