Wordsmith Lane

A great piece of writing…and my personal thoughts

Most of you already know that I am pretty much in awe of Rachel Hills. She’s a great mentor, and her career is an inspiration to myself on so many levels. I read much of her work with plenty of enthusiasm, but this piece struck a chord with me on so many levels (and yay, I was mentioned in it), and so I recommend you read it, especially because the rest of my post is really just my thoughts on her piece in the context of my own writing. Her piece is really relevant both in the context of writers (who often do other jobs and are constantly battling the competitiveness of the industry) and general people of the day and age who find that they never switch off. I commented with the below on her post, but also included it here for Wordsmith Lane purposes.

Another excellent post, Rachel. I always complain to my fiance that I wish I could just be one of those people who picks one thing, does it, and relaxes at the end of the day, but he tells me that my workaholism is the price I pay for choosing to keep myself constantly entertained, and I think on some level, he is right.

I started my blog Wordmsith Lane because I had a genuine desire to share everything about what it’s like to be a freelance writer and aspiring novelist who only wanted to get more work and raise her profile with people who wanted to break into the industry. But I am sure you noticed from many of my posts, and the fact that I got hospitalised last year (and I blame most of it on burnout) that eventually, I was startting to see it as a chore and not as something that was going to be beneficial to me. In fact, it stopped being relevant to me and the purpose it was created for.

The other reason was that I didn’t need to be talking about writing some more (all the time anyway) because I was already doing as much writing as my brain could handle and I didn’t need to be pushed over the edge. And although people probably read my blog and wonder what I am going on about, I don’t really care. Sometimes, writing about my headspace or the latest addition to my closet or what I need for the work ahead, gives me that ‘working’ feel without actually driving me to the point of worrying as to what I am achieving or contributing, especially in comparison to everyone else.

Earlier this year, I was so close to dropping out of uni because I just couldn’t handle it anymore, but I decided to push myself and sacrifice something else instead (like writing as regularly as I would have liked to, or blogging everyday on material that’s actually saying something). But in the time I would have devoted to myself, I ended up picking up another work day. It doesn’t help when you bring finances into it, either. Homes in Sydney are ridiculous and even though I picked an area that’s not exactly glamour central, it was still very pricey to live in. I would love to balance what I want to do, but ultimately, finances dictate that it is not an option. It doesn’t help that I like to shop either!

My goal right now is to finish my book as soon as possible, but I found that as soon as interest in my thesis peaked, my brain automatically switched its attention to the academic and forgot all about my novel, which really sucks. And I have decided to focus my attention on pitching to certain publications where I know I will have more success than others, and hopefully that pans out for me. There’s a lot to think about, and the more I tune in to the internet and new developments and things for me to do, the less I relax. And I dont want to be the girl who burnt herself out before 30. Tonight, for example, I was really proud of myself for not turning my computer on until 9pm, even though I normally do it at 6pm every night. I am sick of worrying about how my brain/stress levels/over-achieving characteristics could handle it if I don’t get to work (on another project) one hour after finishing the 9-5 job that’s been doing my head in all day. I have even worried about how my work will take it, or how I will feel work-wise, if I decide to change my name after marriage. I don’t know anyone else who obsesses over that to the extent that I have. And it’s all just for work, because my name anywhere else does not matter!

In the end, I try to remind myself that I am not even 24 yet and that I am already doing quite well work-wise given my age. Maybe then it means I will take it easy, even though ‘taking it easy’ seems so foreign to me. Ofcourse, it helps having great mentors like yourself who encourage me in my pursuits, but then again, perhaps this is just a testament to your workaholism as well?

