Turning a corner....

HAPPY DANCE!

My career is turning a big corner this month. It's something that's been (sort of) in the works since May, and now it's finally culminated into an amazing opportunity for my career.

While I have not signed my employment contract yet, I have accepted the offer of a full-time marketing writing position with a company in central Illinois. My first day is August 6 (Puck's birthday).

I didn't say too much about the position during the application and interview process. A big part of it is that I didn't want to jinx it. But now that I have the position, I feel like I can say (a little) more.

I found the position accidentally. I was looking online for some freelance work and happened upon this. I was intrigued by the job description, which seemed perfect for my education and experience, so I decided it wouldn't hurt anything to apply.

The more I heard about the position as I went through the interview process, the more excited I got about it. It wasn't at all what I originally thought, but better. I know this may sound cheesy, but this position is what I went to school to do. This is the kind of position I envisioned myself in when I imagined my perfect job. I would be happy retiring from this company in forty years.

There are a lot of benefits to working for this company. It's a full-time salary position with benefits, after my two-week training period I'll only need to be in the office twice a week (usually), and the company is located in a nice community.

I know that no job is perfect. I know there will be difficult days. But I feel so incredibly blessed to be offered this position, and to be able to build a career on my passion for writing. I can't wait for my first day in the office (speaking of which, I'll have my own office--yay!), and to get going with some of these projects that will be on my task list.

This year has been difficult for me so far, and now I finally feel like things have turned a corner. I'm ecstatic about this position. I just can't stop happy-dancing.

The bookworms need to be fed

Nanny reads to Puck and Bug

My kids have been all about stories lately. Puck constantly has a book in his hand, carrying them around with him, and asking me to read this or that story a thousand times a day. Even Tink has been carrying books around and paging through them.

As a writer and reader myself, I'm ecstatic. I love that they are already entranced by the stories they have, that they want to know what happens to Amelia Bedelia when Mr. and Mrs. Rogers come home, and they have to help Duck find Little Bunny.

However, it has reminded me that my kids do not have enough books. (Can one ever have enough books?) There are a lot of stories I remember reading as a child, and I want Puck and Tink to have those stories in their memories, as well.

The kids are going to be spending some time with Monty soon, and while they're gone, I have some plans and things that are going to be done. One of those things will be to add to the kids' library. When they come home, there will be a whole bookcase in their room, ready for them to peruse and carry around the house.

Why it's important to stretch yourself....

I love being a writer. Really really. And while I have spent the last four years as a full time freelance writer, I'm exploring an amazing opportunity that would shift my career in a different (and awesome) direction.

It's different from what I've been doing, but it's something I have experience with. It really is a wonderful career opportunity, and it's the kind of thing that I've been working toward for the past four years. So depending on what happens this and next week, I could very well be headed in a new, amazing career direction, and I couldn't be happier.

So all that was a prelude to the point of this post: it's important to stretch yourself.

When I started out in freelancing, I took a wide variety of work. My first client was in the health/nutrition realm, but after that I found myself writing in the education field (which I still actively do). But I've also written how-to articles on DIY, recycling, and home improvement projects. I've written articles about mixed martial arts gear. As I gained experience and confidence, I sort of honed in on areas of clients, which led me to writing about a lot of health/nutrition/fitness (especially holistic health) and education topics. I enjoy them, and am confident enough in those areas to write more quickly than in other areas. But I have still always tried to push myself to write in areas I'm slightly less comfortable to expand my knowledge base and skills. It sort of keeps me on my toes.

I really believe that because I stepped outside of my comfort zone in some of my writing projects, I set myself up perfectly for this possible career opportunity.

When you push yourself as a writer, you show clients you can and want to take on new challenges. If you have a client that likes your writing skills and style, but you have no experience in the field, showing that you continue to stretch and push could be what convinces the client that you can, in fact, do what they need you to do in order to provide the best writing possible.

It's a good thing to have a niche. You need an area in which you're comfortable writing and can showcase your expertise. But neither should you let a niche become a rut. Staying in that niche can become a comfort zone. And if you're not willing to step out of it, you could lose out on some wonderful opportunities and relationships with great clients.

Great things can happen when you step outside your comfort zone and try something new. And it could propel your writing career in a different direction, but that direction could be just what your career needs.

Back in the office....

The last couple of weeks have been hectic. I had a lot going on in my work and personal lives, so I didn't blog as much as I'd have liked to. Sorry about that.

But I am getting back into my "normal" routine this week. I know that my routine could very well change soon, but I'll deal with that when/if it arises. In the meantime, I need some semblance of normalcy.

