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Write Now! 2010 Writers’ Conference

It’s that time of year again, folks. Time to sign up for our annual conference! We’ve made some changes, based on your feedback. This year we have separate classes for novice and advanced writers, so there’s something for everyone. We’ve also added a small group mentoring session, where you can meet your fellow attendees and ask published writers questions about your career goals. We hope you’ll join us!

***PLEASE NOTE that the conference location has changed to Wake Tech’s Main Campus, south of Raleigh.

Triangle Area Freelancers (TAF) will hold its annual nonfiction symposium Write Now! 2010 at Wake Technical Community College (Main Campus) on Saturday, March 27, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local broadcast journalist and WRAL crime beat reporter Amanda Lamb will deliver the keynote address. Amanda is the author of three books: Smotherhood, Deadly Dose, and Evil Next Door, which is scheduled for an April 6 release.

The conference classes, taught by nationally published writers and journalists, are presented in two tracks. The novice track will include topics such as “Crafting a Winning Query Letter,” “Five-minute Mentoring,” “Nurturing the Writer/Editor Relationship,” and “Technology for Beginning Freelancers.” The advanced track will focus on “Moving Up to the Major Markets,” “Podcasting for Success,” “Chasing the Human Interest Story,” and “Niche Writing.”

Registration information is available on the TAF website:
www.triangleareafreelancers.org. Online registration is available with payment made through PayPal. The cost of the conference is $59 ($49 for students with a valid ID and seniors 65 and over). Only 100 seats are available. The registration fee includes a continental breakfast, box lunch, and beverages. For more information, call Donald Vaughan at 919.873.9833.

A Few Tips for Freelance Success

Having spent three decades in the freelance trenches, I’ve learned a thing or two on what it takes to succeed in this crazy biz. Following are ten (hopefully) helpful tips for both journeyman and novice writers alike:
1. Find a niche. Establishing yourself as an expert on a particular topic is a great way to keep the assignments coming. Just make sure it’s a subject with a lot of common appeal, otherwise you may find yourself writing only for low-paying specialty publications.
2. Be a general freelancer. It’s a wonderful way to learn (and write) about a broad array of fascinating topics. In my case, I’ve written features on everything from Marine sniper training to how to bathe a kitten, and I’ve enjoyed them all.
3. Don’t be afraid of the quick turnaround. Writers capable of turning around assignments quickly are an editor’s best friend. Be that kind of writer and you’ll work a lot.
4. Always maintain a high degree of professionalism. There’s a lot of competition out there, and professionalism in every aspect of the job will go a long way toward keeping you at the head of the pack. This means listening to your editor and delivering clean, quality copy before your assigned deadline.
5. Learn to interview well. This is one of the most important tasks a freelance writer must learn to master. Do it poorly, and your work will certainly suffer.
6. Hang around with other writers. And editors. And agents. Face time with others in the profession is a great way to stay abreast of industry changes and – perhaps most importantly – get (or share) work.
7. Keep pitching, even when your plate is full. In freelancing, you’re only as good as your most recent sale. So even if you have plenty to keep you busy, continue to send out queries and make contact with editors. You may not get a new gig today, but you might tomorrow when you really need it.
8. Don’t fear negotiation. Contracts are seldom written in stone, so don’t hesitate to ask for better conditions when you feel you’re getting the short end of the stick. If your requests are reasonable, most editors will say yes, or at least offer to meet you half way.
9. Read, read, read! There’s a lot of great journalism out there, so try to expand your literary horizons beyond the daily newspaper and your favorite magazines. I encourage my students to subscribe to Esquire, GQ and Rolling Stone, all of which regularly feature writers they can learn from.
10. Learn to occasionally say no. It’s easy to say yes to every offer that crosses your desk, especially if you’re a beginning freelancer eager to bolster your portfolio. But the smart writer is at least a little bit picky. When considering an assignment, ask yourself a few questions, including “Is the fee worth the time and aggravation?”, “Will this assignment challenge me as a journalist?”, “Would the time I’ll spend on this assignment be better spent in some other pursuit?” and “Will this assignment lead to more and better work?”
– Don

5 Great Reasons to attend Write Now! 2009

TAF’s second annual nonfiction conference is just around the corner, and you may be wondering: Should I attend? The answer is yes, and here’s why:

1. If you’re new to freelancing, this conference offers a wonderful opportunity to learn from writers with years and even decades of national freelance experience.

