And while I have always felt her to be a little bit of a nut (kick back and relax for once, I’d think – but never say), I am slowly realising that good housekeeping is the way of the un-frazzled, and, given that I am prone to forgetting my own postcode in the midst of all my multi-tasking, I have decided to bring some housekeeping here:

Branding:

• Today, I wrote my first guest post at one of my favourite blogs, Erica Bartle’s Girl With a Satchel. In it, I decided to share one of the bigger issues plaguing my career today, and for once, it’s not about NOT having enough freelance work. Ok, so perhaps plaguing is too strong a word, but as you’ll see if you read the post (I’ll republish it soon in its original format, but Bartle gets it first), I really am at a cross roads with whether or not I should change my name in the wake of my impending marriage. In light of this indecision, I am wondering if I should revert to using www.wordsmithlane.com as my primary domain instead of using my own name – and branding according to that? I mean, Bartle’s success is testament to the fact that you don’t need to have something professing your name for it to be successful. So I figure, let’s say I do change my name, at least my website remains as is and fails to confuse people, right? Would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Content:

• So today I tried to remember all the things I was excited about when I first launched this blog, and in the process I realised that I am not fulfilling all of them. This was meant to be 1- A creative outlet for me (all the time, tick, even when I rant about shopping and girly things); 2- A place where I chronicle my freelance writing adventures (errr, semi-tick, right?); and 3- A place where I discuss all sort of writerly things (no tick, as I reckon I have failed miserably here).  And while I still am excited about those things, they’re not exactly what last-the-distance-blogging-material is all about. Which is why, in case anyone has been wondering, I end up writing about my life, what I buy, what I want, etc. Does that diminish the wordsmith purpose? I really need to be able to keep my eye on the prize there, as then I’d just have another blog and nothing really unique in terms of what I am offering in an already cluttered web reading market. Of course, this content sub-head goes hand in hand with…

The Sections:

• We all know that I am not going to give up on style, smarts and savoir-faire, and that’s a given. After all, I plan to write a book with that very title, and I am copyrighting it from now by simply having it on my blog. However, I want to know – what do you think has to go? What must stay? What should I incorporate? I started the skills textbook section to equip you all with the kind of information you need to make it as a freelance writer, but it’s kind of fallen short since covering the basics, and I sure as hell know that the basics are not all what writing and journalism are all about. So what would you like to see in skills textbook that I am yet to offer? In my brain’s cluttered moments, your suggestions are really all the inspiration I have, and I genuinely want this blog to work for you as well. What about snapshots from my life? Would you like a section like that? You know, where I post on what I am eating/drinking/buying/where I am going etc? Or should I incorporate that in the style, smarts and savoir-faire all-sorts section? And try to remember that wordsmith call-outs are not just for me, but for you too – so if you’re writing an article and are stuck for case studies, let me know and I will post the request up there and have readers email you. Want to see more in Wordsmith Spotlight, like profiles on writers/journalists portrayed in books/pop culture, bits and bobs of writing news (like comps and the like) or even info on new blogs/magazines and publications that accept freelance submissions? Happy to restart this if it is of interest. Much as I would like to stick to wordsmith stuff, I am also about thopse girly aspects, so I am also happy to blog about my expanding closet, where I shop, etc. Make sure you send me questions/suggestions asking for this though, because I don’t read minds.

Guest Posting:

• To (slightly) make up for the fact that I don’t have the time nor the brains to think up posts everyday, I am opening up the floor to people who’d like to contribute to wordsmithlane. Posts should review writing, writing courses or just generally discuss the writing life in one way or another, be between 500 and 1000 words, and include a short bio of yourself, as well as a link to your twitter/blog/website in case readers would like to follow your work. I’m a very flexible person though, so I would consider many an idea if it will merit the majority of my readers in one way or another. Send your ideas to me in a short, concise email (practice makes perfect pitching) and we’ll go from there. Someone who has jumped on the guest posting bandwagon is Liz Goralewski (pictured right) whose wordsmithlane bio reads: “Liz Goralewski is a constant reader, half-time thinker, and writer in between. Currently studying English and History at Sydney University, she hopes one day that her young adult urban fantasy will be published and adored. She’s an avid paranormal fiction reader, whether it be romance or young adult fiction. She loves helping out new authors, and is more than willing to give a deserving review to those who offer. She loves her husband and her cats more than any number of Reese’s Cups. And that’s saying something“. Liz has signed up to review some books, so let’s give her unique writing (and reviewing) voice a big wordsmithlane welcome!

