# I'm an actress, musician and writer (other arts welcome) - ask me anything



## FallingSlowly (Jul 1, 2013)

I recently found myself participating in many arts-related threads, and I thought it might be an idea to follow the forum's tradition to have a main thread for this (which might be a stupid idea that doesn't take off at all, we'll see ). I wasn't sure whether to post this in "Careers and Education" or here, but I think that ultimately, the arts section is a better place.

It would be nice if other people shared their knowledge, too, and we get as many answers from different artists as possible.

About me, so you get an idea what areas I'm reasonably confident in:

* *





I've worked as an actress, musician and writer for 20+ years, first on the side as a semi-pro, then professionally. I'll answer any questions about these areas, no matter if related to technique, business/getting work, or the psychological trials and tribulations of being an artist - or simply being nosy. Nothing's too silly to ask.
The only questions I won't answer in detail are those that point to people's identities, companies/organisations I've worked with, or whom I know.

ACTING:
My main area of experience is stage acting, but I've also done some TV and voiceover work.
I currently work roughly 20 hours per week as an acting coach and lecturer at College, main area of expertise is voice production (both speaking and singing voice), but they just force any class on you that you do reasonably well  This has, apart from voice, so far included pretty much anything from improvisation to stagecraft and theatre/performance background (i.e. history and business).
College is the only constant in my work and provides the stable part of my income.

MUSIC:
My main instrument is voice, and I've worked as a singer in bands, on my own and on stage (musical theatre). I also play the piano and a few other instruments I'll leave out because I don't feel I play them well enough to answer any questions about them.

WRITING:
I work as a freelance writer for a few film and music magazines (both print and online). I often have to write reviews, but I've also covered national events, done interviews and written features about acting and performance.
I also write fiction and have both self-published and been published by a small, independent publisher.



Fire away!


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## Mutant Hive Queen (Oct 29, 2013)

FallingSlowly said:


> WRITING:
> I work as a freelance writer for a few film and music magazines (both print and online). I often have to write reviews, but I've also covered national events, done interviews and written features about acting and performance.
> I also write fiction and have both self-published and been published by a small, independent publisher.
> 
> Fire away!


Can I read your fiction? :tongue:

Alternatively, can you tell me what I'd have to buy to do so? XD


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## Madam (Apr 1, 2012)

FallingSlowly said:


> WRITING:
> I work as a freelance writer for a few film and music magazines (both print and online). I often have to write reviews, but I've also covered national events, done interviews and written features about acting and performance.
> I also write fiction and have both self-published and been published by a small, independent publisher.
> 
> Fire away!


1. How did you get into writing profesionally?
2. How much are you paid for a review for example?
3. What is your education?


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## Pinion (Jul 31, 2013)

Why do you think short stories receive so little attention compared to novels, and why does everyone want to be the next Tolkien? Where do you think the romanticism of writing an epic science fiction or fantasy novel about a war comes from?

I love reading online (partially because I'm cheap, and partially because I have found some pretty cool stuff), and 90% of everything under science fiction and fantasy includes one or more of the following:
1) A war.
2) Oppression.
3) A journey.
4) Obvious good and bad guys.


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## Jennywocky (Aug 7, 2009)

WRITER
Started writing in ninth grade (a novel!) although I only finished about 120 handwritten pages. Focused on writing at college. I went into computer tech and ended up being a technical writer, developer, and now a software requirements writer/analyst. For a few years I worked for an RPG trying to break into the industry (I was the editor + a writer), unfortunately it didn't succeed. Wrote articles for church/religious org newsletters. Wrote the first draft of a fantasy novel with a friend, which I'm trying to get the second draft started so we can finish things; I'm also working on a few other writing projects. 

ARTIST
I don't do much with this anymore, but I started drawing when I was ten or so. In adulthood, I'd use my art to design for websites. Mostly my focus was photoshop style artwork (where I'd merge various elements together) or I did cartooning. At the time, I'd do line drawing and inking by hand, then scan it into the system and do coloring in PhotoShop. I probably should have kept at it even when I stopped doing the humor site I was involved with a friend doing, because I'd be even better today. Oh well.


MUSICIAN
Dad was a band director, I started piano at age five and started composing music in high school (mostly CCM stuff then, along with my class song at graduation, etc.) I did a ten-year stint as a worship leader at church, where I was composing praise songs and solos. But I'm a play-by-ear musician, although i sight-read extremely well too. Again, I'm just out of practice due to having to focus on other things in life nowadays. Wrote a lot of piano instrumentals. I played some other instruments in high school (oboe, clarinet, xylophone, whatever the band needed at the time), and took voice lessons in college.