2. You’ll have the opportunity to network with individuals who are in a position to advance your writing career.

3.  Writing is a never-ending education. You may think you know it all, but you don’t.

4. You’ll be able to share your aspirations with others who have similar dreams. Learn from each other.

5. We’re offering some great door prizes this year, including books autographed by best-selling novelist Jodi Picoult, and the legendary Ray Bradbury.

If you haven’t registered, do so now. Write Now! 2009 is an opportunity you don’t want to miss.

– Don

Write Now! 2009 Writers’ Conference

It’s that time of year again! Time to sign up for the TAF writers’ conference. If you’re interested in freelance writing, or you’re already a freelancer but you’re not doing as well as you’d hoped, this conference is for you. With top notch instructors and two tracks of classes, you’ll find both the inspiration and the skills to take your writing (and your earnings!) to the next level. Last year’s participants enjoyed the conference so much, they predicted it would be a huge success going forward. And registrations are already pouring in. There are only 100 spaces available, so don’t wait! Sign up today. Here are the details:

NONFICTION WRITERS CONFERENCE
Triangle Area Freelancers (TAF) will hold its second nonfiction symposium Write Now! 2009 Writers’ Conference at Wake Technical Community College’s Northern Wake Campus on Saturday, April 18, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local novelist, nonfiction writer, and private editorial consultant Peggy Payne will deliver the keynote address. Her most recent novel Sister India is a New York Times Notable Book.

The conference classes, taught by nationally published writers and journalists, are presented in two tracks. “The Craft of Writing,” will include topics such as Finding and Developing Marketable Topics, When Being There Makes All the Difference, Breaking into Triangle Markets, and Avoiding Freelance Faux Pas. “The Business of Writing” will focus on Writing for the Web, Taxes and Other Boring (But Important) Stuff for Writers, The Legalities of Freelance Writing, and The Writer’s Life.

Registration information is available on the TAF website:
www.triangleareafreelancers.org. Online registration is available with payment made through PayPal. The cost of the conference is $59 ($49 for students with a valid ID and seniors 65 and over). Only 100 seats are available. The registration fee includes a continental breakfast, box lunch, snacks and beverages. For more information, call Donald Vaughan at 919.873.9833.

What I Do

I am a writer. Why do I write? I have to.

When I don’t write, I feel like things are getting away from me. I get nervous and anxious. Writing organizes my mind, so that I can focus on one thing at a time.

I have several writing projects underway, and I have several more ideas that I am very excited about, but it takes peace and quiet for me to “get my creativity on” – so to speak.

I have two small sons who are my constant companions, and their companionship is the opposite of peace and quiet.

I love this time in my life. I love to be with my boys and watch them grow. I have a son who is almost sixteen years old, too, so I know how soon this season will be just a memory. Every milestone they reach, every inch they grow, makes my heart ache with a longing to keep them just as they are, always.

I often wish that I was more productive with my writing. I feel like I should be honing my skills, working on my big projects, selling articles (?!?), etc., but for that I need peace and quiet.

What I can fit into my crazy day is a couple of minutes to write down what my boys are up to. It’s writing. It’s fun. It’s therapeutic. It calms me – to know that I haven’t let these moments get away from me.

When my little guys have grown up, and moved away, and have lives of their own, I won’t have to wonder where the time went. I can look back and read and remember, and never forget how much fun we had, and how lucky I am to have had these years with them.

As to the rest, I write when the opportunity arises. Some days are more creative than others. Some days I just have to hire someone to take care of my mom job. Then I can go somewhere peaceful where nobody wants anything from me, and I can write for hours without interruption.

I know that someday I’ll have so much time to myself, that I will have to seek out distractions. For now, if what I write isn’t right, or if I am not doing all that I would like to do, or if my thoughts are scattered, or if I can’t complete sentences, I am at peace with the reasons why.

–Naomi Sikur

The perfect day

As freelancers, we’re often told that in order to be most productive, we should mimic the office workday. We’re advised to start writing first thing in the morning, work standard hours, and put a sign on our office door saying we’re not to be interrupted. Personal phone calls during the day are a no no, as are household chores, which should be done in the evening or on the weekends.

On the surface, this advice makes perfect sense. Except sometimes ideas that sound good don’t work as well as they sound.