Alternative posts/videos:

• Interested in seeing something I don’t already have? Like videos? Do let me know so that I, clueless chick that I am, may be able to accomodate it. I recently discovered the web-cam in the laptop I have owned for over a year, so you can imagine my excitement about this. Then again, I have no idea that my video posts would be about. Come to think of it, that’s what you’re here for.

So please wordsmithlaners, drop me a line and help make the walk along wordsmithlane that wee bit more exciting.

You see, I woke up yesterday with a lot of optimism for what i would accomplish in the week ahead, like:

• polishing off the Madison article I have been working on for a couple of weeks now (my wordsmith abilities were tested with a very short deadline and a few re-edits);
• doing my regular job, which was going to be busy this week as I attended many meetings and the like
• cleaning my mess of a closet and my mess of a room (actually they’re not messy by normal standards as I am told, I am just a little too pedantic)
• Washing my hair (this, to me at least, is the biggest chore in the history of human events)
• Settling on my property AND celebrating it with dinner, dessert and cocktails with the boy
• Doing some thesis work, after having abandoned my project for almost a month
• Sorting out some more wedding stuff (there’s less than six months to go now!)
• Cleaning out my car (ah yes, this was dirty and messy)
• Reading a few mags, like the latest Shop (with Alexa on the cover, yay!); Madison & Women’s Health as well as Lipstick Jungle (needed a little bit of light reading)
• Doing some copywriting for a couple of clients
• Sharing with you some of my (very pretty) latest buys, all scored at 40% in some random sale
• And basically not stressing out about the week ahead (for a change).

Instead, I:

• had a car accident (thankfully not my fault), and spent the rest of the afternoon screaming about my back pain, going to the doctor’s surgery and the copshop to file all the relevant reports
• freaked out about why the settlement was not going through on my property – turns out the seller had some issues with his mortgager/bank and we had to change the cheque with the deposit, etc, so I hope it all sorts itself out today
• did not eat – yes, somewhere in the midst of that hectic conundrum of a day, I forgot to nourish myself until the very late evening. Thankfully, I am making up for it today with a lovely breakfast of bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon – happy days!
• ended up calling in sick with back pain, but freaked out about how my work was NOT going to get done and letting down the schools and scripture coordinators I was supposed to be meeting with; and
• stayed up all night stressing about all that I did not do.

However, I woke up this morning with a resolve to take it easier, so I will be:

• Working from home – that way, my job gets done, and I get to rest my back on a pile of pillows while doing everything in bed thanks to my laptop
• Eating, and eating good: Breakfast today is a fresh poppyseed bagel with lashings of cream cheese and smoked salmon, morning tea is apple tea with Jam Fairy cakes, lunch is a yummy stiryfry with noodles, with garlic and ginger to fight the winter baddies, and fresh basil for some extra zing. Snack time is popcorn (sweet and salty – one of my faves) and dinner will be whatever my Lebanese-cook mummy makes.
• Sorting out the insurance aspect of the accident immedaitely so as to put it from my mind – and relying on muscle relaxants and panadol to make the back pain go away at least temporarily
• Promoting my Bride to Be Column - I hope you guys are checking out and if you can tweet it for me, I’d really appreciate the extra promotion
• Commissioning James to ring the solicitors and make sure all goes through for settlement – because I REFUSE to think about it for another day
• Sorting out my phone bill/changing my rate plan to save money in light of the fact that there’s mortage/wedding/travel on the horizon
• Leaving the wedding plans for another week, as I am sure they’re not going to run away (much as I wish they would)
• Reminding myself to be happy as I have filed the copy for the Madison article, which I am super-excited about
• braiding my hair – two braids always make me happy, especially when pinned back in an elegantly classic up-style
• Reading – and blocking everything else from my mind; and  
• playing with the new additions to my wardrobe, which I have included pictures of for your perusal. I’ll be wearing the ivory lace and crochet dress with black leggings, ivory ballet flats, a string of Chanel-esque black and white pearls, a black blazer, a topknot accessorised with a giant ivory bow hairtie, and my Chanel tote. The Jumpsuit is my fave summer buy, which I’ll wear with sky-high stilettos/platforms, bold earrings and bangles, a great cocktail ring and a big clutch when I go out, and some big studs and sandals for weekend daywear. The one shoulder bow-top will pe perfect with jeans or skirts for a night out at the bar/dinner – and my favourite of them all, my swan princess bretton jumper.
• Super-cute no? Especially with jeans or a navy skirt and ballet flats, and my watermelon coat. LOVE. See, when you score pretty wardrbe pieces for 40%, they make you forget everything.  Well, maybe not backpain ;p Click to view slideshow.

