In The Words Of Guns N' Roses

Take me down
To The Paradise City
Where the grass is green
And the girls are pretty


Gods, I love that song. Especially now. While I'm no closer to finding employment again, a recent interview did get me thinking. I've heard the whole "find work doing what you love" bit of advice before, to the point that I've gotten sick of it. However, how are you supposed to find a job writing fiction that, in several ways, simply isn't fit to publish? You just can't find a job like that, unless you know someone in the industry. Of course, that's assuming there is an industry to speak of, as this sort of concept is pretty alien to the average Joe on the Philippine streets.

There's always the chance of writing a book, though my chances of getting published are minimal. Mainly because the sort of stuff I write about is better suited for manga or graphic novels. I suppose I could try to get published, but I seriously doubt the merits of the story I'm working on now. For one thing, it isn't very geared towards the mentalities and tastes of the average Filipino, nor is it entirely normal.

My other idea has several merits, but the heavily Japanese style of the setting might turn people off. The core problem here is that Philippine fiction is predominated by realistic fiction and romance pocket books. There's very, very little room for stuff like science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, and the like. Sure, there's room for it on TV, but I simply don't trust the medium that is television to convey the stuff I want to convey. There are just some aspects of the written word that don't translate well onto the small (or big) screen.

So where does that leave me? High and dry.

But I have given things some thought. I've come to assume that there is a possibility of me getting into the line of work that's a perfect fit for me, but there's very slim chances of that happening. So what do I do, then? Well, there's always the idea of finding a job that I can live with, which is different from a job that I'd love. Right now, I'm veering very close to the former rather than the latter, seeing as there are only a few places willing to accept a writer that doesn't have a degree in a field related to writing.

Academic talent and inclination is hardly an indication of literary talent and inclination. Of course, that bit of wisdom is rarely recognized in the Philippines. If you're working, your job determined your identity and what you are capable of. If you're job hunting, your background determined your identity and what you are capable of. Most companies simply choose to ignore the pure desire of someone to write in favor of finding someone with a related degree.

So here I am. I'll keep writing Darkness & Stars, if only because the story means something to me and it needs to be finished. As for my next project, that likely won't get off the ground soon. I'm still stuck in the planning stages, with no set title yet. Maybe a sudden hit on the head will inspire me, who knows?

Speaking of inspiration, some people have asked me how I manage to find inspiration. I've been wondering that myself. I'll have to put up the answer to that at some point, I suppose. Right after my proposed "Why Men Should Watch More Romantic Comedies" essay.