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On the In-Person Q&A
A few months ago, my friends Kristin and Ali (founder of Indigo Editing) asked if I would be available to answer questions about the freelance life. I said sure. Ali mentioned that I was requested by someone, which was flattering.…
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Freelance Tip #2: Twitter
Though Twitter has only been around a couple of years, it’s spawned a little industry of books on how to effectively use it — and a big group of Twitter haters. I use Twitter and have for a long time,…
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Freelance Tip #1: Lunch
Basically, you have two options for lunch as a freelancer: eat in or go out. Let’s explore the options for and implications of each. Eat In Do not eat at your desk. That is for people with “regular” jobs who…
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On New Pens
During the last session of the Willamette Writers Conference on Sunday, the workshop I was really looking forward to, my pen died. Nothing but dry scratches on the paper. Luckily I was sitting next to a friend who is also…
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On a Change of Plans and Serendipity
We have been planning for months to attend an old friend’s wedding out of town. We made arrangements for the dog and put off adopting a kitten. I made the painful choice to not attend the Willamette Writers Conference in…
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On Great Expectations
Surprisingly, I’ve never read Great Expectations, though I bet I would like it. (Anyone who slogged through the middle of The Count of Monte Cristo would probably like GE, right?) I experience great expectations every 20 minutes or so. This…
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On Freelance Breathing Space
Recently one of my favorite editors at one of my favorite freelance gigs sent out an email announcing that we all — staff and freelancers alike — were being given “breathing space” for a few weeks. I don’t know if…
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On Taking a Break
I have been practicing aikido, a non-violent Japanese martial art, for over five years. Thanks to work, family, and adopting an active dog, my four-times-a-week regular practice has crumbled over the last few months. And I felt terrible about it.…
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On Having Time and Space to Think
After a hectic couple of weeks where I’d overbooked myself (literally — I was editing two books at once), I got a reprieve. I took two days mostly off, followed by a light workweek. Rather than spending that time playing…