Wordsmith All-Sorts: The pursuit of style, smarts & savoir-faire

Today was a most marvellous day for the pursuit of style, smarts and savoir-faire. Allow me to demonstrate:

• Pursuit of style deemed successful with the purchase of this very sassy pair of stilettos at Peeptoe Shoes. The nude colour works wonders for practically almost every outfit, and I am very pleased that it’s a lovely match for my beautiful Mimco oversized clutch, purchased by my lovely fiance on our three year anniversary a year and a half ago. I am very sad to see the warm weather go, but I am excited that I will brave cold tootsies at least until late May if it means I get to take my Miss Lennox shoes for a spin around the town.
• Smarts is basically my issue of Frankie, and that’s because the team there sure achieved something spectacular with this magazine, which boys, girls and nanna’s all love to love. It’s point of difference is so hard to pin-point, but it sure makes my day to read something a little different than the typical women’s magazine (which I still read, of course). I’m especially excited by this issue’s gorgeous pink-y cover, the spread on creatives discussing the meaning of life, and my own piece of work, telling the story of a 21 year old disabled girl who is dedicated to her goals in a manner not befitting her age. I’m also smiling up at readers from the Frankie Friends page, which brings me to admit that I love making it to the contributor pages of the publications I write for.
• Nothing says savoir-faire like my girly guides, and this week, I am re-reading Gisele Scanlon’s The Goddess Experience, courtesy of its great titbits on travel (especially to New York) plus darling illustrations, great interviews, and bits and bobs on everything from luxury, style, beauty, food, the urban lifestyle and earth love. It is all the ♥ I need after a frustrating week of  study, mis-laid plans and general arrrrrghhh moments in life.
• That said, today is also perfect because I got to spend it in its entirety with James, which is often a rarity considering the strange hours he works (NSW Police) and the fact that we don’t live together. So today, he whisked me off to haberfield for a bowl of Farfalle pasta with Salmon in a creamy tomato sauce, and dessert at Papas. Afterwards, he let me indulge my love of Mary Poppins by taking me to visit her at Ashfield Park, and even took a photo of me with her (much to his dismay!). Then it was off for a spot of shopping for wedding things and the like. All in all, a day of contentment on both our parts, knowing that after so many years, we’re still kind of going through the honeymoon phase. I’ll be perfecting this ‘practically perfect in every way’ day with a cup of lemon & ginger tea and another pastry (almond and cherry tart) from papas. Happy days!

frankie: Everybody has a story – Elizabeth Barnard, 21

Published in Frankie, Issue 35. Copyright Sarah Ayoub 2010

There are so many misconceptions about having a physical disability, and I’m often treated so differently as a result of mine. I was born with Cerebral Palsy, which is a condition that around birth due to lack of oxygen, and I have the type of CP known as Spastic Quadriplegia. All four of my limbs are affected and the link from my brain to the rest of my body does not go through, so I tend to get muscle spasms when using my limbs.

Being in a wheelchair facilitates one of the biggest misconceptions. People often assume that I must be intellectually disabled, so they talk to my carer or the person with me because they assume I won’t understand them or that they won’t understand me. But the best approach is for them to be honest, and come out and ask me if I understand them, or just say they don’t understand what’s wrong so that I can explain what I need.

Our society needs to change the way they look at, and after, disabled people. Disabled people are being separated from the community and put in special houses, day centres and workplaces, but that has to stop. I went to one of those special day centres after school, and it was awful. I had just moved from a small town where everyone knew and helped me, to the big city, where everyone was really guarded. It’s hard enough as it is being disabled – you can’t maintain friendships when you can’t make phone calls without help or just catch up for a movie without making arrangements for a carer, transport, and ringing up to check if the theatre is wheelchair accessible.

People like me should work live and socialise in the same way as anyone else in the community, because we don’t see ourselves as very different from everyone else. We want to have jobs, have boyfriends and girlfriends, and enjoy our hobbies and social activities with everyone, not just other disabled people. We’d rather use the money we raise, and what is provided to us, to make this kind of stuff happen instead of using it to set up special workplaces, houses or day centres just for disabled people, because as my friend Deb Rouget says, that’s just like saying that everyone who wears glasses must live in a special place, do a certain job and go out together.

