Wordsmith Lane

Blogger’s Desk: Tough dreams are made of this

I answer all private number calls with “Hello, this is Sarah speaking”. Today, Boyfriend has his number switched on private for some work-related reason, and I am having a go at him because I keep thinking he is someone else calling to let me know that I have:

A) Won some magical cash prize that is going to fund at least my car rego and insurance payments, and let’s not lie, a mani and eyebrow wax

B) Scored some kick-ass job that will not have me travel to the far reaches of the galaxy and which will simultanously nourish my super-fund, my mind and my particular distaste for faraway parking spots and traffic

C) Earned a regular column that will sustain me in my current freelancing existence

D) Wowed the editors at some publishing house with the first chapter and synopsis of my novel.

As you can imagine, I am one bored, unmotivated and really tired woman. For starters, it has been almost four months since I was made redundant. My bank account is dwindling and there is so much I want to do and write, but there is limited motivation on my part (I blame recent bad luck for this) and limited opportunity/freelancing funds on the part of many editors. I feel that at 23, I am tired of trying and sick of pushing for a career that is just far too complicated for my liking. Is it really that impossible to be happy and satisfied when it comes to work?

Over the past few weeks, I have sincerely contemplated dropping everything, and enrolling in a DipEd because at least that way, I am pretty much guaranteed a job as a teacher. But then what kind of wordsmith blogger will I be? The whole point of starting this blog was to keep me firmly footed in my career dreams, and also, to share with many of you that there will always be a tough time to be had as a wordsmith.

But it seems I am not the only one in the Wordsmith World with questions. Today’s postings at The Punch all deal with the issue of paying for content. No matter where you stand on the issue, I recommend you read the piece by UTS Student Kelly Simpson and classmates, on what the journalism of the future actually means, especially for the journalists of today.

It seems that I should not be troubling myself too much on account of the fact that I am slowly losing grip on writing for newspapers and magazines of this world. Does my answer lie in embracing the online world, despite its limited opportunities for pay? I certinaly hope not, but at least I am comforted by the fact that change is all around me, and I am not the only one in its wake.

But my biggest comfort came from yesterday’s Gospel reading at Mass, where, in the book of St Luke, Jesus said to a young woman: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled by many things, but only one thing is needful”.

Religious or not – this little quote ought to remind us all that even during our worst wordsmith moments, there’s always something better, simpler or more calming to take in. For me, it will always be a spiritual connection of sorts, and the faith that my family and friends have in me. There’s nothing like walking into your boyfriends house and seeing all the magazines you’ve written for arranged on the coffee table to be soaked up by visitors. Or having an email from an aspiring writer asking you for help and saying they admire your work.

And then there’s the faith that I have in myself – even if it fades a lot (especially these days), all I have to do is remind myself that I love what I do and that’s more important than the cash in my pocket. The industry might change, but my being a writer won’t. And as long as I can  paint my nails a motivating shade of pink or a powerful shade of red, I will know that there’s always an opportunity for me to write my own story, and because I will never be able to see the future, there’s always going to be hope that my next big break is around the corner. Even if it never comes along, just knowing that there’s a chance it might, will send my self-worth skyrocketing.

Interview: Rachel Hills – Writer, Speaker, Blogger, etc.

Rachel Hills does a lot of things. She writes for a number of online and print publications of both the high and low brow, blogs about life and other catastrophes at www.rachellhills.tumblr.com , helps to run the highly-visited NINEMSN home page in her role as Deputy Editor, speaks at festivals, forums and media events, and conducts copius amounts of research for her big thesis on sex and gender. In between, she’s working on a book, plotting her intellectual takeover over our media spheres and guising me through many a crisis as my mentor.

You can see here that I have a lot of nice things to say about Ms Hills, but these are not going to give her enough justice. How about you read this fabulous interview instead, and see for yourself what a goal-oriented, groung-breaking and awe-inspiring wordsmith she really is. Have a fab weekend, wordsmith laners xx

Who are you writing for at the moment? / What are some of your current projects? 