I was actually out of the state on Wednesday and Thursday last week. I had some personal business to take care of in Florida, so I flew down on Wednesday evening, took care of the business on Thursday afternoon, and flew home Thursday evening. It was a bit of a whirlwind trip, but very, very productive in terms of what I needed to accomplish. I'm really, really happy with how things turned out for a lot of reasons. (Vague, I know. Sorry.)

Anyway, because the trip was so short and because I wasn't checking any baggage for the flight, I decided not to bring any work with me. I just brought what I needed for Thursday (and my journal--come on... I'm not a savage), and left everything else to wait until Friday morning. I figured that if there was something that came up, I still had email access, so I could deal with it as much as possible remotely, and get to the rest of it when I got home. Thankfully, nothing came up.

It was very strange being fully out of the office for those couple of days, though. Since 2008 I've been a freelance writer from home. That means that even when I'm "out of the office," I can keep working, take stuff with me, and never really be on vacation. But I didn't take any work with me on this trip. So I had time to do some journaling--which I really needed--and I even listened to part of an audiobook on the flights. I watched TV in the hotel room. I people-watched. It was strangely wonderful.

If I am offered full-time opportunity I applied to in May, this will be more like my life. Yes, there will be times I'll be working outside of normal work hours, but overall, I'll have a more "normal" work schedule. I'll be able to make plans with the kids or with friends for the weekends. I won't have to think about work 24/7. (Okay, let's be honest. When it comes to writing/work, I'm going to think about it pretty much all the time. But you know what I mean.) It will be strangely wonderful.

That's one of the things I miss about working at my alma mater in Admissions marketing. I got to do what I loved, but I had the ability to end my day.

Well, I survived being fully out of the office for two days, and now I'm fully back in the office. I have about nine projects on my desk I'm working on (I'd love to get at least half of them done this week!), and there's the whole updating-my-calendar thing that desperately needs to be done, too. It's going to be a busy start to a busy week, but I sure am glad to be home!

There's a reason it's called a career *path*....

Photo source

Last month I found an opportunity I couldn't pass up. At first I was, I admit, a little skeptical.... it sounded too good to be true, and I've fallen for that before.

I know more about this opportunity now, and I'm excited at the prospect of it working out. It would be an amazing career opportunity for me. It would push my career in the direction I want it to go, and it would be an opportunity that I would stick with long-term.

I can't (well, won't) say what this opportunity is right now, or any real details about it, but it would utilize my education and experience, and (as I said) advance my career path.

I know. Vague. Sorry. When I can, I'll share more.

I've been thinking a lot about this opportunity over the past couple of days. I've been weighing the pros and cons of it, thinking about the possibilities of some of the details I don't know yet, and imagining how this will alter the path of my life and career. It will change a lot of things in my life, for a lot of reasons. And if it works out, there will be some transitions that will be difficult, but that I will have to get used to.

But that's how it works when you're on a career path isn't it? You're not supposed to stay still, stuck where you are. You should be pushing forward, striving for better, right? That's what this opportunity is.


I have a degree in English in order to have a career as a writer. I have been working as a freelance writer for the past four years (to the month, actually), and each project has given me more experience and samples for my career. I've strengthened my skills, and the projects I accept now are very different from those initial projects and articles.


The progress I have made as a freelance writer has been an effort to land an opportunity like this one. This opportunity is why I went to college, and why I have pushed myself (especially recently) in my freelance career. This would be my career-maker.


Of course, with this kind of opportunity, there are some adjustments that would need to be made. (Understandable. If I were working in a traditional job and had a big opportunity or promotion, adjustments would need to be made.) At first, those adjustments bothered me just a little bit. But I know that they come with the territory of advancing my career. And because of what these adjustments will ultimately mean for my family, any concerns I have are being set aside. They are minor in comparison to the benefits of what's to come if this opportunity pans out.

I don't know what's going to happen. I'm supposed to know more next week. Whether it works out or not, this opportunity is sending me on a whole new path.

Counting down the days....

This is the last week that Puck and Tink will be with Monty for this visitation. They've been gone since the middle of the month, and I'll be so, so thankful when they're back! I've missed them like crazy, and while I've been doing what I can to stay busy, it's been very difficult to keep from...wallowing.

I readily admit that this visitation was more difficult for me. I know the kids are having fun and are being well taken care of, but I hate being away from them! There were many mornings I woke up and peeked in the kids' room, expecting them to be snoozing. Or, out of habit, I would pour two toddler cups of milk in the morning when I had Bug.