My biggest issue at present is that my wheelchair is considered an occupational health and safety hazard at my university. The administration is arguing that they’d need someone who is trained in special needs to push me around or feed me. I find this quite alarming, because it’s the same thing as pushing around a shopping trolley or a mother feeding her child, and no one ever gets special training for that. At this stage, I’m still fighting for this to change, because I can’t cause any health issues for anyone, and I feel like I am being discriminated against.

Recently, a friend named Fleur Campbell got me, my family and friends together to work out my dreams and goals. It’s a plan that hangs on the wall in the lounge room and I aim to achieve everything on it. It includes things you would normally take for granted like travel, education, spontaneity and using technology. Right now, we are slowly finding the right people to help me get there and also adding to the goals.

Life experience and social interaction has made me realise that I might be able to play a bigger role as a leader within the disabled community. I have the skills (speech and understanding) and support (family mainly) to fight for the changes that disabled people want. There is still a lot of discrimination, but I am excited that things are finally improving for disabled people, so that they can be properly included in our society.

Weekly Style, Smarts & Savoir-Faire Hit List

Last week, I blogged about my disappointment that every news outlet I read was getting into the Underbelly/glamorisation of gang culture subject matter that makes up the bulk of my thesis research. Bummed out that the area I was carving up as my little niche was going global without my input, I took my sorrows to my supervisor, but amazing academic that she is (you rock Penny O’Donnell, and I am very lucky to have your help as I navigate through thesis drama land), she helped me realise it’s actually a great thing for me academically, because it will open up plenty of opportunities for discussion, and I won’t be as lonely as I currently am in my theoretical/research pursuits.

This week, I am a lot more optimistic about everything, and for the first time in a long time, there’s some thesis-related smarts in my (sometimes) weekly column of style, smarts and savoir-faire.

Style:

Glossy style mags, pretty-bow shoes & earrings that have their bling on

• Nothing says style like glossy magazines, and this week, I’ll be poring over Shop Til You Drop, which stars the ever-stylish Sienna Miller as covergirl. The issue also features a wedding special that will surely be a saving grace for this bride-to-be, as well as a $25 Seduce gift card (would love to use it for the jumper on page 120).
• Instyle magazine has also hit the shelves this week,  albeit a littlemore pricey at $9.95, courtesy of a freebie umbrella. Truth be told, I am more excited about the homes special included in the magazine as well as the very thorough ‘Shop Smarter’ feature.
• Can’t make it through Autumn without a pair of lovely Ballet flats, and, saddened as I was by the untimely death of an existing pair, I did find merit in these gorgeous bow-adorned ones from Witchery. If you hurry up and sign up to their loyalty program now, you get $30 off your next purchase, which means these babies go from their original price of $150, to their sale price of $130, and then down to $100 when you use your card. Budget bliss, with bow on the top!
• And just in case winter gets a little too dreary for my satisfaction, I can take refuge in the bling that is my new pair of earrings from forever new. I love their futuristic feel, and at $25, they didn’t set me back too much. They’ll go perfect with some sky-high boots and an LBD this winter. Or even jeans and a lovely lace-back blouse I just picked up from Bardot at a very pleasing price of $30. Oh, how I love sales.
• I also love free things, so heads up to my ma for donating yet another of her vintage leather clutches my way. A trusy beige colour will never go astray, and this clutch is a decent-enough size for night and day. Happy times.

Smarts:

