In the Shadow of the First Big Break

Abstract

There are more aspiring artists than available positions for artists in artistic la­bor markets. For fiction writers, the publication of a first book often means getting the first big break in their literary career and entering the literary world as a published author. However, few writers succeed in their aspiration to become published. This article draws on interviews with 59 writers in Sweden, to explore the tension resulting from the passing of time while aspiring for, but not having, the first big break. The aspiration among writers is an orientation towards attempting to publicly communicate their fiction writing through a published book. Interruptions to the aspiration can create existential dilemmas of unfulfilled aspirations. The unfulfillment of the aspiration may be existentially responded to through “urgency” or “floating”, where the writer actively pushes for success or loses the aspiration. The article addresses aspiration in situations where artists’ chances for success are uncertain and are decided by gatekeepers. The theoretical framework developed is useful for understanding aspiration over time vis-a-vis existential dimensions of artistic careers which do not conform to an aspired for, ideal career.