I’ve been super-busy filing copy on an article for Madison magazine, my first ever article there, and I am doing my best to make it perfect. That means lots of edits and re-edits when the Features Ed requires them, and an overhaul of the whole piece if it needs to tighter, smarter, scarier.

In light of this, I really need your help. I’m looking for a school kid (but only in the land down under, international readers, so you’re free to relax)  who has been stabbed/shot/bashed while they’ve been at school. Or outside of school because of school yard issues (girlfriends, rival groups, or rival schools even).

Tough business this is, made even tougher by the fact that I have to get in contact with this person by tomorrow because the re-edit is due on Friday, and we all know that I work full-time. Yikes! If you do this for me, I will love you eternally (more than I already do) and be greatful to you in a manner that human beings would not be able to comprehend. You know what to do: email me if you got someone (their parents would work too) or pray for me if you don’t. It’s going to be a massive trek at the keyboard filing this story.

But lest you bite your nails off due to the sheer excitement of it all, here are a couple of books to tide you over until the film hits our screens, as well as some extra commentary from yours truly on daily opinion website The Punch, and sneak-peek clips from the movie over at Jezebel. Hope they can be of some comfort until your proper hit!

1. The Carrie Diaries ($32.95, Harper Collins): The latest offering from Candace Bushnell, the woman who bought us the awesome foursome, takes us back to Carrie’s high school days, where sex was not part of her daily existence and where writing and friendship did not a concrete status hold in her reality. Instead, we meet a Carrie who is a lot more insecure (albeit quite fashionably and adult-like) than her 30-something self, coming of age among friends who might not be soul mates, and boys who taught her that love is a battlefield and that it’s sex that’s the easier way out when feelings and concerned. Die-hard Bradshaw fans will find comfort in the coming of age story that’s easy to read and love whether you’re 15 or 35, told from the perspective of a young woman who is yet to cement her dreams into her goals and make them a reality through her seemingly only confidante, her secret diary. Although some of them will question certain aspects of the novel given the content of the series (Carrie’s mother, for example, is dead in the book and she is raised by her father alongside her sisters, but in the series, we know that Carrie’s father walked out on her and her mum when she was a wee little gal), it will be good to kick back, take it easy and enjoy it for what it is than an over-analysis of right, wrong and doesn’t make sense (especially since Bushnell created the Carrie character first, and she was developed by her TV family). Find out what got Carrie to New York, how she got into writing, all about the young Kydd before the Big man (ie, Sebastian Kydd, her highschool boyfriend compared to her older man-friend Mr Big), the friends before the soul mates, why sex was not all that she was about, and where her feminism came from. And, because it makes things a little more fun and feminine, watch her evolve into the fashionista that dominates the style stakes of women all over the world.

2. Sex and the City 2 Movie Guide: The Stories, The Fashion, The Adventure ($49.99, Headline, available June 1st): Speaking of fashionistas, the book that pairs with the movie of the year also happens to be the latest lust-have addition for the benefit of your wardrobe. Beginning with a background recap on the lives of the girls since we last saw them on the silver-screen, the book, which was compiled by one of the film’s producers, Eric Cyphers, is the ultimate keepsake for loyal fans for it’s fashion, set secrets and tales, and cast-and-crew interviews. Featuring behind-the-scenes info, a compilation on all characters (including special guests Liza Minelli, Penelope Cruz, Miley Cyrus and more), and interviews with all those on set, the book also features an intro by writer/producer Michael Patrick King and Ms Sarah Jessica Parker herself. But it is also a must for any woman dying to know who wore what when, especially considering its extensive detail on the costuming that makes Carrie a style queen. That’s right, the book features exclusive photos of the outfits all four stars wore in each and every scene, along with information on who designed the lust-worthy clothes, shoes and accessories. And if that wasn’t enough, we also take a glimpse into the pictures from Sarah Jessica’s fittings, accompanied by her own commentary on everything she wore – namely why she wore it and how they tracked it down. If you’re as passionate as excitement shows, this book ought to occupy top-spot on your shopping list.