I’ve worked with a pretty broad stable of editors (see here for more info), but who I work with at any given moment is determined more by the stories I want to pursue than anything else – it changes over time. This year, though, I’ve done most of my work with Cleo and the Fairfax newspapers. I’m also working on a feature for Vogue, which I’ve jokingly started to refer to as ‘the story that never ends’. And then there’s my book and thesis.

You sold your first article when you were 22, an age where most young people are still trying to figure out who they are. Not even four years later, you have had over 100 articles published, all while juggling various part-time jobs, expansive speaking gigs, and most recently, a postgraduate research degree. How has this experience been for you? Does it seem surreal, or fast? And how are you able to stay focused on your major career goals and objectives while, in a sense, diversifying your avenues of getting there?

If anything, it’s seemed too slow. Too slow when I was figuring out how to get published, too slow when I was first starting out and couldn’t get the major mags to pay any attention to me, and too slow now that I realise this bloody book is probably going to take me another three years to finish (but when it is finished, I’m sure people will think it was fast, too)! There have definitely been some crises of confidence. That said, I still get a real thrill whenever I get a pitch accepted, and over the past year and a half especially, it’s been really wonderful to reach a point in my career where even editors who haven’t worked with me will usually take on my ideas, on the strength of my portfolio and reputation. That’s what this whole thing is about, really – being able to get your writing out there, and get it read. As for staying focused – obviously it’s hard sometimes when you’ve got so much going on, but overall I’ve found it’s reasonably easy to stay on track if your end goal is consistent.

How did it feel to head up and participate in projects such as election tracker [which sent four journalists aged under 25 on the 2004 federal election campaign], interface and the Media Bistro events? Do you think that your creative community building efforts aid your career?

Fantastic. I was absolutely in love with electionTracker – at that point, it was the most exciting thing I’d ever done in my life – and Interface was my baby. I was incredibly passionate about both of them, and there’s nothing like working on a project you care about that much. They were also a great opportunity to meet some really talented young writers (if I hadn’t done electionTracker, I wouldn’t have started freelancing until much later) and learn ‘how things work’: things like how to negotiate access, how to get a panel up at a writers’ festival, how to get media coverage, how to manage people and be managed, and so on. That said, they were also exhausting – I was burnt out after both of them. When I was editing electionTracker, I had to be available to my writers between 8pm and 2am each day. I was also working another job four days a week, so I was editing ten articles each day and coordinating seven staff in the evenings. I was working so hard that I managed to come down with a different illness every week.

I got involved with Media Bistro when I met Laurel Touby, the company’s founder, on my first trip to the United States in 2006. She mentioned that she’d always envisioned her events as “salons”, a concept I’m quite passionate about, so I ended up volunteering to co-run her Sydney events. It was a great way to get to know a few more people in the industry, and to get to know those I already knew better, but I had to give it up when I started my thesis last year.

These projects were really good experiences in and of themselves, but they also introduced me to a lot of really interesting, inspiring people. Vibewire [the organisation that ran electionTracker and Interface] has always attracted very talented people, and I think this was particularly the case at the time that I was an editor. A lot of the people I worked with on electionTracker and as editor of Vibewire.net’s politics section are now doing really good work in the media and arts. I didn’t do the work for the purpose of networking, but the networks I developed through doing it were probably the best thing I got out of it.

What was it like to be an ambassador at the Emerging Writer’s Festival in Melbourne this past May?

It was great – one of the most flattering things I’ve been asked to do (and following on from the last question, I later discovered that it was someone I’ve worked with at Vibewire who recommended me to do it). I love meeting people and talking about writing, so it was pretty much heaven. I’ve been involved with four writers’ festivals, and the EWF was definitely my favourite: all the panels were really insightful and well-targeted, and it created an environment that was very conducive to interaction between the audience and participants, which is very different to most festivals.