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## Jennywocky (Aug 7, 2009)

Pinion said:


> Why aren't short stories more loved, and why does everyone want to be the next Tolkien?


Short stories and novels are different "businesses" as well as skill sets. A good novelist won't necessarily be a good short story writer and vice versa. 

Usually people have big ideas. You can afford to not be as tight with your writing, if you have a lot of pages to work with. Plus, novels = The Next Big Thing. You might start a franchise and build merchandise, maybe sell movie deals. Publishers like series, if they are any good -- they market themselves over time and build on the success of the last.

Competition is really fierce with short stories. You have to constantly be producing and sending out. Smaller amounts of money. No movie deal. Not as much fame. I probably don't read enough of short story markets, but Harlan Ellison was the last really big short story writer I focused on. He was constantly selling (not just short stories, but writing scripts, etc.), and he was successful enough to keep publishing collections of short stories. Usually short story collections don't go anywhere. Well, Stephen King too, and he only put out a few short story collections over the years.


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## Pinion (Jul 31, 2013)

If Stephen King ever truly stops writing short stories I will pull a Misery. I need them to *live*.


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## WinterFox (Sep 19, 2013)

FallingSlowly said:


> I recently found myself participating in many arts-related threads, and I thought it might be an idea to follow the forum's tradition to have a main thread for this (which might be a stupid idea that doesn't take off at all, we'll see ). I wasn't sure whether to post this in "Careers and Education" or here, but I think that ultimately, the arts section is a better place.
> 
> It would be nice if other people shared their knowledge, too, and we get as many answers from different artists as possible.
> 
> ...



I am studying music at the moment and after I graduate I would like to work as a musician. But I live in a small country and there isn't many musician-related jobs in my country. Do you know of any places that are willing to hire musicians from overseas?


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

What's been your biggest obstacle as far as 1. inspiration and 2. business side of things?


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## FallingSlowly (Jul 1, 2013)

Chained Divinity said:


> Can I read your fiction?
> Alternatively, can you tell me what I'd have to buy to do so? XD


Yes, but then I'd need to kill you 

In all seriousness - I need to think about this bit for a while (should have added "including my own"):


> The only questions I won't answer in detail are those that point to people's identities


because it's extremely easy to find out my identity if I post my stuff here (easier than it probably already is anyway), or if I point people towards downloads or retailers. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that, since some of the stuff I post on here is quite private, and preserving a modicum of anonymity is rather nice. That's just one reason, the others should be pretty obvious. There are some crazy people on t'interweb (not saying anyone in this thread is )...

Currently, I'm not sure if one or two more sales are worth giving up my peace of mind, but I'll think about it. 



Madam said:


> 1. How did you get into writing profesionally?
> 2. How much are you paid for a review for example?
> 3. What is your education?


1. + 3. By chance. I have been writing since school, but I had never really intended to be a professional writer. Writing was often a creative vent for me, and also a way to channel my fascination with language. I am a simultaneous bilingual, and separating my two native tongues was always very confusing for me (it sometimes still is *rofl*). Nevertheless, I just always loved languages.

I studied science first before I switched to performing arts (I have degrees in both, but no formal writing/language qualifications). I got into non-fiction purely by chance because someone I knew asked me whether I could write a feature for a regional print magazine. It sort of snowballed from there, and I also sought out that type of work more actively. I guess I was extremely lucky
a) to be in the right place at the right time
b) that people thought I have good background knowledge of the entertainment industry and do a reasonable job with regards to both research and the actual writing

2. That really depends on the magazine, how established you are etc.
The majority pay per 1000 words where I live, and you usually have a _very_ tight range in which you are expected to move (they tell you straightaway: "It's gotta be 500, 1000, 2000... words", or a certain word count related to columns/pages, so no rambling just to make more money ). Some also pay per word (something roundabout £1.50), but that's usually the bigger magazines.
Magazines come in four categories here, from really small and more local/regional to large circulation (online mags are far less regulated, unless they are linked to a magazine/publisher). The smaller ones pay £200 per 1000 words if you'e lucky, the large ones £600-700 (I think £100 are roughly $160/170 at the moment). If there's extra complicated research involved, or you have to do interviews/have to go on location, you're also paid for that (usually a fixed per diem).



