Letters For January 14th
Numerous readers comment on why it’s a bad idea to
do business with “jerks.”
Can Your Life Story Become a Novel? By Judith Laura
More than 20 years ago I started writing what later became my novel, Three Part Invention, published just last year. That first draft was written in the first person, beginning when the main character, my alter ego Beth, was five years old. Though the novel changed greatly from that first draft, it has preserved for me experiences and emotions I’m sure I would have forgotten by now: details — even minutia — about growing up female in the 1950s, participating in the very early civil rights movement, and the flush of first love…
Home Office Tax Issues
I’m trying to make freelance writing a larger part of my income this year but my head is already spinning thinking about the tax issues having a part-time, at-home business will cause. Can you suggest a good book or website that can answer my questions (as to what’s deductable as a business expense if you have a part-time business, what legally you have to do to establish yourself as a business, etc.)?
Turning Dreams Into Goals By Anne E. Skalitza
Years later I wrote a letter to a local newspaper regarding something I felt passionate about. Out of two hundred letters printed that month, mine was chosen as the second best letter submitted. That was the catalyst I needed to pursue writing as a career. I now realized that my dreams were to be my goals. First I wanted to see an article of mine in the newspaper. It happened. Then I wanted to see my name in print in a magazine. I did. And over the past three years, with a lot of hard work, articles and short stories were published and I was getting paid!
Fee-Free Writing Contests, Grants, And More! By Erika Dreifus
Excerpted from: FREE EXPRESSION: 101 Fee-Free Contests, Competitions, and Other Opportunities for Resourceful Writers! “What do you all think about contests?” one of my colleagues asked our online writing group. “Do you think you get a better read when you actually pay a reading/entry fee?” No one responded to that query (publicly, at any rate). […]
Not As Clean As You Thought…
We spent New Year’s Eve eating cheese and crackers and playing charades with friends…which means we must be getting old. I’ve always hated New Year’s Eve. Being married to an alcoholic (my ex) for 12 1/2 years will do that to you. We left by 9:30, picked up one of Frank’s friends, and went in search of a burger. For some odd reason, every burger and fast food joint in town was closed. So, we had a late night, quickie dinner at Olive Garden and drove home to watch movies and eat popcorn. It was, by far, the best New Year’s Eve ever! When we flipped the channel to watch the ball drop in New York City, I wasn’t dreaming about what I’ll be doing next year. I was reflecting on how much better life is for the children and me since marrying Richard more than four years ago. We are truly blessed!
Last night, Zach had a friend over for dinner. I’d cooked up a fun kabob dish and we were all having a nice time eating and chatting about the children’s Christmas vacation. Out of the blue, Max put his fork down and said, quite loudly…
Don’t Compromise Your Happiness Or Morals For A Buck
Despite a backache and my failed attempt to rid the bathroom of that endless pile of dirty laundry, I was actually in a pretty good mood this morning. I’ve been pretty cranky lately, which is the end result of dealing with too many jerks (rude people online), deadbeats (those publishers appearing in our Whispers and Warnings forum), and freaks (One guy keeps threatening to show up on our doorstep if we don’t remove his warning. We had to get our attorney involved because we think he’s a psychopath.). One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to not let people get me down. I figure if I meditate enough and practice my new form of exercise, yoga, at least once a week or so (I have a phobia about exercising in front of other people), I will be able to be a calmer, more peaceful person. However, a fax I received this morning blew my New Year’s Resolution right out of the water…
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Your Piece In Start Writing Now
Hi Richard,
I am in a period of enlightenment right now, as far as my writing career is concerned. It’s a place I have never been before, but I am enjoying, thoroughly, reading everything I can get my hands on that I think might teach me something new about this mysterious craft of writing.
Your sites, both Writersweekly.com and Booklocker.com have helped me immensely. So, in closing, I wanted to say, “Thank you,” to you, Angela, and your staff for all of the hard work that you put into making the sites the bountiful baskets of resources that they are! Keep up the great work and here’s to a fantastic 2004 for all of us!
Cheers,
Jessica Martinez-Stanfield
Dear Angela,
I enjoyed your piece in Start Writing Now (November 2003 – https://www.writersdigest.com/store/magdisplay.asp?id=WY1103). The first two paragraphs were real grabbers.
Party on…..
Parrott Sutton, Kinston, NC
Two Different Rates For The Same Words
I have written for a national publication and was told by the senior editor that the pay per article was $50. I received that amount for my first article for them. I have two more deadlines to write for this magazine –two articles that I pitched.
This magazine had a listing on another website and I contacted that person, who is the deputy editor, to inquire on what they were looking for and what they paid. She emailed me back saying they pay a flat rate of $350 for the same amount of words I am supposed to write for the next two articles.
Stretching For Success By Kathryn Higginbottom Gorin
On the WritersWeekly.com Freelance Job Listings, I found a link to the CBC Radio Freelancer Forum. As a print writer, radio was a BIG stretch, but a little desperate for paying markets, I registered for the CBC forum and newsletter. In one of the newsletters was a request for “consumer” pitches requiring freelancers to test several products and tell which gave consumers the best bang for their buck. The finished pieces were only 3 or 4 minutes long and I knew that this was something I could do.