I’ve been a writer at heart since the age of 10. My love of writing led me to major in Journalism. After graduation, I worked in marketing and graphic design. I was happiest when I was writing, but the positions I held were not writing-focused. In order to break into the writing field, I decided I had to do something different.
Food, glorious food! There, I have your attention. We all love food, as it nourishes more than just our bodies. From memories of Mom’s homemade cookies waiting when we returned home from school, to a favorite comfort food that consoles us when we’re down, food is an enduring passion for millions of people. Now, turn […]
What is the easiest tax form of them all? Hint: It only takes 5 minutes to complete and mail! Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4868.pdf ——————————————————————————– Much mysticism surrounds the home office deduction. Many tax accountants continue to advise their clients to avoid the home office […]
It was a private dream and I’d had it since childhood. Over the years several friends encouraged me to pursue it. Their words watered the seed, dormant for so many years but there were still a number of obstacles to overcome. Perhaps the main one was my lack of conviction that the dream was really attainable. I had no trouble encouraging my friends to believe their dreams would come true but I did have a problem believing in mine.
When I wrote the story of my grandmother’s life, I’d never heard the term “personal historian.” I was just out of graduate school and looking for a project that would be personally meaningful, instead of another professor’s assignment. So I flew to Florida and taped several hours of interviews with my eighty-three-year-old paternal grandmother. She […]
Seven practices to give yourself a bonus! ASK FOR A BETTER CONTRACT Ask for a better contract when you’re giving up too many rights, you can’t figure out what you’re getting paid or when, or you are an authority or have a demonstrable specialty. Just ask, “Do you have a better contract?” Let them ask […]
Writers are steadily admonished: Write what you know! Well, I don’t know about you, but I know a lot, and much of it, okay, most of it, would not go any further along the transom than the nearest circular file. After all, who wants to read that trash pickup in my neighborhood is Wednesday mornings? Or, what editor would buy a piece about replacing household light bulbs?
In sales, reselling is not usually an option unless a thing can be mass-produced, which is not a possibility in writing non-fiction articles and magazine pieces as a general rule. However, with a slight twist, most pieces that have been sold once, can be sold again, multiplying your ability to spread yourself around. In freelance […]
Curious about freelance writing courses offered at our community college, I called someone teaching an essay-writing course and mentioned that I was a freelance writer. He urged me to contact the community college. Encouraged, I also approached my local community center. Bear in mind, I’m in Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa’s internationally-acclaimed Writers Workshop. Yet after receiving a surprisingly warm welcome, I began teaching freelance writing courses for both.
Nothing thrills a freelance non-fiction writer as much as a new sale. Chocolate may make me happy, but a new sale makes me positively ecstatic. It generally causes me to run around the house jumping up and down for a while, while my family smiles and then joins in the excitement. They know what’s causing […]