Pinion said:


> Why do you think short stories receive so little attention compared to novels, and why does everyone want to be the next Tolkien? Where do you think the romanticism of writing an epic science fiction or fantasy novel about a war comes from?


 @_Jennywocky_ already answered, and I see it in exactly the same way, so I won't repeat the details.
For the writer, it can be less satisfying, both creatively and financially. I am very good with my word-counts in non-fiction, but I find self-editing a lot harder in fiction (which can of course be both a blessing and a curse). Having said that: It can be more financially rewarding to sell many short stories than waiting for the success of that one big novel that never happens. Both are very competitive markets though.

I also feel there's a generally smaller market for short stories where readers are concerned. Most people I know, myself included, just seem to enjoy reading novels/longer works more. I don't really have answers why that is though.

War etc: I think this is down to the human condition. We have a fascination with wanting to make sense of why we are here, what makes us human etc. War brings all of that out in its most positive and negative form. Where there is war, there is death. Where there is death, there is the will to survive (that includes, wait for it ... fornication, but of course you can repackage that as romantic love ). Where there is the will to survive, there is the will to overcome obstacles. It's almost like philosophy 101.



WinterFox said:


> I am studying music at the moment and after I graduate I would like to work as a musician. But I live in a small country and there isn't many musician-related jobs in my country. Do you know of any places that are willing to hire musicians from overseas?


Hiring musicians is usually very short-term (unless you get a contract with e.g. a theatre company or orchestra - my longest one was eight months). So I'd think about your amount of flexibility very carefully, because you might move to another country without any idea what is going to happen after your contract runs out. It's what many musicians and actors do anyway though 

Some employers also aren't very keen if there are visa issues involved. It's generally better to already live in the country, but you then of course have the problem that you often don't get a visa in the first place, so it's a bit of a catch 22 situation.

Cruise ships are always hiring musicians and performers. If you're not adverse to that type of work, it can be a good place to start. Other than that, I'd recommend working with an agency that specialises in overseas work. It's far easier to get work that way than trying to organise everything on your own. That rule generally applies by the way: Get an agent, in all seriousness.



KindOfBlue06 said:


> What's been your biggest obstacle as far as 1. inspiration and 2. business side of things?


1. Channeling my busy mind into productivity. I never lack inspiration, my problem is rather that I spread myself too thin, do too many things at once and then lose track and focus. I started blocking off time that I exclusively devote to one thing, and it sort of works, but it's still a struggle at times.

2. Chasing up money. Biggest headache for a freelancer.
Self-marketing. It's something you can learn, and I've become reasonably adept at it over the years, but to me, it still feels like pimping myself out at times.


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## Madam (Apr 1, 2012)

@FallingSlowly, to continue about writing for magazines - how did you find work in the beginning, after your first piece? I'm sure that as you have more publications it becomes increasingly easy, but where to begin if you are completely unknown to the world?

And also. Who are your favourite columnists, art critics, reviewers? (whichever of those you read)


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## Pinion (Jul 31, 2013)

FallingSlowly said:


> War etc: I think this is down to the human condition. We have a fascination with wanting to make sense of why we are here, what makes us human etc. War brings all of that out in its most positive and negative form. Where there is war, there is death. Where there is death, there is the will to survive (that includes, wait for it ... fornication, but of course you can repackage that as romantic love ). Where there is the will to survive, there is the will to overcome obstacles. It's almost like philosophy 101.


I would think this would apply more to readers' preferences or something along those lines, if anything, because it's easier than pouring a bowl of cereal to write about the human condition and will to survive without war and oppression.


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

@FallingSlowly As far as platform building goes, should I wait until I have a decent amount of published work or a book coming out before I start on some sort of website? I only have two stories published so far, but only in a small independent publishing house in my area. I'm also a musician, and having worked in marketing and sales I know how important branding is. What are your thoughts on that as far as being a musician and a writer? Do you think they should be seperate platforms? 

Also, do you find that literary fiction is a lot harder to find a market for than commercial fiction, not just short stories but novels as well? Why do you think that is? 

As far as the short story is concerned, what do you think the future is for it? Do you think it will decline, regain popularity, or stay about the same in the next 5-10 years?