How useful do you find networking, and how would you recommend Wordsmith Lane readers network for their career potential, without coming across as pushy or annoying?

That’s a tricky one. I suspect most people would say I’m great at networking (whether they mean that as a compliment or not is another matter), but I don’t own businesscards, and I tend to get quite shy and stick to people I know at networking events. That’s what was great about the Media Bistro events, actually. As hosts, we were told our role was to help meet each other - introducing people, checking to see that they were okay and so on - which I think makes it easier for most people to strike up conversations. And as host, it was my job to approach strangers, which made it much easier for me to do than it would have been otherwise.

In a professional sense, networking is about two things: letting people know who you are, and hoping they end up liking you. A good networker, in my opinion, is not someone who shoves their businesscard in your face, or someone who is only talking to you to get a job or freelance work. Good networking is simply good social interaction with people who happen work in your industry – it’s about being personable, passionate about your work and interested in other people. It’s literally about making someone a part of your ”network” and becoming part of theirs. Its professional payoff also hinges, I think, on doing good work – people won’t think of you or recommend you for a role if your work isn’t up to scratch.

If you want to network without being pushy or annoying, my advice would simply be to reach out to people you genuinely admire, and whose work you connect with – whether they’re editors, authors, bloggers or whatever. I do it all the time – not for personal gain, but simply because I want to be in touch with people I think are cool. Most writers love hearing from people who appreciate their work, and passionate, sincere, talented people will stand out every time.

You seem to have carved up a little niche for yourself in the areas of sexuality and gender, and also write quite a bit about politics and social issues. At the same time, you write a lot for magazines such as Cleo, which are obviously a different kind of publication for a different type of audience. How do you think you are able to tailor your writing topics and style to a variety of varying publications, without actually compromising on your interests or areas of expertise?

Quite easily – most of my writing falls under the broad umbrella of social and cultural analysis, and I just tweak it to make it interesting for different audiences. You do need to make an effort to learn the voice of each publication you write for, but even so, I think my individual writing “voice” comes through. And all my work is shaped by the same basic motivation – to write about the intersection between the personal and political in a way that challenges conventional wisdom.

How does your academic research and writing differ to your freelance work? /What are some of the similarities and differences between the two, and do you find it difficult to switch between them?

I think academic research can make you a better journalist – it’s made me think more carefully about how I approach interviews and phrase my questions. On the other hand, because I’m so accustomed to writing in a journalistic voice, it can be hard to turn off the colloquialisms when I’m writing academically - but then, that also makes your work easier for the markers to read. Overall, I think both use a very similar set of skillsets: talking to people, making sense of information and writing it down.

What were some of the difficulties you encountered when trying to establish yourself as a freelance journalist? Did you rely on any tools, mentors, groups or writers centres/courses for help?

The main difficulty I faced when I first started out was the same as the one most budding freelancers face – building relationships with editors who have no idea who you are (and because I had no contacts in the industry, they literally did have no idea). I think I was equally held back by my own fear and inertia, though. The first 9-10 months I was freelancing, I only wrote for the Fairfax papers - I understood how they worked, and I was afraid to pitch elsewhere. How did I overcome these difficulties? By asking freelancer friends for advice, by devouring websites like Mediabistro.com (not a plug – it’s how I got involved in the organisation!) and The Renegade Writer, trial and error, and good old “time”.

Writers that work from home (part-time or full-time) tend to comment about the merits of being able to work their own hours, or work in their PJ’s all day. Is that something that appeals to you, or do you tend to structure your day around a routine to keep you more productive?

I’m not a very structured person by nature, and when I was freelancing fulltime I would work all sorts of odd hours. I would also procrastinate a whole lot, reading blogs and the like for “research”. It wasn’t all bad – it meant I was incredibly well-informed about the issues I wrote about – but it also meant I could never switch off from work. I still don’t have a very clear delineation between work and non-work (I’m writing the answers to these questions at 11pm the night before I’m due to go on holiday), and I still don’t have a set routine, but I’m more organised now because I have to fit so much in. I recently downloaded a ‘to-do list’ application to my iPhone, and I love it. It’s a really effective way to keep track of everything I need to do, and it’s also really motivating – much more so than a paper or online to-do list, because I take it with me everywhere.