My brother is the founder and CEO of a large manufacturing business, and people are always asking him the secret to his success. The real secret, one he is too humble to admit, is plain old-fashioned hard work, sustained, over a long period of time. But a close second, in my book, is his counterintuitive thinking. If the cost of raw materials goes up, instead of increasing the prices on his products (as do his competitors), he either lowers them or holds them steady, finding alternative ways to cut costs. In other words, he does the unexpected. By doing so, he gains customers who appreciate his concern for their pocketbooks so much that they stick with him for life.

Many of us decided to become freelance writers in order to get away from the 9 to 5, so why should we try to recreate the same old grind at home? Why not, instead, design the perfect day?

I am a night owl, as are many writers, if the volume of late-night email from my freelancing buddies is any indication. So my morning starts later. I’m also an ease-into-the-morning type, instead of a jump-out-of-bed-and-get-going kind of person. After a few cups of tea and a quick glance at the news, I used to try to get to work as quickly as possible after tidying up the kitchen and throwing a load of laundry in the washer.

But it’s never felt quite right to me, so lately I’ve been trying something different. Partly for the exercise, and partly to save money instead of hiring a cleaning lady, I’ve been adding a few extra chores to my morning routine. Hard chores, like scrubbing toilets and washing window sills, that make me sweat. After a shower, I’m not only feeling productive and refreshed, I’m actually ready to sit. I’m more focused after “shaking my sillies out,” and I tend to get less overwhelmed than when I try to work in a messy house. It shifts our whole day later, but my husband works long hours, so it’s not a problem for us.

As for the interruptions, I’m fortunate, because our kids are grown, although I still get plenty of calls from my stressed-out college girl. Family members and friends also forget that I’m working and call here and there during the day to chat. But, having worked in many office environments, I know that there are plenty of interruptions there too. My feeling is that socializing, within reason (whether it’s in person at work or on the phone at home), isn’t a total waste of time. When we’re too isolated, we sometimes just spin our wheels.

While a day at home alone might sound like bliss to our friends who can’t leave the office except for lunch, eight hours working by yourself can prove to be long and uneventful. We all need connections, and feedback. Granted, if you’re on a roll writing the best article ever, you don’t want to answer the phone and lose your focus. But writers often create in what I call chunks—the first pass chunk, the flesh-it-out chunk, and the editing chunk. We all know that stepping back from our work from time to time to let our words percolate helps us to see things we’ve missed (like my misuse of the word “waist” instead of “waste” in my first pass on the previous paragraph).

In between chunks, it makes sense to take a break and respond to a friend’s call. When our first blush of excitement about an article or a blog post wanes, sharing our ideas with others can often re-energize us. After having done so, I often go back to my work with more clarity, and add a few interesting details to the piece I’m working on based on our conversation.

Let’s face it, if you’re freelancing, chances are that you aren’t too crazy about routines anyway. Why be conventional if you don’t have to? Experiment with your day. Try different schedules in order to find the one that’s perfect for you. Do you write better at midnight, after a walk, or after cleaning out the fridge as I did today? Do you prefer the TV on and the windows open? Go for it. Even once you discover the formula that works for you, don’t get stuck in it. Be creative. Mix it up now and then. As long as you get your work done, there is no wrong schedule.

Contrary to what common sense would suggest, conventional wisdom isn’t always the best kind.

- Elaine Luddy Klonicki

Freelancin’ Blues

Freelance writers: your world is an up and down mixed bag of responses from pubs nationwide. There will be rejection, but as I’ve been told many, many times, “Don’t take it personally.” If you are producing quality work, have queried regularly, and followed all publication submission guidelines, your time WILL come. But editors, please do writers the courtesy of at least being upfront about things. I once queried an editor who was not interested in my story idea. He sent me a very nice email saying something to the effect of, “Thank you … not at this time … but please query again.”

And so for months, I continued to send story ideas his way. When one really great idea came across my desk, I immediately queried this editor, certain in my heart and soul that this story could not be turned down. His reply? “Thank you for the offer. Unfortunately, we don’t have it in our budget to pay freelancers. That said, I’d welcome anything you’d like to submit but am unable to reimburse you for it.”

It was an unexpected speed bump. That’s the kind of information that should have been put forth upfront. And unfortunately, it’s not in my budget (or anyone else’s I know) to work for free.