Beatrice Colin and 20′s fever, Underbelly Mania and thesis motivation revival

• Regular Wordsmith Laners will surely leap for joy when they discover that the row of academic books that just made its way onto my end table signals a motivation revival in thesis land, meaning that this wordsmith is up and at it again and ready to tackle all her big jobs head-on. Who knew Underbelly, and all its publicity, would re-ignite my academic passions at a time when I needed them most?
• Speaking of passion and Underbelly, this steamy Australian Vogue fashion shoot features none other than the show’s leading lad, Firass Dirani. I think its encapsulates the glamorisation of crime/gang culture for my thesis (and hence why it fits into my smarts category)better than any episode I’ve seen, or maybe that’s just because Dirani (who also happens to be a CLEO bachelor this year) is not so difficult on the eye. He might not be the type of Lebanese bloke mum and dad would have liked me to bring home (then again, I did bring home an Aussie!) but he definitely is something…See what Girl with a Satchel Erica Bartle thought of the shoot here.
• Love the 20′s? Then you’ll love Beatrice Colin – author of The Luminous Life of Lily Aphrodite – and her ability to transport you to both the glitz and glam and difficult throngs of the post WWI era. Her latest book, The Songwriter, is set in NYC in 1916, and tells the story of three young lasses and their lives of love, change and politics. I loved her first novel and the way its ending unexpectedly pulled at my heartstrings, so I have high hopes for this latest work ($32.99, John Murray).
• This week, I’ll be hosting a workshop at Vibewire’s Sydney headquarters on sharing stories with the media and greater community – either through pitches, press releases, sound bites, or letters to MP’s etc. Hopefully I have had enough experiences walking down the path of a writer here at Wordsmith Lane and will conduct the workshop with minimal fuss. Either way, I’ll appreciate it if you could cross your fingers on my behalf, wouldn’t want to steer those young guns in the wrong direction!

Savoir-Faire

Tea-time, Cancer & Being Born-Again

• Australia’s biggest morning tea is coming up next month, so make sure you either host/attend a Morning Tea to help raise money for the fight against cancer. Someone close to me has just been diagnosed with breast cancer, so for me, it’s a little more personal. But even so, it’s a great cause so if you can do something about it, even by making a small donation, please do! I’ll be arming myself with the gorgeous tea cup from my soon-to-be Mother in Law Glenda, and helping with the fight as well.
• Nothing says a woman of style, smarts and savoir-faire more than a seat at a fashion show. And a friend of a friend is staging an amazing fashion show this Thursday, pairing established designers with up and coming ones in what is set to be a great night. If you can support in anyway, please do. Or to read about her amazing work and the whole event, check out their website here. The woman wore an original vintage Chanel dress to her birthday party, so I assure you she knows her stuff.
• I visited a particular retail store this week and was extremely disaapointed with the sales service there. But even when I came out of the change room, I couldn’t bear to throw the stuff on the counter and walk out. Instead, I walked around the store and hung up each time in its correct place. I was in a rush and expected the sales women (there were three) to come relieve me of what I perceive to be their duty, but they didn’t. What would you have done? Surely your responses will be a major lesson in savoir-faire for the likes of me…

Have a happy week, wordsmith laners xx

The (de)merits of being a no-namer

Warning: Angry/bothered ramblings of a frustrated researcher/writer ahead.

We all know that Underbelly 3: The Golden Mile debuted on Australian TV last night. If you read the articles surrounding this release, you will see that words like ‘glitter’, ‘immortalised’ and ’glamour’ are prevalent in the coverage, reportage and publicity of the show and both its happenings and storyline.

If you read my thesis proposal from two years back — you will see the same. That’s before I even knew about Underbelly 3 or heard of John Ibrahim as a matter of fact. What I did know was that there was a movie called The Combination on the horizon, and another called Cedar Boys. And in addition to the series Fat Pizza, there was also a lot of little plays and skits on everything from the cronulla riots to living life as a Lebanese ‘habib’ in Australia.

As you can imagine, all the little articles I am reading about now make me pretty mad. The notion of glorification of violence in media and pop culture is not new, but where was all this interest six months ago when I was pitching articles saying films and shows surrounding the Middle-Eastern community’s association with crime was glamorising and glorifying gang culture, crime and the seedy underworld?

If someone had paid me a little attention then, it could have been my big (research) break. Now, we have everyone, including the NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione, commenting on this glamorisation and I am away at my computer gritting my teeth in bad luck.

Such is life as someone still trying to navigate the competitive and timely path of the aspiring (or in-the-making) wordsmith!