So how’s that for fever-subsiding until that main medicine hit? Enjoy!

But I have regrets. A lot of them actually, and I am not ashamed to say it.  And that’s because I have come to realise that it’s ok to have them because they’re avenue from which to learn from. You know, those deep-down issues with aspects of our lives that we sometimes wish never happened, and that we harbour resentfully without moving on from them, perhaps at the attempt of our hearts/minds/souls to learn from them and avoid future mistakes.

Today for some reason, my regrets are coming a little too easily to my mind, and so I am going to share them/write them down, in my own cathartic attempt at letting loose from the hold they often have on me, and in the hope that I will learn a little from them. You might learn from some of them too, especially the media/career-related stuff. Any regrets that you’d like to share? They’d sure make me feel a hell of a lot better.

• I regret paying off my HECS debt. Considering there’s zero to little interest on HECS debts, and that they come so easily out of your pay, I shouldn’t have gotten rid of them so fast. That $20,000 or so could have been useful in the scheme of my house deposit. Then again, I probably would’ve spent it on shoes.
• I regret not taking care of my car. It’s messy, has not been washed in over a year, and it groans sometimes. I think I hit the pedals a little too hard when the light goes green.
• I regret not doing more diverse subjects at uni. I did things like sociology, history and cultural studies in my Bachelor degree, and I loved them. I wish I did more of them in my Masters.
• Actually, I regret not doing some alternative media subjects – like radio or broadcast – during the course of my studies. They would have opened up more doors for me today, especially in our ever-changing media sphere.
• I regret not paying enough attention in my Arabic classes. I know enough to get me by, but I wish I was better at speaking, reading and writing it.
• I regret doing everything mum and dad said. In the rarest of rare occasions, they are wrong.
• Everyday, I regret not eating enough fruit and veges, and not drinking enough water.
• I regret being a doormat. Sometimes, a girl really needs to stand up for herself and what she wants.
• I regret not doing ballet. Although I am rectifying this by taking some beginners classes for adults soon.
• I regret spending time and money on friends who are so obviously not worth it. I regret being too nice and not learning from their meanness.
• Sometimes, I regret getting too personal. Like maybe, right now. And definitely last week, when I was a little too open in an email to someone I am not sure I trust yet.
• I regret being one of those people who cares what other people think. They don’t matter Sarah, so get with the program.
• I regret buying the shoes I wore to my year 10 formal. Buying them was my mum’s fault.
• I regret not going to Germany and Amsterdam when I was in Europe last. Maybe next time, God Willing.
• I regret my inability to read Pride & Prejudice. There, I admitted yet. Don’t call me a writing fraud, please!
• I regret picking at my skin. All my little scars are testament to this.
• I regret not buying more at H&M.
• I regret the purchase of a certain Review dress, which is too big and which cost good money. I regret the purchase of clothes that I bought a size to big in the hope that I will grow into them. That never works, and now I can’t wear the pretty pencil skirt with the frilly back.
• I regret breaking my favourite tan waist belt.
• I regret not changing my bedroom furniture. I now have to get ready (as a bride mind you) among the bedroom furniture I picked out when I was 10. It is blue.
• I regret not entering the Walkley Foundation’s Young Journalist of the Year competition this year.
• I regret not being able to braid hair. I still can’t figure it out.
• I regret not spending enough time with my grandparents. And that one half of them live on the other side of the world.
• I regret clutter’s ability to manifest itself in my life. Go away.
• I regret not taking more pictures of Louisa, my god-daughter. At five years old, she is practically all-gorwn up now. I also regret deleting that video where she screams for the money in my purse.
• I regret not being the type of chick who does her hair/make-up/nails/tan regularly. Image is everything, or so it seems.
• I regret letting my aunty colour my hair in Year 6. My golden-blonde locks have been mousey-brown ever since.
• I regret not buying a Marc Jacobs Stam Bag. Hopefully, there is still time. In fact, there’s one on EBAY that I want right now, and I know it is real because the seller has a store receipt.
• I regret not patenting a time machine. Would’ve worked wonders on all of the above, no?

