a.k.a writer

a.k.a writer

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With Thanksgiving in the United States just hours away, my attention has turned from word counts to baking. The holiday tends to kick off what’s known as my “baking season” and it’s my number one distraction from writing during November and December. This year, however, I have to balance the measuring ingredients with getting the words to the page: I have a goal of a full rough draft manuscript by December 31.

I can see myself meeting that goal and can’t wait for the day I can print out the full draft (sorry trees) to start the revisions. As a writer, here are the top three things I’m thankful for right now:

  1. time to write
  2. supportive friends and family
  3. access to writers

What do I mean by access to writers? Whether it’s connecting 140 characters at a time on Twitter or hearing an author speak about his or her writing via video, we can find inspiration from our favorite writers on a daily basis. One of my most treasured experiences from the last two years of Aspen Summer Words Writing Retreat has been hearing Nikky Finney read her poetry and share her stories. I could listen to her strong, powerful, tender voice all day long. In the video here, she reads “Left,” from her latest collection of poetry Head Off and Split.

What are you thankful for this year?

This thankful writer

November 23, 2011

Your Paycheck: Words by Day or Night or Both?

September 29, 2010 — 3 Comments

coin towers. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®While reading GallyCat’s Worst Day-Jobs for Writers, I thought about my own early post-college gigs. None of them were writing related and I was miserable. It was shocking to go from college, where I was self-sufficient and responsible to a corporate job where I was someone’s assistant. It didn’t matter how smart I was if I couldn’t get a lunch request correct. I also wasn’t writing—not at work and not in my free time, so my self-worth seemed to get tied up in my day job.

One of the first freelance writers (a copywriter) I met in the mid-90s was my opposite in this regard. We’d taken such different paths since earning our degrees.

Madeline graduated from college and pursued her writing with fierce determination. Like me, she took temp gigs but she focused on entry-level job responsibilities that she knew she could do well—and quickly. Every extra moment she could squeeze out of her day, she’d spend it on her creative writing. She was not shy about telling supervisors of her long-term goals and found many of them to be supportive. One boss even told her that she could write on the job, just as long as she produced good work and did her job (like answering the phone when it rang).

Of course, I’ve lost touch with Madeline and I have no idea what she’s up to these days. I wish I could at least remember her last name as I’d love to know if she’s still copywriting and if she’s published anything.

Once I decided that pursuing writing professionally was important to me, it became necessary that my rent-paying work be based on my abilities with words. Landing my first “they are paying me to write” job was nearly a dream come true.

I’m not sure why it’s so important to me that the money I earn is from writing. Other writers seem just as happy doing something other than writing as their day job and funnel all of their creative energy into their personal projects. There are weeks where I can’t think about touching words again—not to blog, not to email and not to draft an essay—because I’ve already written so much copy. Then I wonder if I’d achieve my personal writing goals faster if I was a gardener (never mind my complete lack of training or skills).

Probably not. More than two years into freelance copywriting and I still have moments of “I can’t believe this is my life” happiness. Madeline told me she loved freelancing and preferred working from home to endless office gatherings to celebrate someone’s birthday/baby/anniversary with generic cake. At the time, I thought she was missing out; now I realize that she traded in the cake for the ability to manage her own schedule and pursue her own writing goals without apology. Now I’m glad I made that trade, too.

What about you? Do you work with words to pay rent? How have you chosen to balance a day-job with your writing? What kind of work did you pursue when you graduated from college? I’d love to hear your stories.

You Know You’re a Writer When, Again?

September 20, 2010 — 6 Comments

typewriter in profile. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®Did the voice in your head—the one that offers not ideas, but criticism—answer “when you’re published”? It’s easy to have that answer as your default, but it’s not required. Maybe by the end of this post, you’ll consider ditching that answer altogether.

My mother’s father was a writer and he published a novel. I still have a copy of it. Did the publishing of that book make him a writer? He’d probably tell you no. Instead he would share the story of how he self-published it in 1966 (the hardback novel retailed for $3.95) and then the publishing company he used when out of business. They shipped all the books back to him C.O.D.

He was a writer because he had to write. I don’t remember what day jobs he held, but I do remember some of the humorous prose he wrote about his wife and three daughters.

I do identify as a writer. It’s how I earn my rent money, it’s how I express myself and it’s my passion. I may have meandered for a while, trying on recruiting, management and a host of other identities, but I am a writer. It’s taken me a long time to get here. Okay, and confession: it’s still easy to doubt that sometimes when it comes to my personal projects.

Are you a writer? Does claiming that intimidate you? Are you asking, “How do I know if I’m a writer?”