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## FallingSlowly (Jul 1, 2013)

Madam said:


> snip


FINDING WORK:
I got follow-up work for the same magazine and then gradually began to approach others (and got knocked back a lot, but I stayed persistent and kept at it. It helped though that I didn't really rely on the income; it took the stress out a bit). Everyone wants to write for bigger publications, and that type of work only started to manifest itself after I already had a bit of a portfolio.
From a personal point of view, I'd say that good background/knowledge of the arts you're mainly interested in did the trick for me, and I always marketed my experience and qualifications in these areas pretty heavily. 

If you don't have any assignments to show yet, blog. Write good quality content you can refer to. Network a lot, both online (Twitter and LinkedIn, not so much Facebook, but maybe that's just me) and off. Attend events/book fairs/expos etc.

Be careful with online services. You can use them to make a bit of extra cash or build a portfolio, but many are just interested in the cheapest bidder, and the quality of the writers who get the work isn't always great (and the publishers know this, so it doesn't necessarily give you more klout). I personally wouldn't touch pages like Elance or Guru with a bargepole, but there are better ones, e.g. Media Bistro (more of a job site).

CRITICS:
I generally prefer writers/reviewers who don't mix up their ability to write well, be witty or even slightly sarcastic with the mental masturbation of tearing people and their work down in a really nasty way. Reviewing art has, and always will have, a massively personal and subjective component, no matter how good your background knowledge. No one should ever forget this.
The readers like the Mr. and Mrs. Nasty-style-commentary though and find it entertaining, but I'd personally rather not write at all than going down that path. You can critique a work of art without being mean, and you can even be witty without being mean. If you're an artist, you obviously put yourself out there, and you need to be able to deal with critique/reviews. Tearing things down for entertainment value alone irks me though.

Film critics I really like (not all of them are still alive): J. Hoberman, Anthony Lane, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Philip French, Roger Ebert, Todd McCarthy, Janet Maslin and Manohla Dargis, to just name a few.

Music critics - a bit harder, because it is a very self-important reviewing business in my view (much, much worse than film, but that's really just my personal opinion). Maybe Ann Powers, Sasha Frere-Jones, Maura Johnston, Jody Rosen and Scott Miller.



KindOfBlue06 said:


> snip


PLATFORMS/BRANDING:
I'd say start straightaway. If you wait until you're "ready", or have more work to show, you'll wait forever. Nothing wrong with having a website, and if you don't have much paid work to show yet, you can still use it to show your skill to prospective employers, e.g. via good blog posts or articles (or decent recordings of your music).

The branding issue is a tricky one, and having a portfolio career, I always battered my brains about it myself. There are pros and cons to both keeping it separate or together. I have two different pages for what I consider my main lines of work, but I also have a sort of "online vcard" that sums up everything I do and links to all my pages (including social media). I then decide which address I tell people, although my paper business card only contains my "vcard"-link. 
I need to trust in the fact that people don't mind my working in more than one area, and that the work I do in the one they're interested in will speak for itself. 
If you think too much about it, you'll go crazy 

LITERARY VS. COMMERCIAL:
I'm probably the wrong person to ask, because my fiction pretty solidly slots into the "commercial" bracket in most people's minds, and I don't consider it an insult. Having said that, some publishers avoid commercial like the plague whilst others cherish it, so it's primarily about finding your niche and approaching the right people for what you do (and that's certainly a headache, and you have to be pretty resilient, because the knock-backs will come in hard and fast).
I personally never got this "caste system", because I think there's also some overlap between literary and commercial; it's not all that black and white.
However, if I assume commercial fiction is a bigger market, I also have to recognise that competition is much more fierce, so it's really swings and roundabouts in my view.

I stopped worrying about these things and just write, but I'm fully aware that I'm in the very lucky position of not _having_ to earn money with my fiction - it's just a bit of extra income. I couldn't make a living just writing, and I'm very glad I don't have to. It's extremely hard.
Ultimately, you have to do what you do best. I think you've lost as soon as you worry too much about what the market expects of you, and you lose your artistic integrity.

SHORT STORIES:
I don't know too much about that particular market because I never wrote short stories, so I'm only basing this on what I hear from other people...

It sounds like the market for short stories in print magazines is almost dead (print magazines struggle in general, as we all know, especially the smaller ones). 
There was a bit of a market online a few years ago, but that also seems to have dropped because of the perceived value you're getting: Some people will think that a pound/dollar for a short story is "overpriced" if you can get a whole self-published novel for that type of money these days. Not saying this perception is right, because it isn't, but many consumers' minds seem to work that way.

An acquaintance of mine writes short stories, and she self-publishes. The only way she can sell her stuff seems to be publishing them as larger collections. She believes it will stay like this over the next years.

