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Friday, February 04, 2011

 

Going Nuts, But in a Great Way!

GOING NUTS, IN A GOOD WAY

Remember my incessant whining a few months ago. I know I tend to do that sometimes.



This was the whine on how I needed to find a way to write and get paid.



Well, it appears that it’s finally happening!




It all started with that “experience” with a certain new news website. As many of you know, I’ve been a freelancer for Freedom Communications for over 3 years, but because of budget cuts last June-I had been relegated to my $60 a month column. Fortunately, I wound up doing some regional magazine pieces during the last 6 very lean months.




Then I ran into a fellow writer and former soccer mom at a luncheon we were both invited too for our articles on behalf of the nonprofit holding the event. This lovely woman suggested I contact an editor who might need a feature writer.




I did, we hit it off like warm apple pie and vanilla ice cream. Then that news site-one very nice editor assigned me quite a few stories.




Another writer friend secured a senior copywriting job and told her supplemental editors about me. That lead hasn’t been real positive, but one is still telling me he wants me to write for them. So I’m on stand-by there.




Then I got THE e-mail. My editor of my local city column wanted to know if I’d be interested in, as he put it, “doing enough free-lance work for us, that you’ll be too busy to work for ------.com?”




HELL YES was what I wanted to reply, but I remembered I’m a professional and said it way more politely and demurely.




A week later, I signed a contract for 5 stories a week from them, plus my monthly column. One of those regionals-I’m not on the list of permanent contributors. I’m still writing for one of the nicest editors that do not conflict with my areas I’m assigned to with Freedom. And I actually covered a corneal transplant for a boy brought in from Fiji by a foundation helping this poor country get good medical care that wound up in the main publication.




And today, my day I publish here-I’ll be off to a ribbon cutting of the new office of the doctor who brought the transplant patient over and I’ll continue on to interview a real “Rosie the Riveter”.




I’m excited, I’m both energized and exhausted, I’m meeting and writing about interesting and fun people and even though I’m wondering how to keep up this pace-I’m on a ride I hope will continue for many years to come.




With that in mind-I have to go get dressed because I’ve got places to go, people to meet and talk too and then-I’m going to write all about it.




Thank you my guardian angel.

Comments:
Congrats! Sounds great! I always remember one constant from my days in the newspaper business--it was never boring work. You're already finding that out.

Just curious . . . do you come up with your own story ideas? Or do you get assignments?
 
a bit of both Dave! depends on which publication and what I find!
 
Probably helps that you're nestled in a large community with lots of people and lots going on. As a reporter in a small town, I racked my brain trying to find feature-worthy people and events.
 
I sometimes do that, Laguna Hills is a "bedroom" community and sometimes I get a bit worried about the monthly column b/c I don't have someone or a business that's available. eek
 
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