Pat Olsen discusses first-person profiles, stories written as if the writer is the person they’re writing about.
Dear WordCount: How can I do background research more efficiently?
A story is only as good as the research that goes into it. Here’s how to get better at digging up data, without adding a lot of extra time.
Helpful hints for starting your freelance writing business
Advice for launching a freelance writing career, including tips on querying, interviews, writing, copyediting, and working with editors.
Dear WordCount: How do I set a rate for a freelance writing project?
Four simple methods for figuring out what to charge for a writing project.
Top 10 WordCount posts for November 2012: Be inspired
Writing advice from Barbara Kingsolver, tips for spotting trends, working through Superstorm Sandy, and more.
7 steps to becoming a trend spotting ace
If you can identify changes in how people behave or how the world works, you can turn them into story ideas, and have editors begging to work with you.