John Updike’s Writing Wisdom (part I): Book Reviews

by Erin Dalpini

I’m working on a new project—a book review of a contemporary novel I recently read; although I’ve done this before, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes a fantastic book review.

Last fall, when I was doing some research for a review of Toni Morrison’s newest novel, A Mercy, I dabbled around on the Internet to see what others were saying about this book so that I could join in that conversation. I’d already read the book and had formed an impression of it, but I knew I needed to know what the experts thought.

One of the first pieces I found, a review in the The New Yorker caused me to sit up and take notice—it was an engaging, entertaining, and also gave me some new insight into the novel. When I looked for the byline, to my surprise, it was the literary legend John Updike. Updike, though best-remembered for his extensive body of fiction (short stories, novels, poetry), produced an equally-impressive array of literary criticism and essays. In short: the man was prolific. And he had an extraordinary way of making a book review anything but mundane. This piece was sharp, witty, informed, concise—essentially, it was the best book review I’d ever read and it left quite an impression on me.

So, returning to the writer’s block, I was curious: what did Updike have to say about writing book reviews? And what do modern day writers do when they have an obscure question like that?

Right. Turn to Google.

I was fortunate early on to stumble across a post (from a book blog I promptly bookmarked) pointing to hidden treasure: an older post, from the blog of the National Book Critics Circle, citing helpful tips from the master himself (one that’s so dated it redirects readers to the new host that, from what I can tell, does not have the piece archived). The advice is from Updikes’s Picked Up Pieces, a collection of his assorted prose. Three points (of six) I found incredibly helpful… … Continue Reading

The Best Advice For Freelance Writers

by Catherine L. Tully

What is the best advice you have ever received as a freelance writer? I can think of several good nuggets of wisdom I have heard over the years, and I’ll share a few here…but I’d like to do something else as well…

If you read this post today, take one minute–just one minute–to pass along a piece of advice that has helped you. Fair enough? Here goes:

• Don’t give up easy. Simple, but huge for a freelancer. You can’t take things personally in this career field. I’ve learned this lesson well and I’m one tenacious lady these days. Keep on swingin’!
• Be true to your own inner voice. Don’t try to write like someone else. Even if you think they sound much cooler than you. Being true to your voice as a writer will help you to shine, get work and polish your style.
• Make things easy for your editor. This is so huge. So huge. If you are a fair writer but take good care of the editor and anticipate things they may need, you’ll get more work than if you are a brilliant writer who doesn’t. And yes–it really is that simple. So the next time you get an assignment, hunt down some photo options, offer an optional sidebar and get the piece in a day or two early. Then, watch the magic happen.

Ok…now it’s your turn…the best advice you’ve heard as a freelance writer…what is it?

Confessions of an Editor: I Hate Training

by Joe Wallace

I admit it…when I think about training new people to do detail-oriented, non-writing techie stuff like managing WordPress, resizing images in Photoshop, or the finer points of troubleshooting buggy FTP interfaces, I start hearing the Godzilla movie music in my head–that ominous, doomy music that lets you know things are about to go very wrong, very soon.

I share this because for the first time in YEARS, I am on the other end of the lesson. I’m learning a whole new universe of WYSIWYG editing platform issues, file management system pitfalls and hiccups, even where to send the copy corrections is a new and special headache for the uninitiated. Whatever happened to e-mail?

But if you stay on an upwardly mobile career path long enough, you’ll probably encounter similar training needs that put you in the teacher’s seat at least long enough to teach somebody else what to do in case you go on vacation and need someone else to upload your content for the day/week/year.

Why do I hate training? Because inevitably, whether I’m the teacher or the learner, some critical piece of information gets left out of the equation due to human nature–one that becomes absolutely essential once the trainer is gone and no longer of any assistance.

Calling Mister Murphy…your law is being invoked on aisle seven.

What can you do to prevent this from happening? … Continue Reading

A Larger Truth

by Mike O’Mary

Twenty years ago, when I got an MFA in creative writing, fiction and poetry were the only options when it came to areas of emphasis. Since then, creative nonfiction has gained equal footing with fiction and poetry in the eyes of academia, and many MFA programs now offer an emphasis in creative nonfiction.

