A new project has brought me back to a past passion (but more of that in a later post). For now I want to acknowledge the State of Minnesota and its support of the arts. I’m a writer and we writers mostly labor in isolation wracked by self doubt. Our stories are not good enough. Our characters are vapid and uninteresting. Our plots are weak. Who are we to think that anyone will ever want to read our work? To make our private work public is a leap of faith. Perhaps we read to a safe audience - our critique group. Or perhaps we take the brave step of sending a story to a prospective agent or editor knowing that the result will more than likely be a rejection. Or perhaps we apply for a grant to help fund our writing.
Writers don’t make much money. Even those few good enough to receive a six-figure advance on a story know the money might be the last for years, especially if their book does not sell well and they don’t “earn out” the advance and therefore never receive royalties. The rest of us receive tiny advances that may be our only income for some time. (My last advance was in 2014.) Any supplemental income, from school visits, teaching classes or speaking at conferences, is welcome.
In Minnesota, writers can apply for a State Arts Board Artist Initiative grant. Writers must submit a work sample and an explanation of their need for the money as well as a detailed plan for how grant money will be spent. They must also commit to giving back to the community in some public way (such as giving a reading, offering a workshop, or doing school visits). In 2017 I was a grateful recipient of one of these grants. It allowed me to focus on researching and writing a new book rather than on doing freelance technical writing to cover my expenses. But the money wasn’t everything. Almost as important was the fact that a committee reviewed my writing and my proposal and deemed me worthy of receiving a grant. What a huge confidence booster. After three years of only receiving rejections for my stories it was a reminder that I can write and that my efforts are worthwhile. So to the people of Minnesota I say thank you for your support. It means more than you will ever know. And I hope that the book I have been working on for the last year will one day be published so that the support I received bears fruit.
Cheryl Blackford is a fiscal year 2017 recipient of an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota State Legislature from the State arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
Cheryl Blackford is a fiscal year 2017 recipient of an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota State Legislature from the State arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
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