Category Archives for Articles
8 Ways Submitting to ‘Modern Love’ Improved My Memoir
On June 24, 2020, the New York Times published one of my essays on their website for the first time.
Soon after “All We Can Do Is Sudoku” appeared online, an executive editor from Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, followed me on Twitter. As a writer of nonfiction seeking representation, I was thrilled. I’d written the memoir To Have and to Hoard: How I Found Treasure in My Husband’s Trash and planned to query agents soon.
Publishing in a goal publication is a confidence-booster. But even reaching for your goal pub can increase your confidence and improve your writing—whether or not your piece is accepted. I didn’t know that when I dove in, so I want to help other memoirists and novelists use their time wisely.
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Learn While You Earn: How Journalism Can Help Your Freelance Writing
A reporter’s role is sometimes seen as a lowly occupation, but the truth is that a journalist must be multi-disciplined. The smaller the publication, the wider the range of skills needed. And these skills can be applied to other kinds of writing.
Whether you’re just setting out as a writer or have years of experience behind you, I recommend taking a job or internship at a regional newspaper.
While major publications may ask for a journalism degree, a small-town paper is likely to take you on if you can string words together while making coffee for the boss.
I was already an established freelance writer when I decided to take a job at my local newspaper, hoping to expand my skills. In fact, I was in my 50s, making me probably the oldest “cub reporter” in the business.
My predecessor had enrolled in a university course in journalism, hoping to further her career. Within weeks, she’d returned home, asking for her old job back.
“I’d done it all before,” she complained.
She clearly didn’t recognize what a valuable training course the role of junior reporter was. Unluckily for her, I’d already been appointed to her former post and I was learning the same skills she had while drawing a salary.
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3 Tips for Writing Without Insecurities: The Bertrand Russell Effect
Every one of us has our own insecurities to grapple with; it’s human nature. Writers are no exception, but there’s something unique about having writing insecurities: They affect the process more directly than for other professionals.
A carpenter might feel insecure about the quality of their work, and a bus driver is perhaps insecure regarding their societal contribution—though consider whom you need more: bus drivers or stockbrokers?
To be sure, insecurity in any profession can be damaging and affect one’s concentration, but as long as the numbers add up and the vehicle is moving, a carpenter and a bus driver can function, and the process still gets done.
An insecure writer can’t function.
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To Do or Not to Do? The Art of Avoiding Procrastination
I have taught and mentored many students over the years, and what I can say in all honesty is that each one, at some point, suffered from procrastination. Suffering from procrastination might sound rather harsh, but when a student is sitting in front of you, despairing about not being able to write, it seems appropriate.
Defining procrastination is hard, particularly as we all procrastinate in different ways. Let’s just say that procrastination is the habit of putting off tasks to the last minute. It is the seemingly never-ending battle to get things done on time or completing things late and the agonizing you may go through to get them done at all.
We have all made promises to ourselves that somehow never get fulfilled. It’s the start of a new year, which means I again promise myself I am going to lose 20 pounds. As you can see, the regularity of this promise confirms that I have been repeatedly unsuccessful.
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