Well, I have something that helped me—maybe it will do the same for you. During one of the Aspen Summer Words Literary Festival sessions, “The Long and the Short of It” with Elizabeth McCracken and Robert Bausch, an audience member asked, “What was the path that brought you to the moment of ‘I am a writer’?”

McCracken said that she did have that moment. On the first day of her MFA program, one of her instructors said to the class, “You’re all writers.” She said he made that statement because he “wanted to dismiss from us the really boring, binary question ‘Am I a writer or not?’” In paraphrasing her instructor, she said you don’t work if you’re struggling with that yes-or-no and that there are all sorts of interesting, complex questions about writing, the writing life and writing responsibility. The question of am I a writer or not is “a boring one.”

“If you have any interest in writing,” she said. “Answer the question yes, so you can move on to all the more interesting questions.”

Bausch summed it up with even fewer words. “A writer writes. As long as you’re writing, you’re a writer.”

So, my fellow writers, what are you writing on these days?

Cognitive Connection, August 6: Writers on Memoir, OpenSky and Helping Each Other

August 6, 2010 — 3 Comments

Cognitive Connection. Thinking. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®As I mentioned earlier, I am taking a brief blogging break in August. But I still plan to share great resources as time allows. With such fantastic reading this week, I had to get these links in front of you.  Happy reading!

  • Bookends, LLC  Mastering the elevator pitch Literary agent Jessica Faust offers surprising tips for authors hoping to connect with agents at conferences, retreats and festivals.
  • Erin Hosier on Betsy Lerner’s blog Coming Out of the Dark. Erin, a colleague of Betsy’s, originally wrote this post for She Writes and it’s re-published (in full) here. My fellow memoirists, this one is for you. Why? Because Betsy says, “I think it’s the best piece on memoir that I’ve seen a very long time.”
  • Mediabistro’s GalleyCat The woman who paid models to read her book Even if you’re not thinking about book publicity, you can still appreciate the ingenuity of this writer who hired people to read her book—and laugh—on the subway.
  • The Urban Muse Help, Don’t Hinder, Fellow Freelance Writers I love this post from Susan Johnston on competition. She’s a very generous, community-minded freelancer and this post shows you how, and why, she helps her fellow writers.

Your turn. Any opinions, blog posts or articles on writing you’d like to share? Post away in the comments below. Thanks!

50/50 Post: The Best Writing Advice You’ve Received

May 12, 2010 — 8 Comments

Remington Typewriter. Image courtesy of stock.xchng® Since you had such memorable experiences to share regarding feedback you’ve received on your writing, I thought I’d turn the tables today. Let’s talk advice. It can be just what you need to hear. It can give you an idea to help you structure your writing or achieve a goal.

Of course, it can be completely off the mark and inappropriate. That’s not what I’m asking you to share today. What’s the writing advice that clicked for you? I’m asking you to share advice that’s helped you—and that you think your fellow writers will appreciate.

I’ll start with two items, one of which I heard recently.

  1. Put your butt in the chair and write. That essay, short story, novel, memoir is not going to get written unless you are writing. For a time, I tried carving out one day each week for writing. That was a bit unrealistic to maintain—and it was too easy to lose that day but not replace it. I’m now trying to write a certain number of words per day and email that total to a friend. This was working very well, until I overbooked myself with copywriting gigs. Still, that daily goal is there for me and I’ve already made good progress on a project because of it.
  2. Don’t let me see that chapter again. The point to this one is to keep writing. If you are hung up on perfecting one element, such as a chapter, you’ll never move on to the next. Sometimes you need to draft the whole so that you can identify the story you’re actually telling. I have a few shiny, polished chapters of a project…and a long gap where I wasn’t writing further because I was still tinkering with earlier chapters. Now I’m determined to get a full draft written so I can break out a box of red pencils and really revise.

Now it’s your turn! Like my other 50/50 posts, this is where you share your opinions and experiences. What’s the best writing advice you’ve received? Please share in the comments!

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Thoughtful, No-Cost Gifts for the Writers, Freelancers and Entrepreneurs in Your Life

December 7, 2009 — 3 Comments

Many—okay, the majority—of advertisers would have us believe that this holiday season will special because you finally found someone that perfect sweater, scarf, jewelry or gadget. Yet, the holiday memories that stick with me the most are the ones filled with sentiment: the amazing pistachio biscotti that a friend made for those of us working on December 24; the hilarious, personal letter sent by a college friend living thousands of miles away; the white chocolate chip and cranberry cookies I make for my honey this time every year.

If you’re looking to do something thoughtful for a writer, freelancer, entrepreneur and/or small business owner in your life, these five ideas will require two things: your time and sincerity. Cost: zero dollars. Value: priceless.