But I didn’t take it personally. I pitched the same story idea to an online publication and they were thrilled. Being in the right place at the right time really does have its benefits. And in this business, perseverance is everything.

-Kristy

[Previously posted at www.kristystevenson.blogspot.com - June, 2008.]

When your writing rules YOU

It wasn’t so much an epiphany as a slow, gradual realization that I was no longer in control of my career. True, I was getting plenty of assignments, many of them lucrative, but I had fallen into the trap of accepting everything that crossed my desk in a frightened attempt to maintain an “income stream,” and in so doing I had killed the very thing that made me want to become a writer in the first place.

I’ve been writing for more than 30 years, and have worked steadily as a freelancer for 17 years. I entered freelancing in 1991 out of a desire to write what I wanted to write, not what others wanted me to write. But now, nearly two decades in, I was right back where I started, a realization that made me increasingly unhappy.

So one morning not too long ago I woke up and said, no more!

My problem, I realized, was that I had become lazy and complacent. I had developed bad habits that were keeping me from achieving my full potential as a professional writer. I had no one to blame but myself for the rut I was in, and it was up to me to climb out and start climbing up.

The first thing I did was resolve not to waste time on small articles for small markets. I wasn’t going to burn bridges — that’s never a wise career move — but I was going to politely decline the small stuff and more aggressively ask for larger, better paying features.

More importantly, I began jotting down the big ideas that had been filling my brain over the years, and identifying the larger, better markets that might be interested in them. This included, among others, Rolling Stone Magazine, Readers’ Digest, GQ and the larger inflight magazines. It might take me a while to break in, but I realized I never would if I didn’t start making the effort. These markets weren’t going to come to me, I had to go to them — and with my very best work.
Driven, I spent an hour and a half at Barnes & Noble evaluating markets and writing down pertinent contact information. Magazines that used to intimidate me are now targets in my sights. I may miss with my first shot, and maybe even my second and third. But eventually I’ll hit the target, and all of my efforts will have been worthwhile.

I’m also working harder and faster. I don’t procrastinate anymore. When I get an assignment now, I immediately get my questions together and move fast to arrange interviews. The faster I work, the more I work. And the more I work, the closer I come to my goal of writing what I want to write.

I’m telling you this because I want you to push and encourage me. Like the smoker who tells everyone he knows that he’s trying to quit, I want you to MAKE me work harder toward my bigger goals.

If you do that, I promise to do the same for you.

– Don

Sell What You Have: Lessons learned from the rich young ruler. (Lk 18:18-23)

The words pierced me like a carefully targeted arrow hitting its mark. Yet, I was neither rich, nor young. Neither was I a ruler. Or was I?

There were some things he’d gotten right, this young man who stood questioning Jesus. Yet, there was more required of him. He ruled. But he lacked the ability to exercise dominion in the arena of marketing.

As a young writer, aspiring to see my articles in print, the revelation flooded my understanding, jolting my little world of I-don’t-like-to-do-marketing. The words bathed me with new understanding. “Sell what you have.”

It only takes a moment for the higher thoughts of the Lord to penetrate and shatter the hidden secrets of the heart. I, like the rich, young ruler, was holding on to my writing as he did his possessions. With a change of thinking, I pondered the words. “Sell what you have.”

What you have…not what they want.

Sell it! Don’t give it away.

Sell what you have.

You’ve got it, something others need to survive, overcome, endure…succeed.

What have you already written? What have you written that has value? What are you storing up in barns, even building new barns to hold, instead of getting it out into the arena of valued product?

Writer’s rich with ideas must accept the challenge Jesus presented to the young ruler. It requires a change of focus from possessor to promoter. From marks to market. From my possession to my responsibility to get the message out.

What could the rich young ruler have done? What can we, rich young writers do?

Accept the challenge and obey the command.

Hear the affirmation in the command. Ponder this for a moment. Jesus told the man, “Sell what you have.” He obviously knew what the man had. According to the young ruler’s response to the Lord, he kept five of the ten commandments. Jesus did not discount the accomplishment. He could just as well have said, “Don’t keep the secret to your success, the ability to keep these commandments, stored away in your own barn. Make this available for public consumption. Feed those who are struggling with that which you have mastered.”

