september news

I'm working on launching a (yet-untitled) horror magazine. It will be print-only, with a backing web presence that will serve as a complement, rather than the main venue. I'll update this with more information as things start rolling, but expect some kind of official announcement before the end of the year.

I've been accepted as a writer for How Stuff Works, a Discovery Channel company. Good pay, interesting work and great for my resume. Once some of my work is up, I'll provide a link.

I'm also officially part of Content Divas now. Nice, short, relaxed articles. I appreciate the break from all the research-heavy articles I have to do for my other clients.

The folks at Demand Studios, who I work for, gave some of their top writers (out of about 3,000 people who work for them) a paid membership to the Society for Professional Journalists. All I need to do is fill out the form and they'll pay for the membership. Isn't that a nice thing to do? It feels good to be recognized.

I signed up for NaNoWriMo this week. It doesn't start until November, but I'm about ready to go. I have a novel that's been playing around in my head for years and it's time to put it down on paper, however awful it comes out as.

I'm shopping around a horror short story called “The Last Walk.” I wrote it for a contest (that I didn't win) so I'm now I'm sending it out to magazines to try and find it a home.

what do you write about?

I get this question a lot, from a lot of people. I usually dread it because there's no simple answer. What do I write about? Pretty much anything (and a quick look through my website will show you I'm not exaggerating). Over the past few years, I've written articles on everything from car shipping and Amish furniture to arthritis medicine for dogs, abusive relationships, mail order brides and hypnosis. It's the rare time when I turn down an article on account of the topic (I won't write on hunting or animal research, but pretty much anything else is fair game). Part of being a successful writer is not being afraid to diversify, research and step into new territories. What am I working on right now? An article on sock puppets and another piece on the health of chihuahuas. Next? A longer article on Atlantic City entertainment for kids.

Sometimes I do get lucky. Like the time I got an all-expenses paid trip to Japan to write about Disney Sea Tokyo. Or the time my article about dancers landed me a free ticket to Moulin Rouge in Paris (it even came with a private table and a glass of champagne). But no, it's not always like that.

I do have some areas where I can call myself an expert (sort of, anyway). Anything to do with travel (I've lived in three continents and visited over 15 countries), ESL (I worked as an English teacher in Russia), and health and fitness (I worked in the industry for years and I'm a certified personal trainer). But limiting myself to just those three topics would mean closing many doors. It would probably make my work a lot more boring. So when an editor asks me to write an article on the history of roller coasters or what jobs you can get with just a high school diploma (I've done both), why would I say no? It's fun, it opens new doors and it gives me a chance to research fun topics and get paid for it.

where does work come from

I get questions all the time about how I make money as a writer. Like I tell everybody, there's no single simple answer to this question. When you're a freelancer, your income comes from a variety of places and it's the accumulative effort that makes your salary. I do have some regular clients I write for, including a private client (he's a website designer and I write content for the sites he creates), Demand Studios and North Valley (a magazine I write a monthly column for). I also teach online writing classes at CoffeeHouseForWriters. These are my ongoing, steady gigs, although how much I earn from them also varies month to month, depending on how much work is available, how many students sign up for the workshops and how much time I can devote to each site.

I also query magazines, although I've been slacking on that lately, mostly because the places I mentioned before are keeping me really busy. But I do sell articles based on queries occasionally, including pieces to Writer's Digest, Marie Claire and Adirondack Living. I also do one-time work for different clients here and there, including web content, copy writing and even editing.

Finally, there's also book writing. This is an area I'm just getting into now, so there isn't that much income to report yet. But in 2008 I edited a book of short stories titled Don't Turn the Lights On and this past January I signed a contract for a short non-fiction book on fitness tips. I only make royalties on the first book, but I'm getting an advance for the second. I have other manuscripts under way, and eventually hope to find an agent that would handle all of them. Since I write both fiction and non-fiction, that may prove a challenge, but we'll see.

My point is that being a freelancer involves always being on the lookout for new clients. One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a writer is to rely on a single client for income or to stop looking for new opportunities just because you have enough work right now. Being on your toes is part of the game (and the fun).

new frontiers

Living in a country that isn't yours always brings up unexpected complications, like PayPal freezing your account with your rent money in, or the contract from your publisher never making it to your new (confusing) address, or your dog getting bit by strays twice in less than a week (and while you're holding on to the leash). It also makes you open your eyes and take a look around to rediscover what you took for granted for so long: how to buy bread, where to park your bike, what to do for fun (especially in a city with a midnight curfew). Living in a foreign place helps you grow and while the growing pains may want to make you scream at times, the journey is always worth it.

Temple of Literature, Vietnam's oldest university (founded 1070)

life happening

If you're looking for news about my work, travels or publications, you're in the right place. Stop by frequently to see what I've been up to and when my next book is coming out (more on that soon!).