What are some of the difficulties that you encounter when working on a big project such as a book/doctoral thesis?

Staying focused. And not being swayed by the temptation to work on projects with more immediate gratification, like freelancing or blogging. I haven’t quite mastered that one yet.

What are your primary reasons for blogging? Does it get your ‘juices flowing’ in a sense?

I started blogging because I wanted to connect with people who read and enjoy my freelancing articles. The way in which I’ve done that has evolved over time, and will no doubt continue to evolve. As Erica Bartle once told me (quoting Jeff Jarvis), “do what you do best and link the rest”. So, I’ve learned that my “comparative advantage” as a blogger is in writing slightly longer, more considered posts - although still much less considered than my paid writing. I’m not about publishing 10 posts a day, or providing an immediate reaction, or post non-stop photos of myself and my life, although I’ve tried all those things from time to time. I’ve also learned that the audience I reach through my blog is quite distinct from those I’d reach through my mainstream media work – they might not buy the publications I write for, or happen to pick them up on the days or monthsI write for them. If I’m honest with myself, blogging definitely cuts into my paid and thesis work, but I also see it as a vital part of my vocation.

What is a typical day in the life of Rachel Hills, freelance writer?

Not nearly as much freelancing as I’d like! Generally I get up at around 8am, read some blogs while I eat breakfast and get ready, then write for an hour or two (thesis, blog, article research etc…), before heading into work for the afternoon – I work as a part-time editor for a major media company. I get home around 7pm, do some exercise, eat dinner, write some more and head to bed around midnight. That’s a very general outline, though – I go through phases where I get up at 6am, and others where I work until 2am and sleep late. And of course I don’t work late every night – I do have a social life.

What are some of the perks associated with your job?

Free books, movie tickets, the occasional concert (although it’s amazing how quickly journalists tire of these). Being immersed in information all day long. Being able to write and have people read what I’ve written.

And what are your career aspirations – especially now, compared to those at 22?

Well, I have most of the things I wanted at 22, now! I’d like to finish my book and for it to do really well – I’m aiming for influential international bestseller, but I’m also well aware that most books don’t do that. As wanky as it sounds, I’d like to be a kind of new school, highly accessible ”public intellectual” - with a presence across books, research, freelance features and essays, blogging, and whatever other media emerges over the next 20 years.

What advice would you offer to aspiring freelancers and wordsmiths who want to follow a similar career path? 

Work really hard and be persistent. The difference between people who want to be writers and those who actually do it is just that: working hard and not giving up. It took me two and a half years after I finished university for my writing career to even start to look how I wanted it to, although I also had plenty of fun doing other things along the way. That might sound like a really short period of time, but as any uni grad knows, it certainly doesn’t feel like it when you’re living it. I’m also a big fan of sticking to stories you’re passionate about and publications you enjoy reading yourself – if you like a publication, that’s usually a good sign that you and the editor have similar ideas about what constitutes a good piece of writing.

Ten in the Hot Seat:

1. Describe yourself in one word: Friendly. And analytical. That’s two, I know.
2. Biggest accomplishment to date: I don’t think there’s any single one I’d single out, more a whole bunch of little ones that all add up. I think my biggest accomplishment is the one I mentioned before – that for the last 18 months or so, I’ve been able to get some pretty hardcore pitches accepted based purely on my clips and reputation. It’s a bit of a writer’s dream, really.
3. You wish you wrote: The Beauty Myth.
4. Can’t leave home without: A bottle of water.
5. One thing you are currently writing: Thesis-related Vogue feature. And just submitted a review of Mia Freedman’s new book to the SMH this morning.
6. First thing you wrote: For pay? An opinion piece on Germaine Greer’s short-lived stint on UK Celebrity Big Brother.
7. Addicted to reading: My Google Reader.
8. Top spot on your goals list: Finish the damn book!
9. If you were a character in a novel, you’d be: None spring to mind. But caricatured and on a good day, I’d be Elle Woods in Legally Blonde 2 – optimistic, idealistic and tenacious. And I’d like to be Veronica Mars: smart and sassy.
10. The best thing about being a wordsmith: Being able to communicate about things I – and increasingly the people reading my work – care about.

