Amidst all the commercial applications of writing, there has always been that niche known as "fine art." Writers who could master that and continue to develop found buyers for thought-filled and polished work in publications such as THE NEW YORKER. Likely the best of them will always find buyers. Institutions such as THE NEW YORKER can persuade sponsors to provide the funds to keep them going.
However the fine art of writing is a dying one. As we all know, the world of media has been becoming visual for a while. Digital technology, which facilitates embedding or showcasing videos and photos, has accelerated that trend. Those with a story to tell realize that. They contact me about writing scripts for visual presentation, not a book.
Words, though, still have power http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgi0t2ap-us&feature=youtu.be. That's exactly why we who know how to use them still are in demand as content-providers. Those opportunities require that the words function as vehicles to transmit a message, issue or product/service-oriented. No employer or client wants the language to be a stand-alone beauty.
Some writers facing unemployment or underemployment can't or won't make that shift. They might be better off finding a totally new way for them to make a living. They can continue to write as a hobby. Some may develop enough to be in that elite circle who publishes in THE NEW YORKER.
That's how this digital age is affecting the traditional practices of fine arts. Work directly created from human hands are irreplaceable with what is produced by digital means...
Posted by: Philadelphia House | December 28, 2011 at 09:45 AM