I’m a homeschooling mom of four kids. The oldest two are now attending a public high school where my husband teaches upper level mathematics. I’ve been writing reviews, articles on parenting, and helpful how-tos for about 14 years now. Most of that time, I’ve had to juggle managing the home, the homeschooling, and life in general with my writing, I long ago discovered that writing for 30 minutes each day produced quite a lot of work.
What is a “writing fellowship,” anyway? A fellowship means cash (a grant) or living space earmarked to help writers write. Sometimes it’s just breathing space – a few days in a remote location, meant to help you jump-start a project. Most grants are for literary writers of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, but there are also […]
It’s probably no surprise that the question of whether a writer should write for free in order to acquire clips is the subject of intense – and often heated – debate in the freelance writing community.
I’ve found a way in to consumer and trade publications where no opening was apparent before. How did I attain clips in Art&Antiques, IEEE’s Computer magazine and McGraw-Hill’s Engineering News-Record? By writing for their news sections! In some cases, this calls for writing shorter pieces, but in two of these three examples the pay was […]
Like so many other things in my life, I came by a writing career the hard way.
The war in Iraq launched my voyage through copyright infringement. Just before the war a fellow Quaker asked me for a web link to an article I had written. Searching google.com for a link to the article that had appeared in On the Issues, a woman’s magazine that died in 1999, I found my story […]
From my window in Brooklyn, I can see Manhattan’s shiny, silver Financial District over the rooftops and through the trees. When I worked as an Assistant Editor at a national women’s magazine, I hardly ever looked out my windows-I missed the sunny part of the day anyway. But when my magazine folded and I found myself with a bit of severance pay, I decided to open the curtains.
If you only write about the latest news and the hottest trends, you may be missing out on one of the best niches for freelance writers – historical and nostalgic articles. Editors are paying top dollar for writers who can put a fresh spin on old topics, and I’m not just talking about Civil War […]
I have to confess that when I come across a situation that I don’t know how to handle, my first instinct is to run to the bookshop or the library to find a book on the subject. My husband jokingly claims that I don’t take a ‘pill for every ill’ but read a ‘book for every situation’. And if there isn’t one…well there is a market staring you straight in the face.
I like to find good homes for things. Every couple of years, I organize a garage sale. I sell things I no longer need or want for a dollar or two, or even for loose change. Of course, I also go to garage sales from time to time, often bringing home a treasure that someone else didn¹t want or need.