Why I just can’t work today

I need words of encouragement. I need someone to enforce some sort of discipline to my list of things to do. I also need to cease my incessant desire to see what people are up to on Facebook and Twitter. I say this because I have a manically growing to-do list…and an attention-span that is decreasing every second.

Let’s take this slowly as I attempt to share my predicament (and recent joys) with you. We’ll start off with the thesis that got no attention last year. I decided to go with my better judgement and stayed in the program, despite the fact that I seriously thought of dropping out. I am glad I didn’t though. I want to do this. And evidently I should, because I am contributing to something new and interesting on the Aussie media front, especially if the words of our NSW Police Commissioner are anything to go by.

My problem is that I have too many things on my mind. I took an annual leave day from work today, in attempt to work on one of my thesis chapters, but ten emails, three phone calls, and many a conversation with my mum/sister later, I have not started it. I was also meant to go to a Pilates class, but decided to stay home and get my work done. Big mistake, as the class would have been energising and invigorating. Plus, getting my work done didn’t include watching Lady Gaga’s clip for Telephone (the clean version, and I still didn’t understand it) but that’s what I did anyway. I also skimmed the wedding section of the latest issue of shop til you drop, ate too much chocolate, created a Twitter account for my wedding planner and slouched in my seat in a manner that does not befit a pilates enthusiast.

So I decided to do something else instead and work on my book. I had planned to finish it by the end of March but spent all of March lazing about and doing nothing, so joke is on me. I am now currently working on chapter 12 (although chapter 11 needs a lot of work) and frankly, I am sick of sitting at my laptop and writing. The sun outside is shining. And I can hear my neighbour’s wind chimes. And my fiance has a day off and I would much rather spend it with him.

But I shall not. Why? Two days ago, I got a call from the woman I hope to make my literary agent. She liked the first ten chapters of my novel and wants me to send it off to her as soon as I finish it. She was very encouraging. She also told me to stop showing it to people, so fingers crossed that this might be the beginnings of a wonderful working relationship.

I also have loads of pitches to write, books to review here and readings to be done for my uni research. And I start working five days a week as of next week, so I don’t know how I am going to manage.

What I do know is that things are falling into place, even though I am not ticking them off my list. In two weeks, I will be running a Vibewire Workshop on pitching to the media, something I am very excited about. It’s another thing to add to my list of speaking credits but there’s a lot of work that goes in the preparation of it.

It’s now 1pm and though I have been up since 7am, I have not done much. But somehow, I can’t be too ashamed. It’s a lot to juggle, but it’s also a lot to be excited about. A thesis that’s timely, prospective success with finding a book agent, and more to my credit as a freelance journalist.

I really want to be mad at myself right now, but I can’t help but feel as though all my hard work as a wannabe wordsmith could slowly start to pay off.

Wordsmith Weekly: This week’s style, smarts & savoir-faire hit-list

Happy shorter week Wordsmith Laners! I hope you had a very happy Easter, and are ready and willing to face another Wordsmith week. If not, make sure you stake out a respectful hitlist of style, smarts and savoir-faire to make it all a little more pleasant, because it usually works a treat for me and dare I say it, makes my working week a little more worthwhile.

Especially because, as you can so surely see, I have nabbed myself a pair of sparkly, ruby-slipper-esque pair of Dorothy shoes (that indeed is their style name) from my local Payless Shoes (@$59.99, FYI). I have no idea where I will wear them, let alone a clue as to whether or not they will last, but fiance could simply not ignore my squeels of delight and excitement as I saw them in all their Wizard of Oz-inspired glory.