Blogger’s Desk: Freak-Out Underway

Dear Wordsmith Laners,

Due to the fact that I am currently having a meltdown/freak-out/writing crisis, my brain, complete with its top-notch vocabulary and pretty good ability at stringing sentences together, has voluntarily left the building…and this blog post.

This is because in an attempt to climb out of the career rut I blog so often about, I decided that today will be the day when I genuinely perfect/write my novel, in preparation for my first pitch to a publisher. And I think I am understanding why writers go crazy more often than not, and why Sylvia Plath stuck her head in the oven and died [slight exaggeration here, do not be alarmed].

In light of this, here are a few links which I think will keep you occupied. They actually make for good reading too…much better than my rant which will officially end here. Have a saner afternoon than moi!

25 things journalists can do to future-proof their careers – thank you e-consultancy [and Lucy Kippist for sending through]

You can still be a feminist in four inch heels – by Gillian Nalletamby for The Punch

We need to talk about money – by Rachel Hills

Melbourne Writer’s Festival – at Onya Mag

30 Dresses of pink – at Sassi Sam’s Girly Gossip Blog (love the dresses!)

Tipping Points – at Trespass Mag

Skills Textbook: The importance of Brand Making

Yes, I know you are a writer. And I am sure that you know that so am I. Some of us are freelance writers, or part-time writers who are working an entirely different job until we ‘make it’. Some of us have been trying to ‘make it’ for years, but we might be missing some pieces of vital information as to go about doing that.

I have always wanted to ‘make it’ as writer, but really, I think I just wanted to be able to sell articles. However, having been a full-time freelancer for about three to four months so far, I have realised that what I wanted before, and what I want now, are two entirely different things. These days, my definition of ‘making it’ means having a book published, being interviewed on TV or Radio or in the press, and getting to a point where people are ringing me up to write stuff for them, instead of me hassling editors via email and wondering when they’ll get back to me with a yes answer which is usually a no. (I’m sorry my life is not as glamorous or as successful as you might have hoped considering you are all learning from my mistakes, but hey, at least I am cutting my losses with you as my witnesses so you can learn how things go down before you go down yourselves).

Anyway, that’s not to say I have not experienced some sparing requests for work or interviews, but more to say that I’d rather be famed for my work and innundated with stuff I have to do in order to cultivate this now reaffirmed and redefined concept of ‘making it’. Some of this has been attributed to the work of UK Journalist & Web Designer Sarah-Jane Adams, who I have noticed, has a really good grasp of her work, and how to further herself with it. In fact, what I have noticed about Sarah-Jane is that she’s had so much success because she looks at herself, and the freelancing work she offers, as a sort of brand/company with a whole host of services.

And this is something that has really got me thinking. I mean, considering we work for ourselves half the time, why shouldn’t we treat ourselves as a brand? Why shouldn’t we have a business plan, a niche, a specific clientele and some sort of shopfront? My last few Skill Central posts have been concerned with the ‘work’ side of writing. How to break down writing barriers, how to write pitch letters and the like. Today, I have decided to go back to basics. Inspired by own personal career evaluations, and the examination of my goals list and my personal maps for achieving it, I have decided to bring you my top ways on maximising myself as a brand/business.

