Everything But Writing: The Rest of the Writing Business

So much of being a writer is not writing. For years, I wrote a column for The Scriptorium called Everything But Writing. You may  still be able to read excerpts there. As with everything else, the columns need updating, and I plan to expand them into an e-book. But first, I’ll be trying it out here. So stay tuned for some posts that may save your writing life.

Meanwhile, I have been freelancing for a local newspaper, Oregon Coast Today, whose editor got herself a full-time job doing something else and suddenly needs copy.  She previously wrote most of the articles. So far, she pays well, and she has started doing something I don’t see happen very often: putting out weekly lists of stories she’s looking for, with lengths and deadlines. You still have to convince her in an e-mail pitch that you can do it and share how you’re going to go about it, but it’s so great to have a list to choose from. She’s also open to other people’s ideas. Most of you reading this blog don’t live in the paper’s coverage area, but if you’re on the central Oregon Coast, write to Niki@oregoncoasttoday.com to get on her list.

I have talked about this here before, but the key to getting something into Oregon Coast Today is to offer something the reader can do, such as a good place to hike or an upcoming event to attend. If it’s past tense or not “actionable,” forget it. This is a good thing to keep in mind whenever you’re writing; what can the reader do with it?

Happy writing.