I can't wait until they're back. Like seriously.

But I've had a list of things that has to get done before they get home, and it's not finished yet. So in these last days before I get to cuddle the babies, I'm trying to carefully plan what I need to do, especially for work, in order to get everything done I need to before the kids are home.

It's going to be a busy week, but it will be worth it when I get to pick the kids up on Saturday!

What do you have to do this week?

Why I create stories

As a freelance writer, I have worked on some very...interesting projects. I proofread and formatted a self-help e-book, I wrote articles about mixed martial clothing, and I've created lesson plans for novels.

This is the first time I've written a screenplay for a client.

Someone (we'll call him Nathan Lane*) contacted me and asked if I was interested in doing a screenplay. We both gathered a little basic information from each other (Me: What's the project? Him: What are your credentials? Me: Are you just a creeper?), then met for an initial meeting. He told me about the project and the work he does (which ties into the project), and I told him about my freelance experience. We talked legal details, and after the meeting, I was excited about the prospect of working on this project with him.

Setting aside the fact that this project is awesome because it's a screenplay, the specific story that's being told (as well as the broader scope of the subject of the film) is something that's important. This story, and many more like it, need to be told. So part of my excitement about working on the film is the prospect of getting to be a part of telling this story.

Okay. Getting back to the technical writing-y stuff.

I am somewhat familiar with screenplay-type stuff. I took a screenwriting class in college, and still have the texts used for it. ScriptFrenzy's site also has good resources. So I figured it would be best for me to sort of brush up on screenplay formatting in preparation for this project.

So as I leafed through my book, reminding myself of how to structure this story within the framework of putting it on film, I had a sort of mini-revelation. It wasn't an epiphany because it's something I know in my heart, but it was significant enough that it led me to stop leafing and write a blog post about it.

By trade, I am currently a freelance writer.† The vast majority of what I create for work is non-fiction. I do articles, blog posts, press releases, educational materials.... but at the end of the day, my heart is in crafting stories.

That's not to say I don't like freelancing. I really love it, actually. But if I had to choose between freelancing or fiction, I'd choose fiction.

I think this project with N.L. (see how I shortened it?) is going to be good for me. It'll flex my creative muscles a little more, and I'll have the opportunity to work in a more creative circle for a while. Yes, I can do that by working on the coffee house book, but this will be different. Maybe it'll help tighten up some dialogue in my other creative ventures.

Usually I like to sort of conclude my blog posts by trying to bring it full circle, or adding a sweet little conclusion, but since this post arose out of a spontaneous thought, I'm not sure how to wrap it up. So I'll just say..... happy writing.

Good enough.














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*This man is the film's producer, so his code name is Nathan Lane who, of course, was in The Producers. I'm very creative, you know.

† I say "currently" because while I do make my living as a freelance writer, I know that if the write opportunity presented itself in a more traditional job, I would take it.

In which I discuss poetry group again.

I had poetry group again last night. By the end of the night there were twelve of us, and we'd had a good variety of poems read, including Carl Sandburg, Elizabeth Bishop, X. J. Kennedy, Christina Rossetti, Jeanne Marie Beaumont, and Sherman Alexie. A few people read original poems, as well.

Last night's meeting was really a lot of fun. There was great poetry read (if you get the chance, read "Afraid So" by Jeanne Marie Beaumont and "The Facebook Sonnet" by Sherman Alexie), great conversation, and an impromptu reunion.

I'll explain. One of our regular members, Carole, was there. Another regular member, Andy, was also there, and invited his sister to visit. (She read two poems by Christina Rossetti and nearly made me cry. She is an excellent reader.) Through conversation, it was discovered that Carole was Andy's sister's fifth grade teacher! Of course, this was after Danny realized that three of us (including myself) were wearing the same watch, so Chris decided that he was going to go buy a lottery ticket.

See what fun can come from poetry?

Of course, aside from the reunions and sometimes silliness, there is still wonderful conversation about poetry. Last night's meeting began with "Iron" by Carl Sandburg, then "Grass" by the same poet, which launched a discussion about poetry that glorifies war, and how society has changed to glorify war in very, very different ways. We discussed writing poetry from the heart, an upcoming event celebrating Victorian women's literature, and ended with two light-hearted poems, one of which was Alexie's "Facebook Sonnet."

