46(?)/46/46 – Day #4: When I die…

As usual, I’m sitting here, working. I always have music or a show playing in the background, and today’s selection is my “Wicked” soundtrack. My love for this musical cannot really be measured. Which is why it still sticks in my craw that I have yet to see it on Broadway. It’s certainly high on my bucket list.

Hum…you know if it’s on your bucket list, then obviously it’s important to you, so how do you decide which thing on your bucket list is the most important? I have a bucket list but I don’t know how much progress I’ve made. Obviously “see Wicked on Broadway” remains unchecked…

This also makes me think of what my final wishes are. A few days ago I told one of my friends that when I pass I don’t want a stuffy, formal funeral. I want a party. I’m flattered that there could be people who will weep at my passing, I’d much prefer my dearest celebrate my passing with a party. Share memories, laugh a lot, enjoy that I was once there instead of mourning the fact I am now gone.

I also have an interesting request for my remains. Here’s the step-by-step request:

1. Cremate me. If you just HAVE to have a viewing, rent the casket, do it for a day and move on.

2. Throw the party I mentioned above.

3. When you get my remains back from the crematorium, get on a plane to Jamaica.

(Some of you know what’s coming, lol)

4. Fly to Ochos Rios.

5. Pick a waterfall, doesn’t matter which one.

6. Let’s back up a second. When you get off the plane and hop in a taxi, you will be offered something. Take it, you’ll need it later. Later, (and still before the waterfall) use what you were offered in the taxi (or the airport, or by the guy who carries your bag through the airport). Add those ashes to my ashes. Now, go to the waterfall.

7. Dump my ashes into the water.

8. As for financing this adventure, that’s why I have life insurance. 🙂

Okay, now that I have that off my chest, I’m going back to work. Broadway tickets and trips to NYC aren’t free.

Just To Reiterate…

For the last couple of hours, I have been reading posts in a clients’ forum. Many of you will know of whom I am referring. Those that don’t, keep reading anyway, because, well, just keep reading. 🙂

Anyhoo…today I’m reading such nuggets of wisdom like:

“The Internet is dead for writers. There is no longer money to be made writing on the Internet.”

“Blogs are dead. You can’t make money writing on or for a blog.”

“Content mills are dead. You won’t be able to make money writing for content mills.”

And from a previous day, “Generalists are dead. You can’t make money as a generalist writer.”

Hum…

So, what, I’m supposed to pick a topic and go door-to-door and ask to write about it for the business? Are you saying I HAVE to return to print media?

Oh, wait — “Print media is dying. Soon you won’t be able to make money writing for print publications.

Uh huh…

Do you all know how utterly idiotic you sound? You are basically saying that soon SOON…a writer will not be able to make a living…ANYWHERE, ANYHOW.

Really?

C’mon folks, enough with the doom and gloom. As long as there are people who need to say things, but don’t know how to say them, writers will have work.

As long as things need to be sold, writers will have work.

As long as people continue to read, writers will have work.

(OK — so that last one if kinda iffy, but I still stand by the statement, for now.)

But my point is, just because the genre is changing and just because the format is evolving, this does not mean writers are going to go the way of the dinosaur. Sure, there will be businesses who decide they can “do it better, since, really, how hard can writing be? I did get a B- in English in high school after all,”…

But the savvy business owner quickly comes to his senses and hires a professional to fix what he created.

Now, yes, this does mean that as writers, you might have to develop a new skill set, but hey, researching and learning new things and writing about them is a large part of what you do as a writer anyway, so this truly should not be a daunting task.

Especially if you’re…*gasp* a generalist. (Or a generalist with a specialist bent.)

So, folks, don’t put down your pens or close your word processing software just yet. We aren’t going anywhere!