A lesson in writing (and life): Doing the “write” thing kind of stinks.
Here are two recent, painful examples of doing the write thing.
Example one – I had to tell a dream publication that I had already sold a pitch they responded to after the fact. I thought about saying, “No, it’s not too late, I haven’t sold it…” But that would be lying. And since this was a dream publication, I told the truth and said that I had already sold the pitch.
Possible karmic reward – This same pitch turned article was shared on Insider Food’s Instagram page; I nearly died.
Example two - A few months ago, my chronic illness-related fatigue got the best of me, and I got behind on a few deadlines. If I were the editor, I’d want to hear from my writers if they were running behind. So that’s what I did - but I loathed it. Felt like a failure… And while every editor was totally understanding, I don’t want to be the writer that has to do that regularly. I see sticking to my deadlines as part of ensuring future work, so when I get sick and fall behind - WOW - the pressure I put on myself quantifies to magnitudes.
Possible karmic reward - Continued work with the same editors - and a kick in my butt to just do better… perhaps turn things in EARLY more often!
What I’m working/worked on:
I’ve had the recent pleasure of discovering another form of work and writing that I absolutely love: hands-on, first-person commerce writing.
Here are some of my recent grocery diary articles:
I’m a mom, and I swear by these 9 Aldi staples that feel way more expensive than they are
I’ve also been into fashion DIYs - as in - an outfit to recreate - or in this instance - seeing an item and recreating it on a budget.
That’s what I did with this Betsey Johnson-inspired, box of chocolate-looking purse on my blog, Arrogant Baker. I think mine is better - and it only cost me $20 to make.
Writing advice/opportunities:
The Kitchn - “Do you keep a strict weekly budget and want to show the world how you make it happen? Awesome — we want your (anonymous) voice on The Kitchn. Send an email to grocerydiaries@thekitchn.com with “Grocery Diaries Submission” in the subject line. In the email, tell us:
Your location
Age
Number of people in your family or household
Occupation and salary
Weekly food budget
Grocery store(s) of choice
If we ask you to write a full diary, we’ll pay you $150.” Full details here.
Fansplaining - “Fansplaining is a publication by, for, and about fandom. All our stories are considered ‘longreads,’ and run from 2,000 words to 5,000 words. Authors are expected to record an audio version of their article, which we will edit. We offer $300 per piece. All pitches should be sent to our collective inbox: info@fansplaining.com” - but please do check their writer’s guide for up-to-date topics their editors are currently interested in.
Fancy Comma, LLC - “Fancy Comma, LLC accepts pitched guest posts to be published on our blog. At the present moment, we are happy to pay a flat fee of $75 for a published article (800 words minimum). We’re most interested in the intersections of science, politics, and society; ways to improve science communication or #SciComm; and essays and articles that shine a light on new or previously unilluminated perspectives. Check out our previous blogs for an idea of what we publish. If you are interested in writing an article for our blog, please contact us here with a couple of sentences about your proposed article.” Full details here.
And lastly, this was shared by Matt Ng on LinkedIn - He shared this Google Doc full of resources for editors and writers.
And a prompt:
Think - When was the last time you wrote someone a love letter? Have you ever?
Exercise - Write a love letter… to the first person or thing that comes to your mind when you think of one.
Write on,
Ashley
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