My mother made me a better writer by doing nothing

My mom is an amazing individual (even if most people can say that about their own mothers.) Honestly my mom is Martha Stewart and June Cleaver and Oprah all rolled into one. And it is to her, on this Mother's Day, that I owe a good portion of my love for and ability to write.

When I was in grade school I began to love the concept of putting pen to paper to come up with something unique and interesting to read by another person. I don't have any of my early writings, but I believe it is safe to say... they were horrible. At some point, I don't remember what year, I had to take one of those standardized tests. You know, the kind that mean nothing but are required and the results arrive in the mail. When the kids in my class started talking about their test results I was surprised that I'd yet to see mine. When I asked my mom where the scores were she told me it wasn't important as long as I was doing my best in school.

Fast forward a year or two. I took the same test and when I asked about the results I got the same response. It doesn't matter because my parents knew I was trying. It wasn't until I was in high school, excelling at the English writing courses and starting the school paper that my mom told me the ulterior motive behind not showing me the scores.

I had scored the lowest on the writing portion of the test, lower even than science - the class I despised. My mom (and dad) knew how much writing meant to me and they didn't want me to become discouraged by the score. They knew me so well! So, they kept the results a secret from me and were justly rewarded when I took the test again a few years later and received my highest score on the writing portion.

Thank God my mom kept the results from me. Who knows where I would be today if I had become disheartened with writing all the way back in grade school.

Stepping Away

This probably does not count as a May Blogathon post but... today I am moving a friend of mine out of her college dorm and back home. And I'm taking advantage of the day to literally disconnect from technology to just help her and be a good friend.

I'm a firm believer in getting your priorities straight.

Phones...

I'm spending nearly the entire day playing around with my new HTC Droid Incredible. I'll have a review of it up here in about a week after I learn all the fun parts of the phone. But for now... I have to say it's great.

I've had a blackberry for two years and have been a big proponent of the blackberry. But the problem with it is that the internet does not display as I would like it to. Plus the cameras on most of the blackberry devices are inferior to almost every other kind of smartphone out today. For email, twitter, and basic note taking (plus phone calls of course) the Blackberry Curve was a perfect phone.

Long video, but this walks you through most of the basics of the Droid Incredible:

What Journalism Is...

Planning ahead - editorial calendars

Happy Cinco De Mayo! The pseudo-holiday got me thinking about the need freelancers have to plan ahead. Publications work off editorial calendars, which often run months in advance. Content to go live this week about Margaritas and Coronas and good guacamole (YUM) has been planned well in advance.

For us freelancers, it's crucial to know the work flow pattern for the publication you hope to pitch. An outdated pitch will get sent directly to the trash bin by the editor you are pitching. They don't have the time not the patience to deal with writers who are unable to think ahead.

Your best bet is to find a publications editorial calendar and then create one of your own. Count back the days to when the publication will begin working on a specific topic. Then count back the amount of time it will take you to write the piece and add a couple extra days to send the pitch and get it accepted or tweaked by the writer.

With this mantra you're likely to be working on Back to School and Halloween pieces now. But that's ok. It'll stretch your creativity and help you hone the art of the pitch.

Making Use of Lost Moments

I'm typing this post out on my blackberry as I ride a stationary bike at my gym. Yes, I am getting some odd looks from my fellow gym buddies, but inspiration struck and I needed to take advantage.

For a freelancer, and let's face it for pretty much anyone on the planet, time is money. Unlike those who work a 9-to-5 job we don't necessarily know where out next pay check is coming from. We need to cultivate clients, network and pitch like crazy. And then when we finally do get a client or a gig we need to dive right into the project, usually there is no time to waste.

As a result it's important to take advantage of the little spots of time that are otherwise vacant in our day and fill those with mini brain storming sessions, outline creation or basic note taking. I've written whole posts while driving around from place to place and waiting in lines on a normal Tuesday. Plus taking advantage to take notes when inspiration hits will allow you an easier time when it comes to pitching and writing. I mean honestly, how many times have you had an AMAZING idea, forgot to jot it down and subsequently couldn't remember the previous stellar idea? Too often to count no doubt. (For instance the idea for this post came to me yesterday as I was sitting at a red light responding to an e-mail. I immediately made a note. )

If you think about it I'm sure your day is full of little periods of time you've previously considered wasted. The wait at the red light or train crossing. The 10 minutes before an event starts. The cool down at the gym. The line at Starbucks or the wait to get your drink. There are little lost moments littered throughout our day. Taking advantage of them will mean increased productivity and likely better long term results.

How is a blogger not like a journalist?

Everybody and their mother has a blog these days; and most of these people call themselves journalists. But let's get one thing straight - bloggers and journalists are not the same.