I have discovered that every time I go to poetry group, there are at least two poets discussed or read that I'm not familiar with. I may know the names but haven't read them, or they may be completely new to me. (And with such a long, long literary history of poetry in the Western world alone, there are sure to be more!) When I come home, I always find myself reading up on a new poet. I think that's one of the beauties of this group. After I graduated college, my poetry reading and studying sort of fell away. I am primarily a prosist, so I didn't make the time for poetry. Now that I'm in this group, not only have I made time to read and study poetry, but I've made time to write poetry again. And I think my prose is benefiting.


The imagery that poetry uses can be applied to prose (see "Blood-burning Moon" by Jean Toomer). And because poetry is generally condensed, applying that way of thinking to prose helps keep me from rambling for pages and pages to describe a single tree.


And, as if all this wasn't enough, I really love going to poetry group and connecting with local people who read, write, and appreciate poetry. Since the end of October 2011 this town has been my home, and where I intend for Puck and Tink to have roots. So I'm glad to be able to make the town more of a home by getting involved in the community. I never would have thought my town would have a poetry group--I was pleasantly surprised. I'm eager to see what else exists, and what else may develop as I settle here.

Keeping track of projects

As a freelance writer, it's important to keep track of projects, especially if you have many "small" clients. I've tried different methods for keeping track of my projects from week to week (even day to day).

For a while, I was using spreadsheets to keep track of what projects were active, what phase of the project I was on, and when it was due. It was fine, but if I forgot to update the spreadsheets, things got jumbled and frustrating. So I abandoned that.

I've found what works for me is task lists and calendars, just as it works in my personal life. As soon as I get a project, I write the deadline on my calendar. Then, when I use my calendar to make my task list each week, I can see what deadlines are coming so I know what I need to work on and when. I have one task list that mixes home and work life, but since I work from home and those two aspects of my life are so interrelated, it makes more sense to me to list it that way. In addition, any meetings or appointments I have get written in the top margin of the task list page. As the week goes on, I add to the task lists, amend them, move things around, and generally make a mess of the pages. But it makes sense to me, and they help me get things done.

In addition to having my task lists, which I keep on my desk, I use my calendar for appointments, meetings, and deadlines. If there's a particularly important task I need to get done (email a sample to a client or call to move an appointment), I write those tasks on my calendar, as well. Once I have my weekly task list, I use my calendar to divide it into daily task lists. My planner has monthly and weekly pages, so I use the daily spaces on the weekly pages for  my daily task lists. It gets just as messy as my weekly task list pages, but having everything in my calendar helps me see what's going on and what's coming.

I've tried using digital calendars and organizers. I have a BlackBerry, and I've tried using a combination of the calendar and task list apps that came with it to keep myself organized, and know that I'd always have it with me. But I'm the type of person that has to write things down or I'll forget them. So as much as I'd like to use spreadsheets or something else to keep track of my projects, I just can't. I've tried, and it doesn't work for me. It's more important for me to find a system that works for me than to use something that's technologically advanced or whatever. So I'll stick to paper and ink, and help contribute to the materials used to make recycled paper products.

How do you keep track of your projects?

Writing in June

Puck and Tink are safely in Florida with Monty until the end of the month. Puck, especially, was excited to see his Daddy again, and talked about little else except going to "Mickey's house." I know they'll have fun, and while I miss them fiercely, I'm trying to stay positive and use this opportunity to stay busy and get caught up on some things that have fallen behind.

Yes, these are my actual, factual task lists for this week.

There are some typical mom-related tasks on my list for this month, like deep-cleaning the house, rearranging the living room, and getting ready for Independence Day. But there are also a lot of writing things on my list.

I have a grant application that needs to be sent by November 1st, and I need to work on that. It's a whole big packet of "stuff" to send to the organization, and I want to make sure I have everything in order in plenty of time.

As part of the application packet, I need to work on the coffee house book. Not only do I want to work on the coffee house book in its own right, but I am including an excerpt from it as part of the application. I know what section I'm using, so I need to finish the background work for that section and write it.

I also decided to do Camp NaNoWriMo this month. I figured since the kids are gone for the last half of the month, I'd be able to make the time to write something for it, and it would be good for me to work on something other than freelancing or the coffee house book a little bit. Not that I don't love devoting my creative energies to them, but it's also nice to work on other things once in a while.

The novel I'm writing for camp is a sort of coming-of-age novel. It's intended to be pretty light reading, and I know I won't do anything with it other than write it for camp, but it's just something different to work on for a while. I figured that since the coffee house book is so dense, something lighter to work on would be good for me.

I always have a lot of writing to work on, but there's a lot of time this month to write. (And I hope that writing will help distract me from missing Puck and Tink.) I may just have to keep track of my word count for this month and see how much I actually get done.

What are you working on this month?