The June 2008 issue of Writer’s Digest features the magazine’s annual listing of 101 best Websites for writers. It’s interesting reading, as much for what it doesn’t include as for what it does. The listing is broken into research and reference Websites such as Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary and Wikipedia, resources on publishers, agents and the […]
Mediabistro.com Portland Writers Party Recap
Last night I went to my first media party hosted by mediabistro.com, the New York company that provides classes, job listings and networking events for freelancers. About 30 of us sipped wine and shared business cards at Vino Paradiso in the Pearl District. Some highlights: Stacey Wilson, associate editor at Portland Monthly and mediabistro’s Portland […]
Writing Blog Posts: Plotted Out or On the Fly?
I write blog posts a couple different ways. Some days it’s the spur of the moment, when an idea strikes or I’m inspired by the day’s news. Other times I hatch an idea, dash something off in a hurry, then let it simmer half-written for days or weeks before finishing it off. Or I’ll have […]
Why I'm Proud to Call Myself a Reporter
I’d planned to write about something else today, but it can wait. The 2008 Pulitzer Prizes came out yesterday, the newspaper industry’s highest honors. The Washington Post won six, a record for the paper, including the esteemed Public Service award for its reports on sub-par treatment of war veterans at Walter Reed Hospital. The paper […]
Spring Training for Freelancers
Baseball players aren’t the only ones who use springtime to warm up for the regular season. With winter behind us, the writing conference season is in full swing. Conferences can be a good way to inject new life into your freelance business – and pardon the pun – put some spring back in your writing. […]
Taking Time Off
Sometimes even the most hard-core freelancer has to step away from the keyboard and recharge the old writing batteries. I did last over the past week on a trip to central Oregon. Not far from Bend, I hiked the Deschutes River Trail, which passes waterfalls like this one, Dillon Falls. I also skied at Mt. […]