On to more style news, I am immensely thankful to Australis for their new brush-on make up range. As you might all know, I loathe clutter in a manner so extreme, and anything that aids in my desire to own less (because, as we all know, less is more) will always earn my tick of approval. The range makes male-up application a breeze because you needn’t fiddle with tools (that are messy and worse, breeding grounds for bacteria) — simply apply using the brush imbedded in the stick/tube. Pictured here are  the foundation; the bronzer (a must for my pale skin) and illuminator (because late nights in front of a computer will dull it to the max); and my favourite products of all — the two-in-one lip and cheek tints (again, less products is less mess in my already cluttered life). I love the colours in the tints too – perfect for my vintage rose kinda look. Check them out at your nearest priceline store.

On the smarts front, I will be catching up to all things wordsmith-inspired today with my monthly newsletter courtesy of the NSW Writer’s Centre. Of course, I’m more than insistent on sharing the wordsmith wealth, and as such, I will try to ensure the timely posting of any relevant wordsmith information (competitions, courses, general tidbits) in the Writer’s Spotlight section for your perusal.

And, because I believe that smarts also extends to awareness and knowledge of our surroundings (not just matters that would label us intelligent or book smart etc), I will be thoroughly perusing my Lonely Planet guide to the Big Apple, New York City. Regular followers of this blog would be pleased to note that I have booked and paid a deposit on my Las Vegas/NYC honeymoon for December 2010 (God Willing).

Although I must say that I will always be keeping myself a little booksmart on matters of Tudor history, so unsurprisingly I am simply ecstatic at the prospect of reading a new release book that digs a little more into the mystery surrounding the death of Amy Robsart, the wife of Robert Dudley – who happened to be best friends (and supposedly lovers) with Elizabeth I. I have never bought into the innocence and hype of the supposed virgin queen, and I think it’s because I have read widely into her supposed affairs with otherwise engaged men (apparently she had a dalliance with her step-mother Katharine Parr’s husband Thomas Seymour at the ripe young age of twelve, but vehemntly denied it when questioned under oath – meaning that Seymou, who was also uncle to her half-brother Edward VI went to his death). Maybe it’s tall poppy syndrome, maybe it’s because her rages and jealousy at anyone who captured the limelight more than she did is behaviour quite childish in my eyes. But again, considering this happened over 500 years ago, we can never be certain. I am nevertheless excited at reading the research and arguments made by historian Chris Skidmore in his book Death and the Virgin ($59.99, Weidenfeld &Nicolson) and familiarising myself even more on a topic I find scandalous, insightful and satisfying. The Tudors were indeed the Forsters of their generation.

And because a girl can never exist on style and smarts alone, my measley dose of savoir-faire this week comes in the form of my newly acquired tea towels, courtesy of the Best & Less $1.99 front-of-store rack. I found them to be cute and the absolute must for my kitschy, 50′s housewife fantasies (much as I love my career and the feminist cause, I love to indulge in a little domesticity and find it quite cathartic in my busy, modern-woman existence). Not sure if the picture is clear enough, but one of them is of three little piggies, one is of lollies/cakes/ice-creams and the last is of kitchen bits (jars labelled tea, coffee etc). Super-cute and super-cheap. Definitely a stash for my growing glory box.

I can’t promise to be as productive as last week on Wordsmith Lane, but I will surely do my best. I do have some semi-exciting news up my sleeve which I shall turn into a post later this month, because it is a wordsmith lesson you are all bound to learn from. Apart from that I shall take it slowly. But as always, thanks for your words and emails of encouragement, they always make my day and ensure the tough times are never too lingering. Especially when the sunny Sydney weather gets a little too dreary (though I know you’re smiling at the prospect of winter Ms Sarah-Hannah Fisher) and I want nothing more than to bury myself in junk food, tracksuits and TV. However, I am hoping that my new summer-scented tube of Planet Earth Coconut & Lime bodywash (because you all know I love the Target-sold brand so much it made it into the ’I Love’ sidebar of this blog) and my lovely hot pink shade of ‘strike a posie’ Sportsgirl nailpolish – complete with new-look bottle [see main image] will scare the lazy, winter demons away until I am ready and willing to deal with them.