1- Have a plan: I didn’t start out with one, but now, my plan is taped to my closet door. Often, it’s not enough just to want to write and you have to be specific. Setting goals will mean making achieving them so much easier, especially when you have a deadline. Having a plan also allows you an opportunity to map out exactly where you are going and how – you might start out with free press first, then move onto online news portals, before pitching to the opinion pages of the papers. Or you might start out by work experience, then asking for a regular internship spot where you can write or go on stories with a particular team member, and then you’re more likely to get work (especially if aforementioned team member lets you in on the intranet job postings).

2- Invest in a ShopFront: In this day and age, NOT having one is no excuse. And before you rush out and splurge your life savings on a little office in some swanky part of town, think that I mean Shop Front in a metaphoric sense. To be a writer, you need to write and publish work. And people need to read it. With blogs and websites becoming more and more accessible and user-friendly (hello WordPress, Blogspot, and Typepad), it’s much easier to upload your work onto a site, thus making it easier for people to find you, or for you to showcase your work. It’s so much easier to say ‘for examples of my work, please see my clips at www.mysite.wordpress.com’ as opposed to attaching a whole lot of stuff that the editor would want to read. Plus, think of someone reading your work in once place and then being able to google you in a flash, or click through to a link in your website. I am telling you, work will multiply this way.

3- Find (and zone in on) your niche: Up until about 6 weeks ago, another thing that was taped into my closet door was a piece of pink paper that had the names of about 40 or 50 magazines and newspapers written on it. Apparently those were the titles I wanted to get published in. Since then, I have shredded the peice of paper and decided to go with the flow. I have decided that I’d rather concentrate on a select amount of publications and really develop my relationship with them, before I decide to branch out more. It’s a quality not quantity mentality – once I have the hang of writing for the first lot, then I can move on to the second. A good way to help prevent me from falling short or underdeveloping in terms of output for them. Another thing is, find something that you are really interested in, and make that your specialty. That’s not to say that you can’t write anything else, but it just means you are an expert in that section, and when commentary on that area is required, you are at a strong point. People who do this well are Rachel Hills (sex and gender); Katrina Lawrence and Zoe Foster (beauty); Erica Bartle (glossy magazines), Mia Freedman (women’s lifestyle/motherhood ); The Sartorialist (Fashion & Style ) etc. I am sure you get the gist. I have decided to focus on issues of race/culture, media and assimilation in Oz, with my main point of focus being the Middle-Eastern community. And, like it does with Rachel Hills, it relates to my university research, which means I get double the credibility, in a sense. For the others mentioned, it is because they developed that strength in their career, which is where their credibility comes from. Again, this is a quality not quantity approach, but it does work wonders. In addition, I’d also recommend not doing 100 things. Offer writing, blogging and speaking. Or writing, speaking and research. Stick to four things that you want to be known for as opposed to 10 on your main pieces of marketing. I myself have a few things offered on my services page, but you wouldn’t find them on my publication bios or on my front page. They are just the additional bits that I do until I am known enough to be able to concentrate on my four faves.

4- Cultivate your profile: Twitter, Facebook, comments on blogs, attendance at festivals, functions and events. Be prolific. When you comment on a blog posting, don’t just put your name/email – put your website there too. Post links to your work on facebook and twitter. Send an email to a favourite writer and see if they have any advice for you. Get an email signature with your name and title (eg: Sarah Ayoub, Freelance Writer), contact number and website. Go to a lot of functions/networking events? Get some business cards. Try match them up with your website too. And if you want to go the whole way, why not get a letterhead/invoice template done up in the process? There’s nothing like a bit of streamlined professionality.

5- You are a brand, but there is an industry: Sometimes, the investors in your business/brand (metaphor for the editors/publications you write for) get struck with things like the GFC and decide they can’t afford your services anymore. Or they might shut down, or get themselves a new editor who’s not exactly a fan of your style. This is where self-publishing comes in. And it works, because there’s always a market in the industry for new writing forms and topics. And what’s even more important is that you stay tapped into industry news. Subscribe to email newsletters, sign up to alerts, etc. Basically, just stay on top of your game, because there is always a chain reaction/process to everything.

