IELTS sample essay: should governments provide financial assistance to writers?

Most writers of fiction do not earn enough money to live from their writing. Do you think the government should give them financial assistance to help encourage good literature?

Sample response

The fact that many writers find it difficult to make a decent living from their writing is well-known. Of course, we do have some celebrity writers who consistently figure in the Forbes’ list of richest people. But for writers who haven’t already established themselves in this field, the reality is quite different. Some people argue that if the governments provide financial assistance to these newbie writers, they will be able to produce good literature. And this argument is true to some extent.

It is true that good writing skills are something that we have to be born with. Of course, writers can polish their skills with some practice, but if they don’t have that natural flair for writing no amount of financial help or motivation will make earn them eminence in the literary scene.

On the other hand, there are some writers who have the skills but lack the means to pursue a full-time career in writing. Writing is a demanding job and when you start out you are unlikely to have a huge fan-following dying to read every word you write. That means there is no guarantee that you will make a living from writing. This can deter many good writers from following their dream. If the government provides them with financial assistance, they will probably be able to produce good literature.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the governments should financially support all the writers. That option is not viable at all. But those talented but financially constrained writers will definitely benefit from this.

As explained above, a little bit of financial assistance will definitely encourage more people to become good writers. And if the truly talented receive financial help, they will definitely be able to produce good quality literature.