The Writing Life

I’ve been writing this blog for nearly a year and a half.  With that in mind, I’d like to ask you, dear readers, what you’d like to see in here.  I have two reasons for doing this.  One, like any writer, especially a blogger, I’d like to make sure I’m connecting with you and offering you what you want.  And, two, I feel like I’m running out of blog topics that excite me.

And, so I am turning to you, if indeed you are out there!  What do you want to know about freelance writing?  Do you want to know about freelance writing?  Do you want to know more about my daily life?  Do you want to know more of my thoughts on motherhood?  Do you want to see more faith-based posts?  What have you enjoyed that I’ve written about in the past?  What have you NOT enjoyed that I’ve written about in the past?

One thing I have preached in teaching and in this blog is to know  your audience.  With that in mind, I am reaching out to you, my audience, for some feedback.  Let me know what you’re thinking.  Post here, e-mail or send smoke signals — whatever works for you.  On second, thought, avoid smoke signals.  I don’t know how to read them and I’m not outside all that much.

I hope to hear from you!

I know I’ve mentioned on here at least a time or two that I enjoy my work.  I love learning new things.  So, when someone thinks a project I’m working on sounds boring, I’m always stunned.

The first time this happened was a couple of years ago when I was covering a very small town suburb of my mid-sized city.  And when I say small town, I mean it.  This area has no restaurants or anything.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The community welcomed me.  I learned so much about the people who lived there.  They shared their stories with me.  Every week was something new for the three articles I wrote.  When I mentioned it to a relative, she immediately replied with, “Well, that sounds boring.”  I sincerely thought she was joking at first.  Boring?  To me, nothing is boring about learning people’s stories.  I loved what I was writing.

I’ve had these things happen a couple of other times since then with other stories and projects and I still don’t understand how people can think boring.  I throw myself into everything I work on.  I am a passionate person.  I am passionate about my work.  The only boring part of it to me is the bookkeeping and business tasks.  I’m not crazy about updating my clips online.  I’m not crazy about tracking my income and expenses.  THOSE things are boring to me.  But, my writing, editing and designing are far from boring to me.

If you enjoy what you do, then it’s not boring.  I know some folks are out there who enjoy the tasks I find boring.  More power to them!  And, I suppose, other folks really do find what I do boring.  I don’t understand it more than just to acknowledge that we are all different with different likes, dislikes and passions.

What do you enjoy?

Article research involves a few components.  Along with researching the actual topic, sources must be managed effectively.  I was reminded of this recently in working on an article for Aviation Security International magazine for which I have made nearly 30 contacts with sources.  Not all of them will be in my article.  In fact, several of them referred me to other sources and others have not returned my messages.  However, I have to keep them organized.

While I have used spreadsheets to keep track of sources in the past, many times I end up going old school with a pencil and piece of paper to start with.  No matter what I use, I track the same information.

First I put the name of the source.  Usually this is the organization I am contacting.  For example, one contact made for the aforementioned article was the East West Institute.  So, I write East West Institute.  Beside that goes the URL for the group.

Below that I write the contact information that I found on their website.  Finding such contact information could be an entire other blog post!  When possible (and oftentimes it is possible), I look for a press room area on websites.  Then I keep track of e-mail addresses and phone numbers for media contacts.  Sometimes I find a specific contact, like in this example, and other times it is a general media inquiry e-mail address.

Finally, beneath that is where I start tracking when I’ve contacted the source and what happened.  For example, the first entry for my example of the East West Institute look like this:

• 6/14: E-mailed him at 3:05 p.m.

Simple enough, but then if I need to follow up, I can make sure to let enough time pass (they need time to respond) and I can also reference the date of my first message.  In certain situations, I’ll even go into my “Sent Items” folder and pull up the original message and forward it to the same person as a reference.

Finally, I also track what deadline I’ve given them to have the information completed by.  Usually this is the same for all sources I’m talking to.  Sometimes it can vary, though, if I am making a contact later in the writing process and need to offer the source more time to respond.

Tracking sources can get tedious, but not tracking sources just spells trouble.  For large articles, especially, knowing who you’ve contacted and when is the only way to stay organized.

For my work, I have to ask questions.  If I didn’t ask questions, I couldn’t get the information I need to write articles — simple as that.  However, sometimes I can get carried away with questions in my personal life as well.  I’m not saying that I’m nosy, but occasionally, I’m in such a habit of interviews that I start interviewing someone I’m talking with.

My husband most often calls me on it.  We were having lunch on Father’s Day when I popped an interview question on him.

“So, what’s surprised you most about being a father?” I asked, thinking it made perfect sense to discuss since it was his first Father’s Day.

“Really?  I”m getting interviewed today?” was his response.

