By Josephine Renee
The following article was originally submitted as an application for the Kellie van Meurs Memorial Scholarship in Creative Writing. And I got it! I hope others find this article useful in their education journey.
I am at the point within my course where everything seems more difficult and unattainable. Only 1 to 2% of authors get published. Of those that do, a professional author’s average income is $12,000 to $18,000, a figure that is well below the poverty line. I have been working on my Young Adult fantasy novel for eight years. A debut novel can receive between $1,000 and $10,000. Neither amount would cover minimum wage when considering the hours I’ve put into this project.
In saying this, I do not want to be anything else. Even my Plan B of becoming a high school or primary school teacher I feel almost violently against, because I do not want to be a teacher. I want to be an author. I am an author, and I am a good one. Even at my current level and from what university has taught me so far. University is invaluable because of the opportunities it can present to you, such as this scholarship. I knew there was no money going into creative writing, and I still do not care if I must do odd jobs and be a waitress once I finish university, provided I have enough time to write. I want more time to work on my craft, to submit to more magazines, query literary agents. That is what this scholarship can provide me with, more time.
Before commencing higher education, I had diligently saved $20,000. Since spending two years at university and moving from a regional area, I am down to my last $3,000. I know this is more than a lot of university students have, but I am so conscious of money and from working so hard to save that amount to now have spent $17,000 without earning a cent from my writing. None of the scholarships clarify what “financial need” or “financial hardship” is, and I do not want to take opportunities from someone more in need in this deeply competitive field. Then again, if scholarships supported all university students and I could have applied for this in my first year and even now, then maybe we would not have to experience financial hardship. I am still eating and paying for the roof over my head. This scholarship would help me continue to live with the added peace of mind that if something happens, I have the Kellie van Meurs Memorial Scholarship to support me. It would also help me to travel to Melbourne next year to attend the Emerging Writer’s Festival, which I have always longed to go to.
If I got this scholarship, I would put it in a separate account that would be the money to fund my career, fix my website, go to Melbourne, and potentially pay for an editor, while also being a safety net for living expenses. What I am saying is that I could really use the money, and I would use it well. I am committed to this degree, and I will never stop writing.
Applications for this scholarship open around the 10th of August and close around the 10th of October. I cannot thank everyone involved in it more, and it gave me wonderful networking opportunities. Be sure to check your emails before the end-of-year creative writing gala.
Josephine Renee (she/her) is a 23-year-old novelist based in Meanjin Brisbane who is studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at QUT. She is a 2024 Youth Ambassador for the Brisbane Writers Festival and is the 2023 recipient of the Kelly van Meurs Memorial Scholarship. She has travelled Europe and North Africa for two years, spent a year and a half in the USA, Canada, Cuba, and Mexico, and has recently returned from Paris. When not gaining world-building inspiration, she dedicates her time to writing and illustrating. She has work published in Scratch That and Glass. Find her on Instagram @josephine_renee_official