Until then, we are all in this together. Have a happy week, and stay tuned for all things style, smarts and savoir-faire; all things newsy in the life of yours truly; and as always, all things wordsmith. All my love xx

PS – Is the font on this blog theme too small for you guys to read my random rantings? I fear the sidebar doesn’t convey my all-round amazingness as well as it should ;p

Interview: Sarah Wilson – Sunday Life columnist & host/producer of the Lifestyle YOU channel

I remember a lot of things about my first foray into magazine land. Most of them bad. Most of them associated with the way my self-esteem plummeted as soon as I stepped into the foyer, or the way that I was judged because of my background or where I lived. It didn’t matter that I carried designer bags or knew how to pronounce Hermes, something about me was inferior. There was one thing that was not bad though, and it was that Sarah Wilson, then editor of Cosmopolitan, was nice to me. I knew this of course. It made the rounds among the workies. We knew who was fake, who was bitchy, who to steer away from. We knew which editor was fake in real life, despite what she preached in her monthly editor’s letter. But someone who did practise what she now preaches in her (Sun-Herald supplement) Sunday Life column  — basically, wellness — is Sarah Wilson. And it’s good to know that she is still nice, helpful and upbeat. So nice in fact, that she sat down and shared her career journey with us. She started out as a wordsmith, and has now moved onto many more great things. Good to see that sometimes, nice girls do finish out on top. So soak up her career know-how, and learn from her path. And most of all, enjoy the interview xx

Tell us about your wordsmith career path so far: Funnily, English was my weakest subject at school. I l loved maths and other things of certainty. But with most things in my life, I’ve always done best with things I’ve struggled a little with. My first gig was writing restaurant reviews for Sunday Magazine in Melbourne. While I was there at News Ltd, I started writing some opinion pieces for the Herald Sun, which led to a regular weekly opinion column. Opinion writing is what pushed me in my writing. I had to find a voice and a rhythm and I spent months (years?) experimenting with techniques. From there I went into editing other people’s writing (as editor of Cosmopolitan), then a column in the Daily Telegraph and now a column in Sunday Life. My “Better Life” column is my 11^th column in my career.

You went from being a foodie reviewer for Sunday Magazine, and straight on to editor of Cosmopolitan Australia. How did it feel to accomplish what many writers (or mag girls) take years to do so quickly, and by passing many a step? At the time, it happened too fast for me to really reflect on the whys and hows of it. All my energy went into surviving the learning curve. But I very much felt like a fraud! Looking back now, I can see I was lucky, but that luck is about working hard to be in the right place at the right time. And the right things happen when your intention is in the right place. All I wanted to do was communicate. I’d worked hard focusing on that intention…and it got noticed at the right time.

What was your time at Cosmo Australia like? A whirlwind. I’d just moved to Sydney when I got the job, so it was a condensed introduction to the industry. The job was mostly about juggling 20938409 balls at once. It was a pretty refreshing change as it forced fast decisions and dynamic creativity. A big part of the job is about branding and marketing which is so important now for any writer – you have to be a brand and know what you stand for.

I remember you for being nice to the workies, in comparison to other editors I worked under. Was that important to you? Why? Oh, that’s lovely of you to say!! There’s a saying in newspapers: “always be good to the copy kid (a junior admin assistant)….because one day they’ll be your boss”. Me, I was hyper-aware of how the magazine industry bred some very overly entitled young women. It’s the way the industry works and propels itself. But I abhorred it. I think coming in from the outside gave me perspective and I tried to stamp out instances of this hierarchical behaviour. Also, I took on the job because I really did feel I wanted to help and inspire young women. And as a leader you should always “be your message”.

I once read that most Cosmo editors spent on average, almost a decade in the editor’s chair. Yet you left before the five year mark (if I am not mistaken). How did it feel to be breaking the trend? I left when I’d done all my original ideas. A publisher in the mag game once said to me that after 3-4 years editors regurgitate ideas and should move on. I tend to agree. I’d hit a point where if I’d stayed it would have been for title (of editor), not for what I could contribute. I’ve seen a lot of editors who’ve become too attached to the title. I never want to be stuck in that kind of attachment – it’s very unhealthy.