I can’t help it.  Fortunately he’s patient with me.  Other times asking questions can come in handy.  I’m a stereotypical introverted writer.  So for times when I need to make small talk or talk with people I don’t know well, I often call on my interview skills to get me through.  I don’t grill people or follow a set line of questions like I do for work, but I have realized that people love to answer questions about themselves.  In the end, it works well because I love learning about other people.

So, tell me about you.  What’s your life like?  What do you do a typical day?  What has surprised you most about life?  What do you look forward to in the future?  I could keep going and going.

If you’ve been “interviewed” by me in real life, feel free to chime in.  Asking questions is what I do!

Sometimes I inadvertently help myself.  Usually I write these blog posts based on how I feel at the time.  I type what’s on my mind at that moment.  Sometimes those words come back to me.  This is one of those times.  The last three posts have all come together today to encourage me.  So weird how that works.

Three weeks ago, I wrote about how the end of a big project was bittersweet for me.  Then I wrote about how attitude makes a difference.  Last week I wrote about how I learned from my dog to just trust that God knows where we’re going.  So, yesterday when I got the news that a regular section I’ve been writing is ceasing to exist after this week, I had my own advice to fall back on!

I have enjoyed writing this particular section.  The articles have been fun.  The steady income has been nice.  But, I was starting to feel a bit like it was time to move on.  Now I know for sure that it is.  When I got the news, my initial reaction wasn’t sadness.  Instead I thought, “OK, God.  Where are we going now?”  That is progress!

I feel like I’m standing at the precipice of something big.  I don’t know what it is.  I don’t know where we’re going, but I’m going to continue doing what I love — researching, writing and editing — and see where it takes me.

I recently stumbled upon this quote from Dr. Norman Vincent Peale: “Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our successes or failure.”  Dr. Peale is known for his positive thinking philosophies.  And he is the founder of Guideposts magazine.

I have learned throughout my life that attitude makes such a big difference.  While I think of it more on a personal level, I realize that attitude also affects my professional life as well.  On days when I wake up and think how much I don’t want to do work or how tired I am, then I’m not productive.  On days when I wake up and am excited to start researching a new project or don’t even consider my energy level, then I’m productive.  Everything gets marked off my to-do list.

Figuring out how to always have the right attitude is a challenge.  I’ve found a few things lately that have helped me.

• Listening to the right kind of music.  I enjoy all types of music, but lately contemporary Christian music has gotten me going the most.  Southern/country gospel can do the same.
• Adhering to a schedule.  While schedules may interfere with creativity for some, they help me to stay on track and be productive.  This is even more true now with caring for a baby.  I know when she goes down for her morning nap that I usually have two hours of uninterrupted work time and I need to make the best of it.  The same is true for her hour-long afternoon nap.
• Finding projects that inspire and uplift me.  I’m fortunate in that I get to chose my work.  However, not all articles are super exciting topics if I am to be completely honest.  If I balance with enough that are exciting to me, then it works really well.
• Remembering that I’m doing what I love.  Writing and editing have long been my passions.  Being a mother is a newer passion of mine.  Working from home as a freelancer combines both so well.  It may be hectic, stressful and crazy sometimes, but I get to do what I love.

What helps you maintain a good attitude?

Many of the projects I work on are shorter term.  Most articles are usually assigned and completed within a month or less.  Occasionally one might be a couple of months in the works but seldom more than that.

However, other projects are longer term.  For a few months I have been working with a new Christian writer on his novel.  I’ve edited it for him and we’ve discussed his ideas and plans.  And we are almost completely finished.  In fact, with just a few minor edits, we will be finished.  And it’s bittersweet.

I’ve enjoyed reading the book a couple of times, even though I was working on it as I went.  I’ve enjoyed getting to know this person better.  I’ve been challenged and encouraged by him.  I’m guessing that we will keep in touch after the project finishes.  But, I find it’s a bittersweet ending.

I love the sense of accomplishment that comes at the end of a project.  Nothing is more satisfying.  I would honestly say this sense of accomplishment is even greater since this has been my first huge project since the birth of my daughter.  I have figured out how to work while still be a mom.

However, after working on a project for so long and having it end, it can be like saying goodbye to a friend.  I often feel that way with the end of reading a good book.  Currently I’m reading the last book in the “Legend of Drizzt” series, and I keep putting it off.  I don’t want it to be over.

While I won’t put my work off, I do feel a bit bittersweet about this large project winding down.  Yet, at the same time, I also look forward to a new pr0ject on the horizon that will challenge me in different ways!

