RE: Your Style In Writing
Definitely!
I don't like the idea of just being lucky, but as with everything luck seems to be a factor. Despite of that I guess you could argue luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Don't know if it's learning how to play by ear, knowing the right power chords, or whatever it might be in context of that musical anology. Either or, seems to be more than just mere talent.
Half related. I like playing scrabble with a buddy of mine who keeps crushing me. Here and there I catch myself thinking about luck, but he seems far too consistent for that. He just knows how to use the multipliers effectively, has a decent vocabulary and keeps cock blocking me from using my own words. Which double fucks me because I can't let go of whatever I'm trying to lay down.
Guess writing, or any art in that sense, isn't just having a perfect set of stones but leveraging them effectively. A good vocabulary probably helps though. Eric Clapton isn't a great guitarist because he doesn't know notes, but despite of that. But then that "despite" more than makes up for not knowing notes.
I like the scrabble analogy, and, as you can see, it probably works for life, too, as most of the time you'll have some dumbshit that knows how to play the system blocking your way or getting himself riding on your horse.
I have the feeling that there needs to be the grouping of a critical mass of like-minded people with enough selflessness to support eachother, instead of beating the others down for you to surpass the barrier of average assholes that stand in your way.
And I guess you can find those groups of people in most artforms that saw the rise of their members to eventual stardom. You can see the example in the group of musicians that mingled with Clapton during his ascension, but you can also see it in Hemingway, Picasso or Albert Einstein. In the end, it all goes around who you join forces with to beat the system of mediocrity.
There's some gatekeeping going on for sure. My brother in law works in state media and he argues they prefer someone that's mediocre but pliable over someone amazing but hard to work with. In terms of what constitutes being "hard to work with" I'm inclined to believe that's up to interpretation. It might be anything from speaking your mind, or not playing ball, to just having the wrong vibe. Apparently the private industry is even worse, because it's the media equivalent of feudal Japan masquerading itself to be bohemian. They won't chop your head off, but you won't be working either.
You could say that's a reality in most industries, but man. Meeting them feels a bit like being scanned by a socially opportunistic Terminator calculating your usefulness. They generally don't mean what they say and you'll have to read between the lines constantly. Like one day you exchange numbers and talk about how great it would be to play squash, probably just code for go fuck yourself, but then they turn unreachable and if you're dumb enough to insist they end up feigning diarrhea.
Truth be told, my experience is both limited and provincial, but I doubt it gets any better up the totem pole. Especially once serious money is involved, with a seemingly endless supply of cannon fodder. That said: Heard in terms of traditional publishing your agent basically functions like a pre-filter. Unsolicited manuscripts just go plonk into the trash can and that's that. If anything you're supposed to send an expose and if they're interested from there they'll ask for a text sample. Ideally going some kind of accepted channel featuring a codified song and dance. The correct fonts and whatnot. But that's just hearsay and stuff I've read.
I forgot what I was going to say, but with you mentioning groups of artists helping eachother it's kind of interesting in context of the podcast scene. With comedians they started appearing on eachother's podcast doing cross-promotion. Think Joe Rogan. They're essentially sharing audiences they've been cultivating in that parasocial sense. Like their fans consider them friends and feel obligated to support them. Then those comedians use that platform to promote their specials, club appearances, or other scams. The thing is, a good chunk of them isn't even that funny. It's mediocre people banding together. Like some sort of comedy fascism.
Don't know much about show business, but I guess it's a bit like regular work, in the sense of not making your coworkers look bad. Especially your bosses. They won't give you credit for uncalled-for displays of exceptionalism either way, they'll just ask them why they didn't come up with it (instead of that intern). Probably going back to that idea of playing ball.
I'm demanded to agree 1000% with all you say there, and going up the totem pole is, as they say, a slippery slope. I know, because I had the chance to watch it first hand a number of times.
In my country, the publishing industry is a bit different, because anyone who can sell 500 books can get published. Although portuguese is spoken by some 400 million people, there are local divegences in the language that makes it difficult for a book published in Portugal to be sold in Brazil or Angola. You'll have to be really famous before you reach the wider market. Still, we have our number of mediocre writers selling in the wider market just because they got married into the proper media group...
I still say community bonding does better for people who are independent thinkers that dislike being impregnated by major economic or political interests. If it works for Rogan, it can possibly work for anyone. I actually think he sucks and doesn't run an honest show, just inviting in whoever is hot at the moment and allowing them to spread all kinds of lies and stupid ideas. But, that's just me, and I'm obviously wrong, because he has millions of followers and I have none.
Anyway... Keep on doing your stuff and supporting the ones who support you and you may end up developing critical mass.
Have a great day. Cheers.
Same!
Thank you!