Creative Writing Triggers

Writers write. That may seem painfully obvious but it’s what we do. We can’t afford to be so undisciplined that the words don’t flow from the keyboard. Call it procrastination, laziness or something else (I don’t believe in writer’s block. See my post about that here).

In another post, I shared some writing exercises that one of my former college professors used in class. Here are a few of my own techniques that I’ve come up with over the years:

Write down some words at random and list as many synonyms as you can for each. Pull out the thesaurus if you have to. Seeing certain words in black and white can trigger ideas.

Copy the lyrics from a song you despise. Take those verses that make you wince from their supreme awfulness and rewrite them.

Make up a product or service that you need to sell. Create ad headlines that will grab people’s attention. Don’t filter yourself — let your imagination go wild.

Danger, Will Robinson! (Or: How I Learned to Spot Job Posting Red Flags, Part 4)

This is a continuation of Danger, Will Robinson! (Or: How I Learned to Spot Job Posting Red Flags, Part 1), (Part 2) and (Part 3).


“The compensation will be seeing your name published in a local publication. It will look excellent on your resume!!”

“Compensation: Clips and exposure to millions of readers.”

“No pay but you’ll help the world go green!”

Look familiar? Not exactly paying gigs, are they? But there they are, to be found in abundance on online “paying” job posting boards. I’ve found that many of these come-ons either overpromise what they’re selling or are outright frauds designed to suck you in for nefarious purposes. Sure, there are legitimate opportunities to build your portfolio, if you’re willing to write for free, but like anything else, there are people willing to take advantage of the naïve or inattentive by getting something for nothing. Once you get a few pieces published, though, it’s time to go for the moolah.

The debate within the writing community rages on as to whether you should ever write for free (gotta accumulate those clips somehow) or not (it ultimately cheapens the profession for everybody). Heck, I did it when I was a newbie. But I didn’t delude myself into thinking that I would be “discovered” by some big-shot wheeler-and-dealer who would launch my writing career into the stratosphere, or any other such nonsense. I did it to collect bylines and that all-important experience. But it didn’t take me long to realize that my time, effort and skills are valuable commodities deserving of pay.

So how do you separate the honest, cash-strapped folks (think nonprofits) from the con artists? Sometimes it can feel as complicated and arduous as separating the chocolate from the milk, but pay attention to what the ad is really saying — read between the lines. Beware of any ad that screams:

“New, exciting, up-and-coming national magazine started by technology gazillionaire Tommy Moneypants, with the backing of Fortune 500 companies, seeks writers! Oh, and even though our founder has more cash than Bill Gates and Warren Buffet combined, we can’t afford to pay you. But you’ll get a byline.”

My advice? Click off that page as fast you can.

Agree? Disagree? Want to add to the conversation? Feel free to comment.

Questions & Quandaries

Have writing/publishing/industry questions?

Then check out Brian A. Klems’ blog at Writer’s Digest, "Questions & Quandaries." From copyright and legal questions to grammatical and formatting dilemmas — and most everything in between — Brian’s blog is invaluable. I refer to it constantly.

Social Media for Business 101

Here’s an article I wrote for Connect magazine, a publication for business owners, on using social media. It’s basically a social media primer, laying out some simple ground rules.

Improve Your Writing

Are you a writer? A newbie, seasoned pro or maybe somewhere in between? Want to enrich your skills? I recommend reading 73 Ways to Become a Better Writer.

Find my work in the latest issue of Central Florida Lifestyle magazine

Fun and games are definitely not just for kids. Looking to get in shape or socialize with others while playing your favorite sport?

The latest issue of Central Florida Lifestyle features an article I wrote about Adult athletic leagues.

Take a gander and feel free to let me know what you think.

Freelance Writing Job Scams

Ever read an online writing job posting that triggers your skeptical radar? I found a handy dandy article, 12 Ways to Protect Yourself against Writing Scams posted on Freelance Writing Jobs that gives a good overview of how to interpret these job offers (and alleged offers).

Read an inspiring story in the latest issue of Central Florida Lifestyle magazine

The July issue of Central Florida Lifestyle is out, and in it you’ll find a story I wrote about Kathy’s Ross’ inspiring mission trip to a tiny Honduran village.

Take a gander and feel free to let me know what you think. Thanks.

A pretty amazing teenager I wrote about begins his journey

You can read a newspaper account of David Ashby, whom I wrote about here, as he begins his 1,100-mile trek to Washington, D.C.

Truly inspiring.

Find my work in the latest issue of Central Florida Lifestyle magazine

The June issue of Central Florida Lifestyle is out, and in it you’ll find a story I wrote about David Ashby, a teenager walking 1,100 miles to raise awareness of homeless children.

Take a gander and feel free to let me know what you think. Thanks.