There are people out there who like reading short stories, but I think it was always a small, tricky market (as mentioned in my earlier post), and it certainly hasn't gotten any better with the print magazines more or less abandoning them completely. I can't say I see it getting much better any time soon.


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## FallingSlowly (Jul 1, 2013)

To everyone who makes money with their art, or intends to do so:

How much of your "artistic integrity" (for lack of a better term) are you willing to sacrifice to be able to pay your bills?


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

FallingSlowly said:


> To everyone who makes money with their art, or intends to do so:
> 
> How much of your "artistic integrity" (for lack of a better term) are you willing to sacrifice to be able to pay your bills?


My goal right now once I get some other things in my life sorted out is to make the majority of my money by trading the markets and working part time jobs which allows 1. more time for my art and 2. it means that I won't be reliant on it for income, which means that I won't have to sacrifice artistic integrity in order to pay the bills. 




I have another question for you.

I have recently started to get more serious about my singing. I can't afford private lessons right now, but I do have a singing course form professional singer Brett Manning that I've been working through, as well as looking up lessons on youtube from other professionals. I've been at it a few weeks and can see a noticeable difference. Are there any things you would recommend that I focus on? Also, what are some of your favorite warm up drills if you're short on time?


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## FallingSlowly (Jul 1, 2013)

KindOfBlue06 said:


> I have another question for you.
> 
> I have recently started to get more serious about my singing. I can't afford private lessons right now, but I do have a singing course form professional singer Brett Manning that I've been working through, as well as looking up lessons on youtube from other professionals. I've been at it a few weeks and can see a noticeable difference. Are there any things you would recommend that I focus on? Also, what are some of your favorite warm up drills if you're short on time?


Sorry it took me so long, too much work at the moment (which can only be a good thing )

I'm personally not too keen on Brett Manning's work (his programs are also not exactly cheap: gets you a few lessons with a decent teacher who then actually can give you tips that are tailored to you ), but if you feel it helps you, everything is okay. Just watch out for obvious signs of constriction during and after your session: Sound cutting out, tight feeling in your throat, thin getting sound towards the top range, loss of lower range AFTER your session (husky speaking voice syndrome/"bottoming out").

The most important thing I'd recommend every beginning singer should focus on is body work. Learn to use support, learn which muscles are involved, and learn when and how to use them. 
Eliminate tight shoulders and back, e.g. with foam rolling.
Monitor you airflow by singing through a straw. If the sound cuts out, you're constricting. You can also sing through a straw that is immersed in a glass of water and aim to keep the level of "bubbling" low and even.

The best warm ups if you're short on time:
1. Warm up your body. Squats, and I'm not joking. They align your body properly if you do them right, and working the big muscles of your body also helps with warming up your instrument/voice. Bit of running on the spot also doesn't do any harm.

2. Soft slides/glides on NG (as in "sing"), followed by glides/sirens on vvv with a bit more voice, followed by lip trills.

3. If you need to prepare for something more high energy, do a couple of calling exercises on "hey" or "yay".

That's it, honestly. If you do it right, you actually never need more than this. Everything else is already technical work.


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## Best (Jul 28, 2014)

How did you start to develop your writting skills?

Should I write only when I feel inspired or should I make a commitment to myself to write x hours every day?


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## poodiepie (Apr 1, 2014)

What do you think about Dan Stevens? :happy:
Do you think he's a good actor?


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## FallingSlowly (Jul 1, 2013)

Best said:


> How did you start to develop your writting skills?
> 
> Should I write only when I feel inspired or should I make a commitment to myself to write x hours every day?


That's a tricky one to answer, because everyone approaches it so differently.

I'm a pantser to the extreme, so I usually only write when inspiration strikes (then it's hard to stop me ), and forcing myself to sit down doesn't do anything for me. I'm also not very good at plotting, which usually leads to a lot of work afterwards, but I can't do it any other way. Restriction from the outset just doesn't work for me.

Having said that: As a writer, you need to write 

Developing my writing skills was never so much related to fulfilling a daily quota. It's rather down to reading a lot, working with excellent editors and listening to their advice etc.


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## FallingSlowly (Jul 1, 2013)

poodiepie said:


> What do you think about Dan Stevens? :happy:
> Do you think he's a good actor?


Can't comment, never really watched Downton Abbey, not my thing. I've seen him once or twice in other stuff, but nothing that left an impression which would make me feel qualified to pass judgement.


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