making a bid for your writing
There are a few things I learnt very quickly about trying to make a living as a writer:
Very few people get to write one column a week and live Carrie Bradshaw’s life. She was also regularly in debt.
You will become overly familiar with rejection.
Sometimes there’ll be opportunities for ‘free money’, but actually, you’ll still need to earn it.
That ‘free money’ I’m talking about can be a lifeline for writers, taking the form of project grants, development funds and bursary schemes.
However, these don’t come without some work on your part to explain why your creative ideas deserve a monetary boost that could stop you having to worry about paying next month’s electric bill. So, if you’re considering a grant, you have to make sure it’s worth your time.
And my advice to help with that decision, involves the following:
Make a plan
Before you even begin that application form, make a list of everything you know about the grant. When’s the deadline? What are they asking for in terms of the types of writing? Do they want references? If so, how long do you have to gather them? What sort of plan do they require - is it a detailed spreadsheet or do they want ballpark figures and a brief timeline?
This is about information gathering; putting everything into a folder and deciding if you have the time, energy, and mental capacity to make that application. Maybe there’s not enough time and you’re better off waiting until the next application round? Maybe you’ve got a clear plan for your writing project but you’re not sure about the budget bit? Maybe you still have questions?
2. Ask for help
I can wholeheartedly say that having written a number of successful grant applications over the last few years, none of them would have gone as well without all the support I had in writing, rewriting and then submitting them.
So, do you know anyone who has successfully applied for that same grant? Could you ask them to review your application or project idea? And if you don’t know anyone, put a call out on social media - I’ve seen lots of people find support that way too.
These grants are not just about providing you time to focus up and really dig into your passion project, they’re also about the work you do to get there. Lean on your writing community, learn from others and know that even though writing is a solitary practice, the good work of it never really happens alone.
3. Make sure you’re ready
It can be nerve wracking to put your creative ideas on paper to be judged, but it’s more important to consider whether you’re ready to even take that step and commit to a project. Questions about a timeline, budget and outcome can feel lofty and overwhelming. But they are not usually meant to trick you; instead they provide an opportunity to demonstrate that yes, you have that writing ability, but you also have tenacity, consistency and follow through. You come with assurances that they will get their return on that investment; the development of your literary practice via a project, a collaboration or even publication.
You know that as a writer, to write ‘the thing’, you first have to be ready to write it. So, are you ready? If the answer is yes, then make a bid.
