Journalists are totally overburdened by the pressure-cooker of this industry. It’s beyond just being a tough job – the pressures can take a toll. Add to that the increasing pressures of adult life that everyone faces, and it can be too much. As a precaution against spiraling and a protection against despair, over the last … More Instead of getting discouraged, find your inner “do list”
Reporters ask me all the time for advice on how to get assignments and pitch. There is typical advice that gets doled out: keep it short and sweet and don’t be a jerk to your editors, and you’ll go far. That’s all fine and well, but what about saying no? It is rare that I … More The liberating power of saying no
Living the life of a writer isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. … More The Serious Business of Writing
I once read this great story about a young writer named Amanda Hocking. Hocking writes fantasy stories and became a guru of self-publishing (translation: financially successful) before getting a pretty sweet deal from a publisher for a couple million dollars. But that’s not what I like about Hocking. What’s cool about her is that even … More Don’t Wait to be Inspired to Write
It’s seriously tempting as a journalist these days to take the low road when it comes to finding work. But if you calculate the time and energy it takes to search for freelance work, you’re better off getting really good at being a journalist. The trick of dressing up hack journalism with the title of … More Just Say No to Being a Content Producer
It’s tempting as a journalist to give up and just find some other job. Something more stable, predictable and that feeds a steady paycheck into the bank account. There is also the in-between realm of working a “day job” that pays the bills and doing journalism on the side in one’s spare time. There is … More Considering giving up on writing? Here are 6 tips to convince you otherwise
Most writers will agree that you need a regimen of some kind. I have to agree. Whether you’re a novelist, a journalist, or somewhere in between. A good place to start when you sit down to write is to put your phone away. Since most of us now have phones with email, your cell can … More Writers Live Their Craft
Think about telling a story to someone. It could be anything: a car wreck you saw, the rude waiter who shocked your dinner party with his behavior, the job that’s just killing you, etc. Now think again, and ask yourself a question. Why do so many stories we tell have such a negative angle? Consumers … More The Trick of the Story Angle
Yesterday I saw an article on the Internet about a list of the ten jobs with the highest rate of depression. Of course, writers/artists/creative careers was on the list (all lumped together). I have also heard many different talks and seminars in which the speaker discusses how to work around your life to be a … More Don’t Write in Spite of Your Life
A frequent question that newer reporters have is, “How do I find good story ideas?” Unfortunately, there is no one answer to this question. Also unfortunately, it is often a process of trial and error. Some writers swear by jotting ideas down in a notebook for future reference. Other people live and die by a … More Finding Story Ideas that Move You to Action