Of course, readers are less interested in the views of academia than in a good read. Consequently, readers have known for decades what MFA programs have finally figured out: creative nonfiction is hot! And there are many places to publish -– everywhere from Harper’s to your local paper. In fact, before I published creative nonfiction “essays” in the Sunday Magazines of the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun and others, I got my first breaks with newspapers like the Peoria Journal Star and the Joliet Herald.

In a www.creativenonfiction.org article, Lee Gutkind, often described as the “Godfather of creative nonfiction,” says creative nonfiction “offers flexibility and freedom while adhering to the basic tenets of reportage. In creative nonfiction, writers can be poetic and journalistic simultaneously.”

In that same article, Gutkin quotes Gay Talese, who described creative nonfiction this way: “Though often like fiction, it is not fiction. It is, or should be, as reliable as the most reliable reportage, although it seeks a larger truth than is possible through the mere compilation of verifiable facts.”

There are lots of great examples of authors who sought “a larger truth” in their creative nonfiction. Some of my favorites are Joan Didion (The White Album and Slouching Toward Bethlehem), Michael Herr (Dispatches), Barry Lopez (Arctic Dreams), Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes), Tom Wolfe (The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and The Right Stuff), Maxine Hong Kingston (The Woman Warrior), and Mary Karr (The Liar’s Club). Who are your favorite authors of creative nonfiction? And when do you plan to join their ranks?

Mike O’Mary is founding dreamer of Dream of Things, a book publisher currently accepting creative nonfiction stories for anthologies on 15 topics.

Secret Weapons to Finding More Paying Freelance Gigs

by Joe Wallace

If you’re wondering what a doctored photo of a moon walk has to do with getting a freelance job, keep reading. You won’t find freelance jobs on the moon, but if you’re fed up enough with a fruitless hunt for more paying gigs to consider looking there anyway, you’re well on your way to getting a new freelance opportunity.

I just started a high-paying freelance editor gig for a major national corporation. I found this gig in a place I least expected to–and that was probably the reason why I landed it. There was no horde of eager applicants to compete with–just a reasonable amount of competition. My source for this job isn’t as important as the idea that I landed the work because I opened myself up to new opportunities by looking in places I wouldn’t have explored a year or two ago.

So how can you create your own secret weapon to finding new freelance work? … Continue Reading

Word Warriors

by Catherine L. Tully

Wayne State University has a little gem of a web page that I stumbled across the other day called “Word Warriors“. It lists a “word of the week” that you can check out to keep expanding your vocabulary. I heard once that the average person stops learning new words at age 23. Not sure if that is true–but it scared me! Now I actively seek out ways to keep expanding my cache of words–and this is a great resource to do it with.

Oh–and they are on Twitter and Facebook too.

What Kind Of A Writer Are You?

by Catherine L. Tully

What kind of a writer are you? Most people who enter the freelance writing field have no idea when they begin what type of writer they will be. Some go in thinking they are going to pen the world’s best novel, only to find they have an aptitude for writing children’s books. Others start out hoping to write for something like Newsweek and find they are better suited to writing a blog about a subject that they love.

What about you?

If you aren’t sure, the only way to tell is to stretch a bit. Go out of your comfort zone and try some new things. Are you always pitching health and fitness articles? Try an essay or a short filler here and there as well. Or perhaps you are a fiction writer? Why not take a chance on a non-fiction piece too?

The only way to find your way is to experiment and see what feels right. So go ahead and take a chance on something new. You’ll be glad you did.

6 Freelance Job Resources You Haven’t Thought Of

by Joe Wallace

Looking for freelance gigs? You’ve probably been all over the map in search of more steady work, but there are a few places that haven’t been beaten to death by the scraper sites..though they probably will be after we publish this. Best advice? Keep your BEST job resources to yourself as long as possible to avoid the bandwagon syndrome.

That said, here are a few that haven’t been ruined by scraper sites yet…and some that NEVER will be due to the nature of the job sourcing:

Reddit Jobs is pricey for editors to list gigs on–300 a day for 30 days–so you won’t be troubled by a bunch of spammy ads from the usual places offering you three bucks a post or “revenue sharing”. At press time, the problem with Reddit Jobs for freelancers is that some fields are underrepresented, but that obviously changes depending on supply and demand.

