Something exciting happened while I was at Hambidge: I got a job! And it’s in D.C. That means I’m moving to the District! Really soon. As in, this weekend. Starting next week, I’ll be working for U.S. News & World Report, covering careers and job search. The position is a super fit for my skills; […]
Note: I was editing this post when the news broke that Helen’s retiring. I debated whether to post it at all, because I’m no doubt throwing myself into the lion’s den here (and ironically writing above a post about things that are better left unblogged), but this is something I believe needs to be said. […]
A woman who follows my blog wrote to me last week asking whether she should go to journalism school. This question comes up a lot. The pros and cons have been covered again and again and again (ironically, this U.S. News & World Report story was published in 1996 — when a master’s at Medill […]
It’s been years since I’ve spent this much time on cardio machines at the gym. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve long been a compulsive exerciser. But in Houston, I ran outside all year round. And upstate New York? Not so much. So this winter, to pass the time on the treadmill, I tried something new: […]
A reader found my blog this weekend by typing into Google: How do writers support themselves? I often wonder about this myself. I know there are authors out there who make a living off their books. (In fact, I met some this weekend at the fabulous Woodstock Writers Festival. You should go next year.) And […]
I can’t stand when people tell me they’re aspiring writers. I know what they mean. They mean they’re aspiring to become a paid writer, or a published writer, or even a respected writer. But aspiring means you haven’t put your pen to paper or typed a story on your laptop. Aspiring means you’re thinking about […]
One of the great things about writing is that it can be done anywhere. My family vacationed last week in the middle of nowhere, Virginia. No, I didn’t write while lounging on the dock or sunbathing on our pontoon boat. I took this week off! The only book work I allowed was thinking, since I […]
I whine a lot about how writing news on deadline stifled my creativity. But as I transition from newspaper reporter to author, I’m realizing that journalism taught me a handful of lessons that apply to writing a book, reminders that can benefit even non-journos. Do readers care? If my manuscript came across my reporter’s desk […]
Working at home is not turning out to be one of my strong suits. Aside from visiting the kitchen pantry every half hour, I’m easily distracted by everything from the mailman to the dust accumulating on my office windowsill. So it seemed fitting when a friend forwarded me an article about how to stay focused, […]
When I tell friends I’m writing a book instead of working full time, they often inquire, “What do you do about health insurance?” Usually part of the reason they bother to ask is because they, too, have thought about leaving their job to pursue a bucket-list project. And most people who leave full-time employment are […]