I think I may have mentioned before that I’m not a huge fan of change.  And, yet, life changes.  Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

I was hit by this realization yet again this afternoon. I was washing baby stuff and having a bit of a pity party.  My line of thinking quickly went down the path of the past.  I started thinking that last year I didn’t have to interrupt my lunch to move someone from her bouncy seat to the floor because she was bored.  I didn’t have to scramble and try to unload the dishwasher before someone started fussing in her jumperoo.  I didn’t have to try to organize bags of breast milk in the freezer in the house and the chest freezer in the garage.  I didn’t have to wash baby dishes while listening to someone fuss because she was tired in her jumperoo and ready for her afternoon nap.  I didn’t have to try and hasten to get my work done during said nap time.  Last year, my baby was easy to take care of.  I was just starting to feel her move around in my belly.  Last year, I could have spent the afternoon in my office working.  Or even schedule time for a nap if I wanted.  This year, I would consider giving my right arm for a nap.

Then I finished the dishes and took her out of the jumperoo.  We headed to her rocker where I held her for a few moments before putting her down for the nap.  Last year I didn’t have a baby girl in my arms.  Last year I didn’t have a sweetheart snuggling into my neck.  Last year I didn’t have little fingers playing with the collar of my shirt.

It hit me once again that last year may have been easier, but it was nowhere near as good.  Balancing work and a baby may be a struggle.  And I may fall short some days, but the pay off is beyond worth it.

I admit that I am not a person who thrives on change.  Some people do, but for the most part, I am a fan of routine.  Granted, every day is different in what I am working on, but my routine is relatively the same.  Even my daughter has a basic routine these days.  She, actually, is the one who got me thinking about change.  Sometimes I fight it — in both my work and personal lives.  Yet, when I embrace it, often the change is for the better.

I started thinking about this when we started giving my daughter food for the first time.  She started with rice cereal and then oatmeal a few weeks ago.  This week she had her six-month checkup and we got the all clear from her pediatrician to start giving her baby foods.  He suggests we start with vegetables.  So, last night before bedtime, we sat down at the table and served up some pureed vegetables.

Evidently, she is not a fan of change either.  She had quite some interesting facial expressions for us.  First she was excited, but we could tell the moment she realized that stuff on her tongue was not her usual oatmeal.  Her brow furrowed.  She spit some right back out.  Her bib became an orange mess before all was said and done.

What I know that she doesn’t know is this change will lead to good things.  She has to get past the carrots to move on to other vegetables.  And she has to get past those to get to the more fun fruits.  And she has to get past all that to get to the meats.  And it goes on from there.  I wish I could explain to her that sometimes you have to eat carrots before you can get to the chocolate cake, but she’ll have to learn.

I continue to learn in life that embracing change isn’t always bad.  I have had a few projects and articles where I grimace with my first bite.  Then as I get more into them, I realize they aren’t so bad.  And they lead to other projects and articles.  One change at a time.  Last year I give up adjunct teaching for a variety of reasons.  I fretted about that change, wondering if I made the right decision.  A year later, I can say that I did.  I loved teaching and would like to teach again someday, but for now, I’m enjoying other projects that I wouldn’t have had time for if I was still teaching a couple of classes.  I’m in the middle of editing a Christian fiction novel that is compelling, yet consuming.  That change is good.

While I’ll think of my daughter as she adjusts to changes that are for her good, I’m also realizing that I don’t want her to fear change.  I want her to embrace life’s challenges, so I must set that example for her.  I will take risks and send query letters I’ve been putting off.  I will continue to embrace change — while I also continue to enjoy my routine.  I’m pretty sure that I can have both.

On Monday, Al Tompkins from Poynter blogged about the use of laptops in the college classroom.  He said some professors are tired of trying to compete with Facebook and other online distractions so they have banned laptops in their classrooms.

As someone who has taught a few classes at the collegiate level, this got my attention and got me thinking.  I have had students bring their laptops to class.  And I haven’t minded.  Are they always paying attention to me?  Probably not.  Do they need a laptop to distract them?  Certainly not.

In teaching a general studies English course at a local community college a couple of years ago, I had one student basically tell on another in an in-class writing assignment.  He wrote about how his classmate was surfing the Internet looking at skateboarding items during class.  I have to say, though, I didn’t much care.

The thing is, students don’t have to be in college.  They are choosing to be there.  And they are paying to be there.  Maybe it is because I have always been adjunct faculty and never on a tenure track, but I don’t feel responsible to make them learn.  I do, however, feel responsible to be prepared and do the best job I can to help them learn.  I love what I teach.  I love writing and researching.  I want to share that with students.

I must say in teaching at my alma mater, I’ve had more luck.  At Ball State University, I have taught journalism classes to journalism majors.  These students are in these classes because they want to pursue a career in the field.  They are more interested.  I still allow laptops.  And we work on computers.  Do I think that even in those classes no student with a laptop has ever wandered online for personal use during class lecture?  No.  I am realistic.

But, honestly, I think that hand-holding is not what should take place at the college level.  Banning laptops in the classroom doesn’t seem to be a solution to me.  It hinders students who can use them to more effectively take notes.  Responsible students will use laptops in a responsible manner.  Irresponsible students will only find other ways to distract themselves if they don’t have their laptop.

What do you think?