I remember hearing/reading it was because you missed writing. And then, I saw a lot of your articles in Good Weekend, covering all sorts of things from New York etc. How did it feel to be back in the writing game? Did you know you made the right decision straight away? Actually, I didn’t really want to be solely a freelance writer as I’d already been a feature writer (for 5 years on Sunday Magazine). I was more interested in trying new ideas, with writing being one component. I don’t think anyone can be “just a freelance writer” any more.

As a freelance writer/columnist, do you agree with (some) other freelancers who tend to comment about 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 love working for myself. But the hardest bit is creating structure for yourself. In an office, someone else does all that for you. It’s taken me a long time to work out my structure, but it’s been a really important journey to go through. I’ve learnt so much about myself in the process, and it’s steered me to where I need to be. I get up at 6.30am and spend 2 hours getting ready for my day (exercise, meditation, reading). Then I work from an office outside my home and try to stick to 9am-7pm hours. I find it super hard to maintain this routine, but it’s also my freedom!

What is a typical day in the life of Sarah Wilson? No day is typical! I juggle 4 regular media jobs, as well as my blog, MC work that takes me around the country and I’m about to start writing a book. Oh, and I’m studying Integrative Nutritition via a school in New York. I literally set aside chunks of time each week for each activity. I have to be very organised with my diary!

I am a big fan of the niche that you have covered yourself – that idea of ‘wellness’ and living a holistic, healthy life. I feel that has done great things for you career-wise. What’s your take?  Thank you. Yes, I think it’s important now for writers to have something to say. Gone are the days of working on a newspaper for life, writing about whatever comes up on the news desk. Now we have to come to the different media – newspapers, mags, TV, online etc – with something to say, to share. We have to have opinions, a brand. Readers and consumers expect the message to come with relevance and care and experience. I think this is a great thing. Again, it’s about being our message!

How do you get on the topics that you do when you write your columns? Is it mainly things about your own life that inspire the themes? Yep! Each week I aim to be as authentic as possible with the themes for my Sunday Life column. That was how I structured it – to be an account of a period in which I make life better. I read a lot on the topic and talk to lots of people, but also, many opportunities come to me. I was invited to meet the Dalai Lama, for instance, because the publicist for his visit liked my column.

Tell us a little about your work for Lifestyle Channel and the program ‘You’. What’s it about and what is your role as a producer on the show? I describe the channel as “a chat over the back fence with the neighbour” – it features content that’s about understanding how we all tick. I’m a presenter and host and am working with the channel to develop new content – shows and instituals.

What are your biggest inspirations?  Radio National’s Life Matters program (it has been since I was 12), the ocean at 6:30 in the morning and, yes, the www.

Do you have a goals list that the Wordsmith Lane readers can have a sneak peak at? Ohhh, I don’t.

Give us one good reason why we should follow your work. If you have a yearning, too, to understand life a little more deeply and to have a sweeter experience of it, than you might connect with what I’m committed to exploring.

What advice would you offer to aspiring bloggers, freelancers and wordsmiths who want to follow a similar career path? Simply write authentically and then the right things will flow your way.

Ten in the Hot Seat:

1. Describe yourself in one word: intense
2. Biggest accomplishment to date: interviewing the former PM John Howard and PM Kevin Rudd for Cosmo
3. You wish you wrote: a wonderful new book The Elegance of the Hedgehog. It’s my kind of book
4. Can’t leave home without: my glasses!
5. One thing you are currently writing: a book…the details of which I can’t share quite yet.
6. First thing you wrote: my name on a painting I did for my little brother Ben.
7. Addicted to reading: Salon.com
8. Top spot on your goals list: to be more grounded
9. If you were a character in a novel, you’d be: the little girl in The Lovely Bones
10. The best thing about being a wordsmith: being able to write emails quickly, with confidence. I feel for people who find writing a chore.