Artisan Creative. The reason why Artisan won’t be scraped out of usefulness for a busy freelancer? They have a screening process for candidates. This isn’t an “all-comers” source of freelance jobs, it’s a situation where talent actually matters. Artisan is a creative staffing agency that places writers, coders, designers, and many other freelance specialties. The jobs are heavy-hitting, too. Major companies, household names. I have personal experience with Artisan Creative and am very happy with them.
… Continue Reading

Dream Catchers and Goodreads

by Mike O’Mary
Two news items this week, one for writers, one for readers:
1. Dream of Things launched a “Dream Catchers” section of its website to highlight authors whose work has been selected for future publication in a Dream of Things anthology. We get lots of great stories at Dream of Things, and our editors are constantly reviewing new submissions. The best creative nonfiction will be published in our anthologies. But putting an anthology together takes months.

Meantime, we’re sitting on all these great stories. Not anymore! Each week, we plan to feature a new story on the Dream Catchers section of dreamofthings.com. This week’s story is “Forever Sharp” by Terri Elders of Colville, Washington, and it will be published in an anthology about great teachers later this year.

2. Goodreads.com: I’m not sure the world needs another online social networking site, but if we have to make room for one more, goodreads.com looks like a pretty good one. It’s basically a place to rate books that you’ve read, share that info with others, and learn about new books you might want to read. Billed as “the largest social network for readers in the world” with 2.9 million members, Goodreads says, “Somehow, reading books seems to have gotten a bad rap. People are working too hard and not making time to read. But every once in a while you run into a friend who tells you about this ‘great new book I’m reading.’ And suddenly you’re excited to read it. It’s that kind of excitement that Goodreads is all about.”

Goodreads also looks like a good place for an author to set up shop. Take a look at the Goodreads Author Profile of yours truly for an example of what an author can do on their site.

Mike O’Mary is founding dreamer of Dream of Things, a book publisher currently accepting creative nonfiction stories for anthologies on 15 topics.

Freelance Jobs Are Just A Network Away

Yuwanda Black wrote an article many moons ago for CopyBlogger called Where Have All The Freelance Jobs Gone? Where indeed? I’ll tell you where. They’ve mutated.

Once upon a time, freelancers–especially writers–needed a set of skills directly related to putting words down to tell stories, report news, or sell products. They also had to sell themselves in cover letters, queries, and proposals.

Then came the web, SEO content, blogging, and an explosion in online copywriting. The notion that “everybody’s a writer” gave way to “everyone’s a blogger”. Some get paid, some do not, but the cliche is there for a reason.

Freelance work for writers seems to be subdividing into two basic categories, at least for now. I tend to think of it as skilled and unskilled labor. There’s a certain point in a successful writer’s career where a decision is made or a path is taken to an important collection of skill sets beyond the ability to write well. Those who don’t take the leap wind up stagnating. They don’t make it out of content land, instead remaining trapped like prehistoric dragonflies in amber.

… Continue Reading

Getting Started…

Well readers…we have a new face to welcome to the lineup here at Freelance-Zone! Meet Erin Dalpini, our new contributor…read more about her in the “About” section on our site. But for now…here’s Erin!

Picture this: you’re sitting at your desk, staring at your computer screen, which is displaying a stark white word processing page—an empty canvass waiting to be filled with verbs, nouns, conjunctions, punctuation—and you’re waiting. All you have to do is simply begin moving your fingers and the sentences will start to form, but you catch yourself staring at the cursor as it blinks away at you (such a tease!) and intimidation sets in. How to begin?

Maybe this is a non-issue for you. However, one of my writing hold-ups is finding the perfect way to get started. Whether I’m working on news, features, creative nonfiction or a book review, I tend to spend a hefty chunk of my time crafting the perfect introductory statement (how was that one, by the way?), and only when I am moderately pleased with what I’ve created—subject to change later—I will push forward.

Along my writing journey, I’ve picked up a handful of tips for getting started from some of my favorite writers, some of which I’ll share here… … Continue Reading

Follow Friday?

 by Catherine L. Tully

If you don’t know what the title of this post means…get ready to learn a great promotional strategy on Twitter. “Follow Fridays” is a way to figure out who to follow–and to share those you follow with others. To participate, simply tweet the words #followfriday (don’t forget the “hashtag” # before it) and then the username of the person you wish to share with the @ sign. For example, #followfriday @freelancezone @catherinetully.

