Published on September 12, 2012
As a freelance writer, I’m always racking my brains for new story ideas. Once a week, I block an entire day off to research new ideas and write queries. With pen in hand and a pot of coffee brewing, I tap out story idea after story idea, then delve into online research, finally coming up with a query letter sometime between lunch and dinner. The process can be time consuming and daunting as sometimes my brain muscles have to really stretch far to pull out a fresh idea.
Recently, however, I discovered a brainstorming strategy that had me turn one assignment into two, cutting down on my research time and allowing me to earn more money by doing less. It happened like this…
Published on September 5, 2012
Max and Mason, who are homeschooled, started “school” this week. They were pretty happy when, on the first day, I let them do arts and crafts first. I gave them a box full of craft supplies, and said, “You have 30 minutes to make whatever you want.” Holy cow, you’d think they’d both just won the lottery! They were so excited!!
Published on September 5, 2012
After reading the entries for each contest, we can see how difficult it is to come up with a unique plot when working with an assigned topic. But, inevitably, a few writers do manage to successfully break away from the pack.
So, today, hop aboard a fishing boat, and assist with processing today’s catch…
Published on September 5, 2012
Letters will return next week.
Published on September 5, 2012
Well, that’s a silly title, isn’t it? I chose it because of a little read-in-the-bathroom book a friend gave to my husband last Christmas. In it there was this saying: ‘I became self employed and I still have a jerk for a boss.’ It gave me a chuckle but it also got my gray cells going in the direction of writing. When it comes to this area of my life – and maybe yours – I’m self employed. And sometimes I don’t like my boss. Why? Let me count the ways.
Published on September 5, 2012
I have written four articles for a national women’s magazine, one every month or two. The magazine’s policy is that writers are paid 60ish days after publication. The first was paid late (in the meantime, I was working on the 4th) and, after much haranguing, they finally paid about a month late with excuses about how the financial department was held up due to this or that. Now we’re at over 90 days on the second… so I’m detecting a pattern. I never signed a contract (I know, I know…). My emails asking about payment for the second are going largely ignored (my contact keeps saying, “I’ll check on it for you!” and then never responds).
Published on September 5, 2012
I was 55 when I was first published by a magazine. MIDWEST LIVING had asked readers to write about their most unforgettable winter experience for an upcoming issue. At the time, I was trying to get started as a freelance writer. As I had had an unforgettable winter experience (during the Ohio blizzard of ’79, I’d saved a young boy’s life), I hastily put together an essay on what had happened, and sent it in. To my delight, they published it and paid me $50.
Encouraged by this small triumph, I sent another small essay I’d written about my dog to FIRST FOR WOMEN. They published it and paid me $300. Then, a long dry spell. All my submissions were steadily rejected. I began to question my ability as a writer. The first two accepts had been a fluke, I told myself; I was 55 for crying out loud, a bona fide senior citizen. I told myself I should be content just sitting out my remaining years in my rocking chair.
But those first two sells had lit a fire inside me so I continued sharpening my writing skills along with my pencils…
Published on August 29, 2012
Since our house is only a few feet above sea level, and since Isaac was forecast to give us a 5-7 foot storm surge, late last week we packed up our important stuff, moved a bunch of it to storage, put the most important things in the RV, and returned home to elevate some of our furniture. We also unplugged electronics, and moved some boxes up to counters. We canceled our reservations at a campground in Georgia, which was Evacuation Plan A (Georgia was supposed to get it worse than the Bradenton, Florida area) and made a reservation at a campground in Kissimmee, Florida (Evacuation Plan B), just outside of Orlando…
Published on August 29, 2012
Thank you Angela,
I’m sold.
A rep from Xlibris has been calling and bugging me every day! Now I have something to compare them to (BookLocker.com), and prove that they are not the best as they proclaim.
Thank you again…enjoy your day.
CC
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: BookLocker is adamantly anti-spam and anti-telemarketing. If you like us, fine. If you want to use someone else, that’s fine, too. We don’t stoop to begging authors for their business so you will never receive spam or a telemarketing call from BookLocker. We’ve never done business that way and we never will.
Published on August 29, 2012
While most towns nowadays have only one newspaper, they will generally have multiple radio stations. For a writer, this means multiple opportunities to write spots for radio salespeople who want effective ads for their clients.