Tell us about your wordsmith career path so far: For the sake of brevity and reader fatigue, I’ll nutshell it: Over the past eight years I have worked at Mania, Smash Hits, Cosmopolitan and Harper’s BAZAAR magazines, had a beauty blog (fruitybeauty), edited a beauty website (primped.com.au) and written two novels and a dating book. I write a dating column for Cosmo and an opinion column for The Sunday Telegraph, and occasionally I eat and sleep.  

You’ve gone from being a Beauty Editor on major magazines [Zoe has worked in senior roles on Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar] to beauty editing online, with extra writing supplements to boot. How has it been juggling the change?

It’s been great, especially since recently moving to editor at large (I lobbied for editor at small) and working from home. I’m one of those psychopaths who doesn’t feel ‘right’ unless they’re doing 389 things, so taking on multiple writing projects at once feels natural, in a perverse way.  The different topics and mediums add to the delight.

You also freelance as Cosmo’s dating guru, and have written a book on romance with Hamish Blake. Is having additional writing work outside of Primped a big appeal for you, a necessity, or something that keeps you more productive?

My passion for dating and relationships equals (possibly surpasses) my passion for beauty so it’s less that it keeps my brain whirring, and more that I would be unhappy if I wasn’t doing it. I derive such genuine joy writing on the male-female dynamic, especially when I receive emails from readers saying what I have written has helped them in some way.

What is a typical day in the life of Zoe Foster?

6.30-7am wakeup, and straight to the computer. My brain is at its best between 6 and about 9.30 so I keep most intense writing for that time slot. (eg my opinion column.) By 10 am my brain is doing cartwheels and forcing me to read  and dreaming of frothy caffeinated beverages.  

10 – 12 Primped blog, emails, tweeting, blogging. Maybe a launch/appointment.  

12 – 3.30 Thumping keys at my desk, grazing on nutritionally devoid food and trying to refrain from constant email send/receiving.  

4 – 6 More writing, emails etc. This is usually the panic stage of the day, where I realise I was, as usual, spectacularly optimistic about time, and have to scream through to finish and submit columns/jobs.6 -7 Walk with a girlfriend or gym. Exercise is an absolute NECESSITY when writing all day. Otherwise Zoë go loopy. Right loopy.   

Most people pick a niche and stick to it. You have two (dating and beauty). How does sticking your fingers in two pots help out your career? 

It’s terrific! I have been afforded so many marvellous opportunities (speaking, writing etc) by having a few different hats to wear. Also, it works well with my career ADD; if I have several different content schools and a multiple of mediums and publications I write for, I have less chance of getting antsy.

Most writers find that, at least initially, it’s very hard to get your writing read by a large audience. Do you think that your work on the glossies made it easier for primped.com.au to work?

Without a doubt.   

Before primped, there was fruitybeauty.com.au. How did the idea for your blog come about? And why did it fade away?

It came about because I had been working at Cosmo for a few years and was competent at my job and needed a new challenge to sink my fangs into. Also, because I was frustrated at having all this awesome beauty information in my head and only three dot points to condense it into each month. Blogging felt like the perfect forum to write long, in-depth explain-its on beauty and also, my writing style is by nature very long and waffly, and I just wanted some more space, you know?

What were some of the difficulties you first encountered swapping from a very senior editing role to online beauty editing?

Because I had already been blogging with fruity for years, the transition as smooth as… that little piece of skin behind your ear. It was incredibly liberating to move wholly online, and I feel like I made the move at the perfect time for both my career and for beauty online.

We have seen the Beauty Writing industry really take off in the last two years or so. These days, we have the likes of beauty portals, beauty manuals, and beauty websites, which means that the beauty pages on the magazines are not as in demand as they once were. What is your take on the issue?

