UK workshop for freelance journalists wanting more ‘corporate work’

Linda Jones, author of “The Greatest Freelance Writers Tips in the World” is holding a workshop for freelance journalists in London (Nov. 14) and Birmingham (Nov. 28). Topic include Ethics, Writing style, How to get work, Getting paid, and “Clients from hell.” Space is limited. To learn more, contact Linda directly:

linda@passionatemedia.co.uk   or   01543 468621

Need a writer, editor or proofreader?

Lauren Holder Raab of Blue Pencil Editing can help with your projects! She provides freelance writing, editing and proofreading services for a range of clients (individuals, nonprofits, Fortune 500 companies). Projects include books, magazines, marketing materials, technical documents, and Web sites. Check out her Web site: www.bluepencilediting.com and tell her Wendy sent you.

Interview with Melissa Donovan, creator of “Writing Forward”

Interview with Melissa Donovan, multi-talented writer and creating of ”Writing Forward,” an award-winning site for writers 

Melissa Donovan is a self-employed copywriter and web content specialist. She writes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Her blog, Writing Forward, which was recently named one of Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers,” offers creative writing tips and ideas.

 

1. How did you get started as a writer?

 

Like many writers, I started out as a reader – a voracious reader. I could read before I turned four years old and I have always devoured books. When I was about thirteen, I started journaling and writing poetry. I also enrolled in journalism class and worked on the school newspaper.

2. Favorite books (especially for writers)

Writers can learn a lot by reading well-written works by successful authors. If you want to improve your language, read Jazz by Toni Morrison. If you’re having trouble creating realistic or believable characters, read Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Read the classics and read extensively in whatever genre you want to write.

3. Tell us 3 interesting/crazy things about you

I’m a huge animal lover, and one of my goals is to write and work on behalf of the No Kill movement, which seeks to end the unethical and unnecessary killing of homeless animals in shelters. You can learn more by visiting the No Kill Advocacy Center.

Normally, I’m pretty shy and I don’t like speaking in public or being the center of attention. The only exception is when I’m dancing. I love to dance, and when I do, my inner exhibitionist comes out and my shyness disappears. I like to own the dance floor.

I started working as a freelance copywriter on a whim. I had been working for a company that went out of business, and six months later I was tired of the job search, tired of corporate life, and tired of playing it safe. So, I took a leap of faith and less than a month later, I was in business.

4. Best and worst part of being a writer

The best part of being a writer is telling a story that people care about. Also, the writing community is incredibly warm and supportive, so it’s an honor to be a part of that. It’s all about making that human connection.

Having said that, the worst part is the solitude. The only thing I miss about having an office job is meeting and working closely with other people. The Internet is helpful in maintaining a sense of community but it’s not quite the same.

5. Advice for other writers

Read and write. Those are the only two things every writer absolutely must do.

Where can people get writing tips and exercises?

My website features writing tips to help writers improve their craft, along with activities like poetry prompts and writing exercises. The poetry prompts are especially popular because the challenge is simple – write a poem that contains all of the words from a list.

One of my favorite fiction writing exercises asks writers to get into their characters by chatting with them, putting them in situations outside of the story, and writing a monologue from the characters’ perspective. It’s called “Getting Into Character.” 

Tell us a story about your writing experience. 

I took a fiction writing course in college, and I remember reading my story out loud to the class – not something I enjoyed much, but it was a class requirement. They laughed, and the best part was that they laughed where the story was supposed to be funny. I remember thinking that I can do this – if I can make people laugh with my writing, then I can be a writer.

“How to Survive as a Writer During a Recession”

Marcia Peterson has a collected a great bunch of pieces to answer “1 Big Question” (her words) about how to survive as a writer during a recession. Yes, I’m quoted in the article, but that’s not the only reason it’s a great read! ; )

http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/29-20questions-RecessionTips.html

5 Q’s with Wendy on freelance life

I was just interviewed by Susan Johnston of the Urban Muse Writer. She asked me about common mistakes writers make, staying organized and motivated as a freelance writer, advice for other writers and more. Read the interview and then sign up for The Urban Museletter to get your monthly fix of writing tips and tidbits. It’s good advice; Susan has written for The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, SELF, WomenEntrepreneur.com and Yahoo! HotJobs, among other places. She also teaches and does copywriting. Here’s her other Web site: www.Susan-Johnston.com

free ebook and tons of sites for freelance writers!

Hi folks,

Trevas Walker was kind enough to share a TON of resources with us. First of all, he’s GIVING AWAY his ebook for writers on eBookGuru.org. Here’s a direct link to the announcement of the Freelance Package:

http://www.ebookguru.org/index.php/2008/11/this-week%E2%80%99s-free-ebook-%E2%80%93-the-freelance-package/

 Next, here’s a list some of the sites that the book itself compares and teaches about. In the main body of the book you’ll find links to:

The Freelance Sites – for Finding Online Freelance Work (The Main Ones)

1. Elance – http://www.elance.com

2. oDesk – http://www.odesk.com

3. Guru – http://www.guru.com

4. Rent a Coder – http://www.rentacoder.com

5. Get a Coder – http://www.getacoder.com

and…

A Great Site for Finding Traditional Freelance Work

http://www.writersmarket.com

 

In the resource section of the book Traves has added:

http://www.getafreelancer.com/

http://www.limeexchange.com/

http://www.scriptlance.com/

http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/

http://www.freelancewriting.com/freelance-writing-jobs.php (Pulls writing jobs from various sources on the web.

http://www.online-writing-jobs.com/

http://allfreelancewritingjobs.com/

http://aboutfreelancewriting.com/jobs/currentjobs.htm

 

Traves says that eBookGuru.org will soon have some teaching resources for writers, so you might want to bookmark it and check back.

 

Three notes from Traves:

1. Don and I are working on a series on how to market an eBook (with a slant towards fiction), and Charlee Compo (http://www.windlegends.org/) has offered to write an article on building a successful writers site (her site gets about 5000 visitors each month).

 2. I also wrote a feature on ePublishing with the help of Chapmagne Books

http://www.ebookguru.org/index.php/2008/12/e-publishing-the-advantages-of-using-an-e-publisher-over-selling-it-yourself/

3. We also have an ePublishing article by Carol North (http://www.carolnorth.com/) posted here:

 http://www.ebookguru.org/index.php/2009/01/join-the-e-publishing-revolution/