Jesus’ words of command were also words of encouragement. It was an affirmation of the young man’s wealth. I know what you have. Sell it. Get people to make an exchange. At the same time He was also saying, “There are people out there who are willing to pay for what you are storing.”

Think about this for a moment. This is Jesus speaking. He knows who you are and what you have to offer. He knows the needs of the people and he’s standing before you with one simple command. “Sell what you have.”

Package what you have for public consumption. Someone needs it. Someone will buy it….and you will experience new life. Isn’t that the essence of what Jesus said to the man?

Let’s take this a step further. Let’s brainstorm together. What unmerited thinking shackled the rich young ruler? Could it be summed up by saying, “I don’t know how? I don’t have the time. I’ve never done that before.” After all those are some of the excuses we’ve been using isn’t it? I don’t know how to find out who needs this information. I don’t know how to query an editor. I don’t know how to edit the article. I don’t know how….? Fill in the blank yourself. I’m sure you, like myself, have said it enough times to know the refrain by heart.

Here’s a thought to ponder. This ruler was being challenged by the Lord to expand his knowledge base. Yet, he was content to just possess. Many in the body of Christ stand at the same threshold. We possess knowledge of the Christian life. We have overcome in several, if not many, arenas. We have some trophies and we sometimes recall the moments of triumph. But have we recorded those victories, the lessons learned and the encouragement for others?

I want to leave you with this thought today. Are you a rich young ruler? Are you secure in your level of accomplishment? Take this challenge today. What truths have you mastered? What area of your life has been transformed. What food for thought do you have that others will be nourished by? Write them. Record them and pass them on. They’re valuable and someone will make an exchange (buy) in order to reach the level of success you are basking in today.

–Debbie Howard

Where the *BLEEP* are My Files?!?!

Sunday morning I wake early from sleep, dreaming of the interviews on Monday morning. Or was it today? No, I’m sure it was Monday. A wave of uncertainty washes over. I hit the power button to my computer and go to feed our black lab who is whining to eat. When I return, the computer screen is black. I push the power button again. Nothing. I push the power button five more times hoping that the same action will yield a different result. 7am. My husband wakes up to a blood-curling scream.“My computer crashed! It crashed! And I have an interview tomorrow morning!!!!” I didn’t write down specifics since they were all in an e-mail from my editor, who is also out of town for the next week. Where do I go? What time? Monday 9am. I think. Maybe. Where? A church in North Raleigh. Calling Best Buy, we find out they open at 10am. Calming down, I keep myself busy, make breakfast, take a shower, get dressed. 9:45 am we arrive at Best Buy, along with another 50 people holding tickets to be the first to buy the Wii. At this point, I don’t even know what Wii is, looking at the picture of a guitar on someone’s ticket. Already people in line are complaining. Once making it into the store, a man pushes ahead of us in line. Barton bellow, “Excuse me!” Feeling guilty, the man backs off and insists we go ahead. The manager of the Geek Squad reads all the regulations for a 4-day information transfer, but she’ll push it ahead this afternoon.

When we come home, I am already scheming backup plans. I call our great mentor Don, who suggests I call the paper through out the afternoon. Barton and I spend several hours looking at churches in north Raleigh- is it that one? No, that’s too far out; it’s this one over here.

2:45pm I call Best Buy- taking over thirty minutes of recorded voices and being on hold to be told they can’t find the manager. I just can’t stand it anymore. I rush back down to the store trying not to mow down the gobs of people buying Christmas gifts. Finally, the tech. staff hands me a disk of retrieved files. They have to ship the computer out- for now, it remains dead.

8pm Barton and I stare at the computer screen of his old computer. First, the set up, creating a new log-on account and e-mail account. The sensor on the computer scrolls up and down, uncontrollably. There was a reason that Barton dumped this computer. 10pm We push file folder buttons to find the lost information scattered in some obscure place.

10:30pm Barton finds it and we import Outlook e-mails. We have found it!!!!!

Monday 9am, early to the interview, downing coffee to stay awake. In the afternoon, I am wrangling with Barton’s computer, taking three times the normal speed for me to type one word, and apparently it likes to freeze every ten minutes. I save after every word I type.

Later, our mentor Don writes, “Remember, no matter what happens, it’s not the end of the world. Keep repeating that and you’ll be fine.”

I’ll be repeating it; trust me, I’ll be repeating it.

–Megan Cutter