I don’t think it’s a case of them being less in demand, but rather that they have to focus on what they can deliver that we can’t. For example, beautiful, lush photos , or really in-depth, meaty beauty features. Online is, by nature, better at serving up extremely timely beauty news and on PRIMPED in particular, how to videos. Both mediums are relevant, and so long as we each remember our strengths and focus on them, we all win.   

A lot of people dismiss beauty writing as airy-fairy, but there’s obviously a lot of work involved in testing a whole load of product, looking at new research, writing about it in an accessible form for varied audiences (because obviously everyone has different skin tones, hair types etc) – and continuing to do so in an engaging manner. What do you say to this?

Obviously there is far heavier and more important content in the world than the latest mascara or fragrance, but I must defend my brethren by saying that it does take a certain skill to make shampoo or pimple gel sound fascinating, and that now, with all of the science and technology (stem cells, melanin inhibitors, ultrasound waves etc) going into skin care and salon treatments, we have to A) Have a reasonable understanding of science, genetics and cell behaviour and B) Be able to translate all of that sciency gobbledygook into simple language for our readers in order to be a good beauty writer. 

Tell us a little about how you went into book writing. 

For the same reason I started fruitybeauty; I had too much creative energy bubbling within and thought jotting down all my beauty anecdotes might be a good idea, because beauty editors work in such a fantasy world, and I was fatigued with fashion getting all the attention. From that Air Kisses was born. 

Do you find it hard to juggle your various projects? 

It all comes down to discipline and time management. Otherwise it just won’t get done. For me this is both the easiest and hardest thing in the world. 

How do you promote your book (with tours etc) with a full-time job?

I’ve been exceptionally lucky at PRIMPED – my boss(es) have always encouraged and allowed me time to go off and promote my books. That said, the amount of publicity I did for Playing The Field was one of the reasons I decided to pull back to Editor at Large… there just wasn’t enough time in the day to get it all done.

Do you have a goals list that the Wordsmith Lane readers can have a sneak peak at?

I don’t, actually. I am living very much day to day. I feel very positive about my new novel, which I will start writing in July (while on sabbatical in Greece/Italy for a few months… oh man… it’s the dream, it really is…) and am genuinely thrilled with all of the work I am doing presently. It was always my gaol to have columns and write books, and I am living it. I am extremely grateful that I have achieved this goal, and it was such an enjoyable, abundant journey that brought me here, too. BIG picture, I’ve love to write a film script one day.

Give us one good reason why we should all become members of Primped?

Because you get SPECIAL PRVILIGES! Like being a VIP prodz tester for us.

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

Find your point of difference and hone it: why would people want to read your blog/work over everyone else’s? What do you offer them they can’t find anywhere else? And then, obviously, work hard. I am a firm believer in working your full time job then supplementing it with your passion project (blog, book, photography etc) on weekends or after hours. Eventually (ideally) you’ll see the full time work start to slip in importance, and the passion project build momentum, until you no longer need the full time job and can earn all the money you desire from your passion. And then, as if that weren’t enough: it doesn’t even feel like work!

Ten in the Hot Seat:    

1. Describe yourself in one word: Positive
2. Biggest accomplishment to date: Three books published by 30
3. You wish you wrote: That bloody Twilight series…
4. Can’t leave home without: Keys, BlackBerry, money, lipgloss.
5. One thing you are currently writing: Just finished proposals for two new books.
6. First thing you wrote: ‘Dangling Hoplessly’ (sic) A tale of danger and terror! And school teachers! And mean dogs that chase! Age 10.
7. Addicted to reading: Emails, test messages, tweets.
8. Top spot on your goals list: For one of my books to be made into a film.
9. If you were a character in a novel, you’d be: Grug.
10. The best thing about being a wordsmith: The ability to communicate with so many people. And, if you’re lucky, make them smile.

With a weekend jam-packed with family events (and admittedly, a quick shop around Paddington markets) and loads of to-do items for my full-time job, as well as attendance at a Wollongong conference, I have barely had a quick second to catch my breath. This was made even worse by the fact that afore-mentioned conference had me returning home at 10:40pm last night, after 13 hours of work-related discussion, plans, strategy conversations etc.

