No Vacation Drama This year! I Insist!!!

We left Florida on Sunday morning and we’ll be at our cabin in the Smoky Mountains tomorrow evening (I’m writing this on Monday). We are so excited! The one thing I miss most about Maine (aside from our dear friends there) is the fall foliage. Thankfully, we can find plenty of it each year in Tennessee. This is our third fall trip to Tennessee…

Shame on Teachers Who Discourage Young Writers!

Hi Angela,
I loved your story about your and Sharon Campbell’s early writing experiences. I had a nearly identical experience in college.
My English instructor seemed to have a personal dislike for me, although it was not mutual. I wrote what I considered the best paper I’d ever done, on a spiritual experience I’d recently had. I’d always loved writing, and this paper just flowed so easily and effortlessly. The instructor was known as a tough grader. But I thought I would surely get an A or A+ on this. When I got the paper back, was I ever pissed! His only comment was it was too good to have been written by me. I got a failing grade, and felt very discouraged.
About that same time I wrote another long paper on another of my spiritual experiences. This one was just for me, not for a college course. Again, I thought

Are You Charging Enough for Your Work? By Ashley Bennett

Writing is a valuable craft. Writers can and do earn a lot of money from books, television shows, and speeches, as well as other types of written and oral content. Almost every website, video, or product has some type of written content so there should be plenty of opportunities for writers to find decent paying work. However, many writers complain that the keep running into low paying clients and content mills online…

RESUBMIT, RESUBMIT, RESUBMIT…and resubmit again By Monica A. Andermann

You’ve written an article, a poem, or a piece of flash fiction. You’ve edited and polished it to a golden glow. Your experienced writer friend has even read it and confirms the piece is, indeed, publication ready. So you send the item out and wait, only to receive…a rejection.

Cavities! Ug!!

I took the boys to the dentist for their cleaning last week. Mason (age 7) has more cavities than all the other kids combined. While he brushes himself after breakfast and lunch, I personally brush and floss him every single night because he has had so many cavities. I was sure that this was the visit where the dentist would say, “Yea, Mason! No cavities!” I was dead wrong…

I Based My Character On My Elderly Client/Friend. Do I Really Need A Notarized Release? Yes!

Hi Angela,
This isn’t a question, but a further response to the Ask the Expert question about the notarized form for the elderly person.
I’m a Notary Public in Washington state. Two things come to mind in regard to the question of the notarized form. (Notaries are not allowed to give legal advice so this isn’t and I don’t. Winking smile.)
1) Notaries should not notarize a form for anyone they suspect may not be competent to sign the form. We do this by observing the person, their actions, talking to them and observing the person (your questioner?) getting them to sign the form.
2) Also, I don’t know in what state your questioner was located, but here in Washington we have traveling notaries who will go to your home, office, etc. (myself included) to notarize documents.
I hope these two suggestions will help clarify the issue for your questioner.
Barbara L. Workman,
Notary Public, Washington

Learning the Business of Business Writing By Daisy McCarty

What does freelance success look like for me? I started my writing career in 2008 with no professional experience as a writer, no industry contacts, and no portfolio. Today, I work about 25 hours per week…