A Blogger is someone who writes targeted content for a specific audience. They may have experience in the industry or just an opinion on the matter. Blogs are free range for opinions to run rampant. When penning a blog there is no necessary writing style or formulas to follow. The facts mentioned don't have to be backed up by reliable sources (although I think they should be.) A blog is a place for conversation and debate. The blogger is the mastermind behind this forum.

A Journalist is someone who usually writes on a specific topic they have a specialty in. They know the facts, the sources, the key players. The articles should be laced with provable facts and written with the hope of conveying truth to the readers. A journalists own personal opinion should not be apparent in the article; it's all about the facts.

The line between these two types of writers are often blurred, which confuses the non-media savy public. When I write for businesses publications I call myself a journalist. I am delivering the facts to a specific market of readers that want to know what is going on. When I publish blog posts I'm a blogger. I fill my paragraphs with my own thoughts and opinions on a certain topic and pose questions for discussion. Bloggers get paid to offer their opinions. Writers get paid to check their opinions at the door.

Yes, I'm a blogger

Hi. I'm KT and I'm a blogger. Ok, I'm more than a passive blogger (even if it's hard to tell from the sporadic Write Beyond posts). I actually make money from blogging. Try explaining that to someone who isn't up on new media and it's like talking a foreign language.

"What do you do for a living?"
"I write for several different blogs."
"Uh, huh. And what do you really do?"
"Um... I blog, you know about fashion, technology, pop culture, freelance writing, whatever."
"So you write? You're a journalist?"
"Yeah, I supposed you could say that since I went to school for journalism. And I write actual news pieces from time to time but I mostly blog now."
"I can't believe people pay you to do that. It takes no brains or effort to just write out your opinion."

Excuse me?! While everyone can physically write, it takes talent to craft words. And to make a blog successful it is not just a matter of putting your opinion down for others to potentially maybe read. A blogger needs to create conversation. She needs to entice readers back. She needs to draw new eyes to the site. It is not just as simple as filling a page in an 8th-grade diary. This is actual work.

May Blogathon 2010

Last year I participated in the May Blogathon coordinated by Michelle Rafter. The experience was great and taught me a number of positive things about the art of blogging. I managed to write 27 posts during May 2009. But things got crazy, I took on some new freelancing jobs and I started a fashion blog, so Write Beyond often fell to the side.

Now that it's May again, I'm ready to re-start my frequent posts and do so with the encouragement and help of roughly 100 other bloggers. (Learn more here.) So in the weeks ahead I'll be attempting to write a daily post on the freelance and journalism industries. I'm geared up, I'm making a calendar of posts, and I plan to pre-write posts for the weekends so I don't skip days.

Good luck to all the other bloggers! I can't wait to read what you all have to say. (And although I am not entering my fashion blog in the Blogathon list, I'll also attempt to post daily to ModlyChic as well.)

Freelance Doesn't Mean Free Work

This morning a fellow LinkedIn Group member sent me an e-mail. He complimented my writing style and said he'd love for me to write the copy for his new fashion-related website. My first thought: 'Hells Yeah!'

With my freelance career I've slowly been trying to make the transition from a strict business writer to a fashion and lifestyle writer. It's no easy task since journalism is usually a niche profession (more on that later this week). But I've been working on my own fashion blog, started blogging for a lifestyle/fashion blog out of Australia, and been doing several one-time articles for various pubs/blogs/sites. So, obviously my initial reaction was 'Finally someone recognizes my writing talent in this area.' Well... that was until I read the next line...

This potential client went on to say that because it was a start-up company they would be unable to compensate me in anyway for my work. Once the business was financially viable they might be able to pay me for future work. *bubble BURST* At this point my sunny, excited disposition swiftly turned into annoyance and anger.

What is it about freelance that makes people think you have the opportunity and desire to work for free? I'm no longer at the start of my career, when I might have tripped over myself to get an opportunity like this, regardless of compensation. I don't need a couple great clips to pad my portfolio. And I'm not naive enough to believe the experience from this writing gig will be more valuable than any monetary compensation.

I'm a professional. I work hard. I write well. And I rely completely on the money I make from writing to pay the bills. You wouldn't walk into the Gap and say to the manager 'give me these Long and Lean jeans for free. It'll be great exposure for your brand and really worth it in the long run.' The manager would kick you out of the store and not entertain your request for even a split second. (incidentally Long and Lean jeans from Gap are some of my all-time fav denim styles)

In this man's defense, I don't think he wrote me with any ill will. He probably honestly thought this would be a great opportunity and something a writing professional would jump at. So, instead of delete his e-mail without a response I wrote him back and kindly explained that I am unable to take non-paying gigs at this point in time. I offered to write if he could come up with some kind of payment in exchange.