But it has not been all-work and no words, because there are some exciting things to share regarding my busy wordsmith life, and the fact that I am making it even busier.

• I am very pleased to announce that I am Bride-to-Be‘s first ‘Bride’s Diary’ blogger, writing a short snippet once a week on the bridal mag’s website about my wedding plans, dramas and crises. The announcement of said gig is in the latest issue of the bridal bible, which came out yesterday (Wednesday May 5th). Make sure you make it worth my while and tune into my first regular series of writing  here. Getting this column only proves that you can get some writing work out of pretty much anything that happens in your life, provided someone else can learn from it, laugh at it or empathise with it. I plan to cover regular columns and how to get them in a soon-to-be published (well here’s hoping, knowing my schedule) post of Skills Textbook.
• The lovely Megan over at Literary Life has been kind enough to feature me as an interviewee on her blog recently, so if you can’t get enough of me here, check out the short interview here and read a little bit more about how I got into the industry and what my thoughts are regarding the writing freelance game.
• Speaking of getting into the industry, this morning I joined TV & Video Journalists Tom Steinfort from Channel 9 and Yalda Hakim from SBS on the young journalists Panel at Media Pass Student Industry Day, which was held at Redfern Town Hall in Sydney and which was sponsored by the very prestigious Walkley Foundation. We gave a little bit of background on how we broke into the industry before launching into a casual question-and-answer session with all the attendees. The session ran for an hour and was very insightful on my part, firstly, because I learnt quite bit from my fellow panellists (no two journalist stories are the same) and also because I recognised what the issues and questions were on the part of the new generation of emerging journalists and writers. I was also stoked to see some of my lovely Wordsmith Lane readers there (a particular thank you to Abi who announced, for all to hear, that my blog was very good and that they should all read it – awww) and it put a smile on my dial to be able to meet some of them in the flesh and answer their questions (as well as meet some new aspiring wordsmiths). The panel was also interesting because I developed quite a bit of a girl-crush on Yalda Hakim (amazing video journalist – super-smart, winner of great awards and very inspiring: she kind of put me to shame). Although I must say that I felt quite disadvantaged being the only one there who was not only a freelancer but who also worked in print, so a lot of the sentiments I made were not always echoed nor did I understand everything my fellow pannellists said. It really made me aware of my limitations as just a ‘print journalist’ and opened my eyes to many things I had never thought of before. That said, it also gave me a chance to talk about some of the disadvantages associated with the freelance pursuit – no one to bounce ideas off, no editors to give you jobs when you need them, no jet-setting, not being able to convince an ed not to can your story because you don’t work there and probably don’t know about it to begin with, no one to nominate you for awards…I could go on forever! For the most part, unfortunately, I left feeling a little concerned that I injected a little too much personality into my responses. I really need to tone down the excitement and remember that not everyone gets my sense of humour. This was my third or fourth panel presentation since I started and I am cut I still have not mastered the art of it, if you ask me!
• Speaking of asking, today’s event inspired an idea for an Interview Segment featuring yours truly. If you’re a Wordsmith Lane regular, you know I make an effort to try and interview other wordsmiths about how they got into the field, their work, their typical days etc. And some of you have emailed me at times and asked about my own journey, so I will shortly run a ‘Readers Ask’ Interview post, where I will invite you all, for this week only, to email me questions that you’d like me to answer about my experience in the industry and breaking into it etc. You can read through past interviews I have ran here and look at those questions for inspiration. So from now until next Thursday at midnight (or is that Friday at midnight?) I will be accepting questions via email, and will post them up on Friday evening for all to read/see. Email your questions to wordsmithlane[at]gmail.com and remember to keep them Sarah-specific.

Until next week, Happy Writing x

PS – More news in the life of this wordsmith, though not writing-specific: I bought my first home last week! Well, it’s a teeny apartment in a not-so-flashy suburb, but it’s more money than I’d cared to have parted with in life, but for a space to call my own (and decorate) it is so worth it. It’s rented out until November, so I’m going to do the traditional move-in-after-wedding-day-and-be-carried-over-the-threshold-thing. And boy am I excited. This wordsmith is all grown up…well, sort-of!