It’s that simple. You can add as many people as characters allow (140) and if you run out of space, you can create another tweet. Try it–it’s fun!

Poetry All Around You

by Mike O’Mary

Sometimes, when I sit down to write, I draw a blank. Yet the idea of not having anything to say seems absurd—especially in a world so full of interesting people and events. But sometimes we just get so overloaded we become desensitized. We take things for granted, and that’s not good.

But I found something that seems to help. I don’t read much poetry, but a friend of mine recently had a book published. I bought it, and he asked me to tell him what I thought of it.

After just a few pages, I looked up and looked around and realized that I was seeing things differently. A world that had seemed devoid of anything interesting was suddenly filled with detail. All I had to do was look a little closer.

On the top shelf of my bookcase, for example, are a dozen or so items. An old wooden roofer’s toolbox filled with dried flowers and eucalyptus. Next to that, a little clay bowl that my daughter made, then a coffee mug from the University of Montana, and an Eiffel Tower that could have been purchased at Target but happens to have been purchased in Paris. There’s a wooden carpenter’s plane from a phase when I was fascinated with old tools, a beer stein from Heidelberg, an amethyst crystal from one of my sisters. Photos of my mom, my daughter and of the softball team I coached last summer. A fancy clock I bought for $100 while on vacation, and a clock I bought at an outlet store for $3.99 because I liked its simplicity.

All that sitting right there on one little shelf.

I’m going to go back to reading my friend’s book now. But I already know what I’m going to say when I write to him: I’m going to tell him it was good.

Mike O’Mary is founding dreamer of Dream of Things, a book publisher currently accepting creative nonfiction stories for anthologies on 15 topics.

Run Your Freelance Career Like a Business: Advertise

by Joe Wallace

Why is the business card in the picture above blank? Believe it or not, that’s how a lot of freelancers treat themselves. Instead of running their freelance careers like a business, they squander their energies with little or no direction.

To survive in business you must do three things:

1. Offer good products or services at a competitive price.

2. Be active in the community where you want to do business.

3. Advertise and promote your brand.

A lot of freelancers get the first two right but fall down on the job when it comes to #3, promoting your brand. I can hear some now saying, “But I already have a Twitter account and a Facebook page!”

Twitter and Facebook are inded critical parts of the puzzle. But take a look at any successful business today and you’ll see how they approach social media is more of a means to an end when it comes to PR and self-promotion–not the end itself.

Your self-promotion efforts should include Twitter and Facebook, but consider them to be communication channels instead of billboard advertising. What’s the difference?

Twitter and Facebook are seldom used (successfully) to actually SELL things. They’re most effective when used to make connections, network, and inform. People are leery of the hard sell on social media. But when was the last time you heard anyone complaining that a billboard or radio ad sales pitch was too self-serving? … Continue Reading

“Get Moving Early” And Other Icky Advice

by Catherine L. Tully

I hate to admit this, but I get more done when I get up early. Much as I love being a night person, when I get out of bed at a decent hour and get moving, I simply am more effecient. So my advice to you is even though you can sleep until you wake up naturally–it’s a better move to set an alarm.

And yes. I know that is what people with a day job do.

Want some more “icky” advice? Here are some unpopular truths about freelancing:

+ Keeping a schedule is better than winging it. You can wing it occasionally, but if you don’t create patterns for yourself, you will have a hard time keeping up with everything you have to do.

+ You have to spend time marketing yourself. This means more than social networking time on Twitter and Facebook. This means developing quality relationships with other writers. It means taking the extra time to get to know your editors a bit and ask them how things are going once in a while. Relationships mean a lot in this business.

+ You really don’t need the newest toys. Ooh. I know. This one hurts. But it’s true. The fact of the matter is–your old laptop will probably work for a long time…so you can pass on that cool, compact netbook. You really don’t have to buy that new digital camera. And you probably can get by without a second monitor. It’s easy to overspend on gear that you don’t really need to do your job.

I was going to write some more on this subject…

But I think that’s enough truth for the day. Don’t you?