It has long been the common wisdom that before you embark on any "risky" venture, you should set up a plan B. This includes becoming an actor, musician or writer. In one case it was even true for a medical student I know; who's mother insisted he become a concert pianist "just in case" medicine didn't work out.
On a side note, it is seen as poor form to have a plan B for your relationships. This seems counter intuitive to me. One of the biggest risks you can take is getting married. Your finances, social life, children's welfare are all tied to one person. The divorce rate is 50%. Going in you know you have a 1 in 2 chance that it will fail spectacularly. This seems a good time for a plan B. A prenup perhaps? Or a separate bank account to serve as a get-out-fast fund if needed. But this is the one emotionally driven decision where people can see that having a plan B is actually having one foot out the door.
A plan B is always the equivalent of not fully committing. My sister is a singer/ song writer. She didn't finish year 12, instead doing a diploma of music and getting on with her career. I still hear people ask about her plan B. But she doesn't have one. For a while she taught singing lessons. I'm sure she was a great teacher. But soon she realised that the money was nice. She liked being able to afford the odd luxury. And all too soon, her writing time was teaching time. She quit being a singing teacher because as a plan B it was taking over from her plan A.
As a fellow creative I also get the "but what do you really do?" questions. I have tried so many times to find a plan B. Could I be a paralegal? Yes probably but I don't want to. What about a hairdresser? Again yes but I doubt it would be a good fit. There are any number of things I could do instead of being a writer. None of them would make my heart sing. All of them would be a waste of the talent and time I have invested in this path.
I have applied for and been rejected for two PhD's. This is it's own form of spectacular failure. But I'm grateful to the academics who think I am unworthy. They have prevented me from escaping down my own plan B. I like to know I have back up. I like to know I'm on the right track. I have a (sometimes) crippling lack of self belief. A PhD would have allowed me to hide for 3-4 years while I toiled away in private on a baby of my choosing. It would have delayed me having to push forward toward publication and finding out once and for all if I will indeed fail.
As I get older I get less sensible. I take bigger risks. I have discovered that I would rather fall flat on my face than never try to fly. So this coming 12 moths will see me either published by a publisher or go it alone and self-publish. The two are equally valid in my mind. I just like the external belief that a publisher represents.
And if I go it alone and no one buys my book. Well then I am a spectacular failure but I would still rather fail at something I love than succeed at something I hate. After all isn't the attempt worth more than the fall?
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