  • Referrals. Giving genuine referrals is the equivalent of giving gold coins—and I don’t mean foil-wrapped chocolates. Even if the person on your list appears to have plenty of business and/or projects, he/she will appreciate your gift. When I’m at my most swamped, I’m still thinking about generating the next new client or contract I need to secure.
  • An unsolicited testimonial*. Surprise your favorite entrepreneur, freelancer and/or writer with a testimonial via e-mail or LinkedIn. You can make it especially powerful by being specific and providing concrete examples about what makes the recipient rock. Wrap this present with a bow by including permission for him/her to use your words publicly. *Clients, vendors and co-workers—people who have first-hand experience with the gift receiver’s work—are the best givers for this one.
  • A positive review. This is especially valuable for local entrepreneurs and small business owners who have store-fronts. Use a site like Yelp to share why this business is so great and why other customers will love it, too. If the writer in your life is published, post a review of his/her book on Amazon.com or other book-related website.
  • Spread the word. Does your favorite freelancer, writer or business owner have a website? A blog? Send him or her more site visitors by posting a link on your favorite social networking site, like Twitter or Facebook. This promotion can send new readers, subscribers and even potential new customers to the recipient. Another, even more personal option, is to send a link and “why you should check this out” e-mail to your network.
  • Your time. This gift is as unique as you are. It can range from giving several hours of your skills in business development to an evening of babysitting to an hour or two of filing. If your entrepreneur has a store-front business, you can volunteer to cover the store so that the owner can take a day off or enjoy a special dinner. Any time you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Are you a writer, freelancer or entrepreneur who has received a special, no-cost gift? What was it? Is there a thoughtful, zero-dollar gift that you’d love to give or receive? What is it?  Please share in the comments below.

Photo attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/welovepandas/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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Trusting Your Gut: A Writer’s Imperative

September 21, 2009 — 3 Comments

This time last year was all about my gut. While taking a writing class, I turned in a creative nonfiction piece based on a childhood experience. My peers and instructor all pointed out that I referenced experiencing my emotions through my stomach. Still water. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®

At the same time, I was working with a naturopath doctor on some food allergies and she educated me on the true science behind “feeling it in your gut.” She also firmly believed that listening to your intuition was important for emotional and digestive health.

In this last year as a freelance writer/ business owner, trusting my gut has served me very well. It certainly hasn’t been easy—especially since it’s meant turning down work.

Early last spring, after working with a new client for a few months, I realized that she was expecting me to respond to e-mails late at night and on the weekends. She was on the East Coast, so I tried to accommodate her schedule. I thought the main issue was mine: balancing my West Coast clients (the bulk of my work) with East Coast hours.

But when I woke up one morning to a string of e-mails that began at midnight and ended at 8 a.m. with the client upset that I had not completed the request made in her 12 a.m. message, it made me rethink the entire situation. Being responsive is an important part of my business—but this was too much. The client was in hyper start-up mode, launching several new companies all at the same time. I wanted her to succeed, but not at the expense of own business. She wanted me to devote 100% of my time to helping her grow. It was a compliment, but just not in line with my own goals.

Despite trying to continue the relationship and attempting to set a more limited availability, it just didn’t work. The new arrangement wasn’t what either of use needed, so we parted ways. It was an amicable split, but still difficult to see the work go.

About a week later, I got an e-mail from someone in my network offering me an on-going project. The work was more creative that the work I’d lost—and I wouldn’t have been able to do it had the East Coaster and I not parted ways.

Then, earlier this summer, a local company contacted me about a long-term newsletter project. Having a local, regular client sounded like the perfect addition to my business! But when I accepted an invitation to discuss the company’s needs in person, I was shocked to learn I’d just signed up for a panel interview with three people and I would be one of several writers being interviewed. When I tried to get more information, the response was “well, you can look at our website.” Something seemed off.

Several factors concerned me:

  • I couldn’t get them to share their expectations about time commitment.
  • They wouldn’t clarify if they wanted the work completed on-site.
  • They were trying to replace full-time headcount with freelancers.
  • It was an industry I don’t specialize in and they were asking me to present very specific solutions in the “interview.”

After a week of wrestling with myself about this—I wanted the work but couldn’t quiet that nagging “don’t do it!” voice—I finally decided to decline the interview. And I felt so much better!

To make up for not pursuing that client, I reached out to my network, letting people know that I had an opening in my schedule. Within two weeks, I started a writing project that I’ll be on until early December.

While I still want to grow my client relationships and add a few new ones to the fold, I love my current mix of companies and projects. I know that I’m very lucky to have been selective, especially this year, and I owe it all to listening to my gut.

Have you turned down work because it didn’t feel right? Were you happy with the decision or did you regret it? Have you ever gone against your gut?

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