As always, am happy to answer your questions. Good luck reaffirming who you are, what you do, and how you will do it

Blogger’s Desk: Making something out of nothing

Good Morning Wordsmith Laners, and welcome to another week of writing galore, and the documentation of my personal journey out of a career rut, here at Wordsmith Lane. Not too long ago, I wrote about worthwhile investments – taking on work that required too much of my time for very little return. The past few weeks have seen me tackle some pretty bland copywriting jobs, and it has really sucked. So, I decided to spend all day ridding myself of such jobs, so that I can devote more time to the kind of writing/work that I actually want to do.

I have often talked about writing as a labour of love, but I’ve recently realised how easy it is to destory that love with boring, uninspiring work. The fact that I have experienced this kind of work for a while now, coupled with the fact that the freelancing gig has not gone as well as I had hoped, I have decided to get a little more proactive with regards to what I want to do.

And because it is too easy for me to just forget about things or palm them off, I have reclined myself to the fact that Wordsmith Lane is going to police me (join in on the action if you are so inclined on seeing me succeed). As such, I am setting myself a very thorough editor’s challenge this week, in the hope that will the tasks I set myself for the week ahead, at least ONE of them will pan out for me in either my research or writing work. So without further ado, here is this week’s editor’s challenge:

• Monday: Finish my feature article on political apathy for a young women’s magazine. And, start and complete my ‘expression of interest’ application for a position as a casual lecturer in the school of communications at UTS
• Tuesday: Finish a personal essay that I am hoping to pitch to another women’s magazine. Send it off.
• Wednesday: Thesis day! Work through some of the tasks set for me by my supervisor, and do some of my own independent research. A smaller task for the day is to try and get as many people as I can to attend the police rally outside NSW Parliament House on Tuesday September 1st at 1pm – and to try figure out a good place where I can pitch an article on what the NSW Police Association is demanding, and why it’s important to give it to them. Any suggestions? I think the newspapers would really benefit from something like this, but I doubt they take freelance contributions for features (not opinion editorials). Anyone who knows anything on the matter will be my saving grace! To read a piece of past work on the police payrise issue, see my article in The Punch here
• Thursday: Spend morning working on novel. Have written what I deem to be a pretty good prologue by my own standards, but I’m not too happy with the draft of my first chapter. Today’s morning task is to perfect my draft, and continue work on the synopsis - making sure I have enough to send to a prospective publisher tomorrow. Wow, I really am getting proactive, even if it’s a little ambitious too.
• Friday: Write a feature that relates to my university research for the El-Telegraph Lebanese-language newspaper (I am broadnening my horisons), rack my brains for opinion editorial ideas, and follow up two pitches sent out to a women’s mag that I have never before written for. If any copywriting jobs come back for re-work, do them immediately to avoid having to think about them on the weekend. And finally, send out the hopefully finished pitch of my novel to a publisher.
• All week: Blog. Can’t neglect you guys, can I? Plus, I’m betting (nay, hoping) you guys would want to evaulate how I am going with my massive challenge, right?

Have a fantastic and productive week! And here’s to proactivity and ambition!

PS – Looking for feedback!

Wordsmith lane is about to celebrate two months out in the blogosphere. In light of this, I would love to hear your feedback on how I’m going so far. What do you like or love? What would you like to see more of? Should I introduce new sections? Any ideas on how I can get more readers (other than you guys telling your writer friends, which I hope you have been doing!). As loyal readers might have noticed, I occasionally pepper my blog entries with tales about my life – what I want, what I’ve purchased, what’s on my lust-have lists etc. What do you guys think of this? Are you bothered with regards to my personal infomation  and what handcreams I am using to the boots I saw at Wanted and must buy? I personally think it gives it a bit of a fun touch, but if you’re not too phased then I might as well not have it there. And is there anything in particular you would like to see here? Please comment and let me know how I can make things better for you!