Appreciate What You’ve Got

Remember years ago when saxophonist Branford Marsalis was Jay Leno’s bandleader on "The Tonight Show"? He left the show because he apparently wasn’t content with the tunes he played night after night and wanted to get back to pursuing his own music.

Not long after his resignation, he appeared on Howard Stern’s radio show. An indignant Howard chastised him for leaving such a plum gig. His basic point was, so what if it wasn’t a "prestige" gig and he wasn’t able to play his original music on the show. Bottom line: He still got to play music every night for an audience of millions, and the job paid really well.

It sort of reminds me of writers who feel that writing for local or regional publications is not attractive as it once was. Time to move on and get those bylines only in national magazines!

Maybe they should think twice.

Though publication in the big boys is an admirable goal (heck, I’m constantly striving for it myself), don’t sell the little guys short. If they’re dependable, reliable, legitimate sources of bylines, appreciate what you’ve got. With the right combination of talent, tenacity and breaks those nationally published clips will come.

Read my feature about Habitat for Humanity in the new issue of Central Florida Lifestyle magazine

The new issue of Central Florida Lifestyle is out. In it you’ll find a feature I wrote about Habitat for Humanity of Winter Park/Maitland -- a terrific organization run by wonderful people.

Take a gander and feel free to let me know what you think. Thanks.

Why Is It . . .

. . .That online writing job postings with lots of exclamation points in the subject line (or even one, really) invariably pay nothing? I don’t get it. Do they think people are so dimwitted that they’ll be distracted by the !!!!!!!! and not notice that the gig pays squat?

This is sort of a continuation of my Danger, Will Robinson! (Or: How I Learned to Spot Job Posting Red Flags, Part 1) post.

You Talkin’ to Me?

Successful interviewing entails listening, not just asking. I was reminded of this simple fact recently when I interviewed Graham Fenton, starring as Frankie Valli in the national touring company of "Jersey Boys," which is coming to Orlando in May.

I asked him about the nerve-wracking audition process he endured (including singing for Frankie Valli himself) and he started off by saying he first heard of the auditions in Miami when he was living in Orlando. Viola! Instant local connection. I made sure I followed up on that tidbit and that connection became my lede paragraph.

Moral of the story? If I had been so myopically focused on my next question that nifty little nugget likely would have escaped my radar.

Find my work in the newest issue of Texture magazine

The Spring/Summer issue of Texture is out. You’ll find my article "Commercial Spotlight" that focuses on the state of the commercial production industry in Central Florida.

Take a gander and feel free to let me know what you think. Thanks.

Danger, Will Robinson! (Or: How I Learned to Spot Job Posting Red Flags, Part 3)

To read Part 1, visit here. Part 2 here.

Let's talk about money ... your money. More specifically, throwing your money away. And chances are that's what you'll end up doing if you pay to obtain "secret" job listings.

These kinds of ads prey upon our desire to get the jump on our competition by giving us access into an all-exclusive enclave. Don't be fooled. There is no such thing as a super-duper-ultra-suede-Doppler-5000-double-dog-dare listing of secret freelance jobs. If you receive anything for your money, it will be recycled listings from job sites that are easily available to anyone for free.

And of course, you should never -- EVER -- pay to have something you write be considered for publication (contests are another animal). That's called a rip-off.

5 Tips I’ve Learned for Successful Interviewing

List your questions -- and then some. Make sure you have "backup" questions in case the interviewee's responses are curt, shrinking your half hour interview session to 20 minutes. That's a lot of time to fill.

Prepare. Bring extra batteries and tapes for the recorder. Have pens and a pad on hand to take notes.

Observe. If the interview takes place in the person's office or home, jot down your impressions of the surroundings. It'll give you insight into their character, perspective, motivation.

Clarify. If something is unclear, don't be afraid to ask for clarification, spelling, context, definition, whatever.

Give thanks. Be sure to follow up your interview with a simple thank you, no more than two days afterward. You'll shine as thorough and professional -- and they'll appreciate it.

Job Posting Boards

Here's a valuable, time-saving listing of freelance job postings brought to you by the always informative Allenia Tapia of About.com.

Happy hunting!

Find my work in the latest Florida magazine ("News for alumni and friends of the University of Florida")

Green engineering and sustainable practices are a passion of Amelia Dempere, University of Florida professor in the College of Engineering. The Winter issue of Florida contains a profile I wrote of her.

Take a gander and feel free to let me know what you think. Thanks.

Find my work in the March issue of Central Florida Lifestyle magazine

The March issue of Central Florida Lifestyle is out, and in it you’ll find two pieces I wrote. First up is a feature about the Windermere Roadies, a local cycling club, in the Southwest edition.

There is also a profile of musician and composer extraordinaire Robert Kerr in the Eastern edition.

Take a gander and feel free to let me know what you think. Thanks. Next month’s issue will have a feature I wrote about Habitat for Humanity of Winter Park/Maitland.