Xerox - My First Publisher

Not from my junior high, but eerily familiar looking.

Impressed? I sure was...

We're talking sixth grade and my very first position as a reporter--for the Serendipity Journal. Proud home to my first interviews and a few poems. Serious stuff, all published via the school office xerox machine.

The goldenrod yellow paper was hard to read, but easy to spot littering the hallways on the last day of school. Which--I have learned through the years--is the only day you could be certain a school paper would actually come out.

Did you write for your school paper?

Photo credit: Joseph Barillari / Wikimedia Commons

Yeah, I'm a Yahoo...

Contributor that is.

I began writing for Associated Content in April 2009 as a way to cut my teeth on and get the grasp of online writing. I continued as a contributor when the site was purchased by Yahoo! last year. The acquisition has provided me, and many other freelance writers, with more opportunities and a larger audience.

Out of all the reasons I love writing for YCN (upfront pay, monthly residuals, weekly beats, plus the freedom to write what I want), my favorite aspect is that there is no such thing as a wasted article. It truly allows a freedom to write on subjects I'm passionate about, without worrying if the piece will ever be published.

The odd part is that I've never had to resort to just publishing something there, because I couldn't find a home for it. Having YCN as a Plan B gives me confidence to go with my gut and interests.

Zipping Along On Zero Zzzzzzs, then Zilch

Unable to Function After Sleep

Pretty sure I looked just like this.

After being sick for a couple weeks now (you can't catch it, don't be skeered), I have to say working through the insomnia bouts has been quite profitable. For instance, take this past weekend, a loopy 38 hour marathon of getting stuff done. By late Saturday night/Sunday morning I must have looked manic, staring intently at the computer screen with burning sleep deprived eyes as I wildly submitted one article after the next!

I did stop so we could have Sunday brunch with the neighbors. A girl can't turn down free pancakes, turkey bacon and good company. Then back to more writing. I vaguely remember watching my guy and brother work on a truck. The meds that have been speeding me up finally lost a grip, so I went flower shopping. (There is no illness so severe that it will force me to turn down the lure of a green house opening for the year. Butterfly bushes will be in mid-June. Must. Not. Forget.)

But all good(?) things must come to an end (okay, I don't really believe that, but in this case I guess so) and I finally got some solid zzz's.

Which ruined everything. Now I'm back to being all tired, blah and unable to string together a coherent sentence. (You've read this far, you know it's true.) My body just wants more rest, but I have a "Thor" interview on Norse mythology article to edit. So I guess I'll go do that.

Note: I feel I should add that this excess of wakefulness didn't totally lend itself well to error-free submissions. Namely, one that was kicked back for only having one sentence. Luckilly, I was capable of copying and pasting the entire article into the template the second time around!

Are you doing the Z to A in May Challenge? Leave a link in the comments. :)

The Key to Freelancing is to Keep on Kicking

Freelance writers have to keep on kicking.

It's the Only Way to Score

Want to make it as a freelance writer? Then you have to keep on kicking. Kicking out ideas, query letters, writing and edits. If you're not on the playing field, then you're not in the game.

If your in the game, you might as well aim for the goal. Don't pass the ball off. No one else can take the shot for you. Look for an opening and make your move. It's not an open net, there are goalkeepers you have to get past. The key is to have the right idea, line up the angle, kick it past the editor and score the gig.

Miss? Try again. Score? Awesome! Do it again. If your writing keeps scoring, you might be added to the team roster.

Are you aiming for the goal?

Photo credit: Xsmith / Wikimedia Commons

Doing the Job Juggling Jig

Break time is over--back to writing, monkey!

Dance, Monkey, Dance!

It's a week of many small assignments for this writer. Multiple articles going out to many sites. So I'm dancing around like a crazed circus monkey, checking guidelines and pivoting from topic to topic. All while juggling dozens of deadlines.

This is what happens when I don't line up better gigs. Not necessarily more enjoyable ones (I do like the topics), or easier, but just better paying. Dropped the ball there, so it's going to take lots of little projects to meet my goals.

I'm going about it in what I prefer to think of as the smart way:

• Grouping article writing by site, so as to deal with one set of guidelines at a time.
• Taking advantage of open news beat assignments, for a little topic freedom.
• Using one main topic and creating separate pieces with different angles, to save on research time.

This way I'm not duct-taped to my desk chair, downing cold caffeinated goodness to keep from passing out on the keyboard. Time management is a struggle, but I'm still fitting in some living. Nothing major, just simple good stuff; like playing with the dogs, talking to my guy, planting day lilies and chit chatting with the neighbors. Sanity-saving stuff.


Are you juggling a lot this week? How do you cope?

Photo credit: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons 

Interests are Ideal Idea Generators

Ideas are a writer's bread and butter, or rather the ability to convey those ideas to others. However, it can sometimes feel like the idea well is tapped out. One of the easiest ways I use to find a topic to write on is to look at my own interests and pick those apart for angles. This also works for assigned subjects.

For fresh news angles, I look at how the event or subject affects a group or topic I am interested in. For example: I find advertising trends interesting. So when the Taco Bell meat lawsuit surfaced, I looked at how other fast food chains were already engaging in ad wars over meat quality.

Entertainment and sports topics often have me wondering one of two things: "Who else has done it?" and "What is the person's history with it?" Those are things that are interesting to me.

HARO: Helping Hand for Reporters

New York Times reporter on the phone, circa 1942.

Website Makes Finding Sources a Cinch

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a tool I consider invaluable to journalists. Gone are the days where we have to spend hours tracking down experts to interview for articles. Whew!

You can simply sign up for the service (even as a freelance writer), type up one query and it is sent out among a huge network of experts. Those interested respond to the query, which is emailed to you. It is then simply a matter of choosing the best expert or sources for your piece.

This year alone, HARO has connected me with average Americans for opinions on the Oscars, a speech pathologist to offer opinions on "The King's Speech," Natalie Portman's ballet trainer for "Black Swan" and "Twilight" fans to comment on "Red Riding Hood." For