NPR has had fascinating stories on Body Worlds for two days in a row. I'm intrigued enough to want to fly to an exhibit in Boston, St. Paul, Houston or Vancouver, B.C. My health care worker husband would be totally into it.
Check it out: Cadaver Exhibits Are Part Science, Part Sideshow . . . freaky. ew. cool.
Friday, August 11, 2006
renegrade writers
I read the book, but it was only today that I found The Renegrade Writer blog. Cool.
I've also read some of Linda Formichelli's articles in Writer's Digest magazine (library copies, of course).
I'm the first to admit that my freelance writing (queries and otherwise) has been pretty spartan this summer. Although I sent off a completed article last night, the previous last assignments were completed in June. However, my great excuse is that my new magazine editor/writer job has been keeping me busy. Which is true. And now that issue number two (for the bi-monthly mag I manage) was sent to the printer today, I'm wondering how I can keep up my energy and creativity for freelance writing at home, while still working maintaining positive and productive energy and creativity for the daily 9-5 p.m. staff position.
One thing about freelance writing: it sure is nice to have absolute and unlimited control over the writing topics -- of course, limited only by ability to research, find sources, etc. Of course, the easy part is always thinking of ideas. The hard work is finding a venue for publication and getting the pitch accepted. Oh, and the actual writing.
As an editor (who's also the primary writer for the 52-page magazine), I still have a wide range of creative license within the scope of the editorial content. With the tons I've learned so far (editing articles for succintness, word count constraints, readibility, style, headline writing, fact checking, etc.) my writing has improved immensely. It's a daily learning process, I believe. It's easy to write in a dull manner. And sometimes that's sort of what a first draft tends to be when there isn't a passionate, first-hand connection with the topic. (Just get down the facts and basic structure. Then breathe life into it later after some further research and reflection.)
Anyway, it's my goal to make time to create queries for regional (non-Spokane...like Seattle) and national publications, spinning off ideas from the Spokane magazines I write for.
P.S. Was this a boring post? It feels like it. Sorry.
I've also read some of Linda Formichelli's articles in Writer's Digest magazine (library copies, of course).
I'm the first to admit that my freelance writing (queries and otherwise) has been pretty spartan this summer. Although I sent off a completed article last night, the previous last assignments were completed in June. However, my great excuse is that my new magazine editor/writer job has been keeping me busy. Which is true. And now that issue number two (for the bi-monthly mag I manage) was sent to the printer today, I'm wondering how I can keep up my energy and creativity for freelance writing at home, while still working maintaining positive and productive energy and creativity for the daily 9-5 p.m. staff position.
One thing about freelance writing: it sure is nice to have absolute and unlimited control over the writing topics -- of course, limited only by ability to research, find sources, etc. Of course, the easy part is always thinking of ideas. The hard work is finding a venue for publication and getting the pitch accepted. Oh, and the actual writing.
As an editor (who's also the primary writer for the 52-page magazine), I still have a wide range of creative license within the scope of the editorial content. With the tons I've learned so far (editing articles for succintness, word count constraints, readibility, style, headline writing, fact checking, etc.) my writing has improved immensely. It's a daily learning process, I believe. It's easy to write in a dull manner. And sometimes that's sort of what a first draft tends to be when there isn't a passionate, first-hand connection with the topic. (Just get down the facts and basic structure. Then breathe life into it later after some further research and reflection.)
Anyway, it's my goal to make time to create queries for regional (non-Spokane...like Seattle) and national publications, spinning off ideas from the Spokane magazines I write for.
P.S. Was this a boring post? It feels like it. Sorry.
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