Nobody ever said it was easy

In the last week, I have eaten more sand than a sand crab, and I have endured so much wind I believe I may have a tunnel clear from one ear to the other. I have walked hours on aching feet and driven over 200 miles up and down the Oregon coast pursuing articles on lighthouses, whale-watching, a kite festival and dune-buggying. I spent days traveling and nights writing. So this is what it's like to be a travel writer, but oh what beautiful things I have seen. I have lived here for almost 13 years, but when you write about a place, you're forced to stop and really see it like you've never seen it before.

Over the years working for community newspapers, I have been jumped on by dogs and kids, mosquito-bitten, bee stung, allergized by people's cats, stunk up by visits to landfill sites, forced into coughing fits by idiots smoking right in my face, and oh yes, a couple times I made the mistake of accepting a glass of wine that went straight to my head. Then there was the flood in Pacifica and the rainy times when I couldn't take notes because neither pen nor pencil would stick to the paper and I couldn't see because my glasses fogged up. And yes, the day I missed all my other appointments because the paddle boat I was to take a one-hour ride on had engine trouble and we were stuck in the water with no bathrooms and no food all day. But God, it was nice on that river--even though it was raining and exceedingly cold.

On the other hand, I have toured elegant homes and gardens, met senators, a governor and a president, and attended plays, operas, ballets and banquets. It's not all bad.

Writing for newspapers and magazines is not always comfortable, but when I look back on all those experiences and the stories and photos they inspired, I feel good.

So get yourself some sturdy shoes, a good coat and hat, and a strong sense of humor, and go forth and write.

Do as I say, not as I do

I know, it's a cliche, and as an editor, I zap cliches with violent punches of the delete key, but things often become cliches because they're true.

I haven't written articles on deadline for a while. I have been writing a lot, but not anything that couldn't wait a day or a week. Suddenly I have four assignments that are due, gasp, next Tuesday. Of course, I took my time getting serious about them, did a lot of other stuff that did not have deadlines, read Internet sites I didn't have to (How many others admit to reading all the showbiz news on AOL? And how many love to poke around on Facebook or Myspace?), and then I looked at my calendar and said, oh my God, I've got four stories due in a week. I also have a press release due tomorrow. Help!

Of course, life has been very interesting lately. Things have come up that have made it difficult to put in serious serious desk time. But things always come up. You have to factor that in. For freelancers, it's not unusual for everything to happen at once. It's also true that editors rarely give you as much time as you'd like. Deal with it. Otherwise, you'll be doing the deadline dance, staying up late, giving up meals, sleep, and other pleasures of life to get your work turned in on time without the editor ever guessing how late you started. Magazine editors often build in some slack time between the deadline and when they really need it, but newspaper editors mean it when they say they want it Tuesday at noon.

When you get an assignment, start researching and setting up interviews immediately. Once you have all the information, you can write the story at 2 a.m. Sunday morning if you have to, but you can't be calling folks who work 9 to 5 weekdays and expect them to agree to an interview right now because you're behind schedule.

Plan ahead, make a schedule and stick to it, and, as they say in the commercials out here, "Git 'er done."

Oh, and Matt and Jeremy, if you're reading this, I'm on schedule, really I am. :)

When opportunity knocks, open the door

Last week, I wrote about how contacts had gotten me a new gig writing for the new SeaPort airline magazine being put out by the local newspaper, Newport's News-Times. It's a magazine, not a newspaper, but while I'm researching and writing my magazine pieces, if something needs doing at the paper, my odds of getting the assignment are much higher than they were before. Like most publishing companies, this one is also dabbling with online projects, and it's putting out more special sections than ever. All are potential sources of freelance work.

I'm not the only one who has taken advantage of this opportunity. Frequent commenter Candace jumped on it, spending a whole Sunday polishing her first query. The publisher accepted that story and asked her to do more. Another friend, Eileen, read about it in my newsletter (www.suelick.com/Newsletter0609.html) and she's busy brainstorming ideas. One of my former students, Eileen is already a pro, and I have no doubt that if she follows through, she will get some assignments.

The moral of the story: Although newspapers are cutting back, laying off and going online, all that misery we hear about, they're still using freelancers. Be alert for opportunities and pounce on them with perfectly aimed ideas.

***
Lots of well-known journalists have been asked to give graduation speeches lately. I love this one Barbara Ehrenreich delivered to the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism class of 2009. Titled, "Welcome to a Dying Industry, Journalism Grads," it was published online at the San Francisco Chronicle web site. If you're wondering why we should bother writing anything these days, here is your answer.

Contacts pay off again

Last week I received an e-mail from a local newspaper publisher. He said he had an exciting new project for which his editor had recommended me. Now, I worked on staff with that editor 10 years ago, but we have been in touch off and on through the years. I asked the publisher what the project was. When he said he was putting out a new in-flight magazine for the airline that just started serving our city, I made an appointment to meet with him the next day. I get to write as many stories as I can stand for SeaPort magazine and help recruit other writers in SeaPort destinations. the pay is decent, and I can use up some of those story ideas that have been piling up in my office for years.

When I got home, I contacted a friend who lives near Seattle, another SeaPort destination. That was Friday. On Sunday, she sent me drafts of her query, which I helped her polish, and on Monday she had the assignment, with another one for the next issue. Now I only know this friend, Candace, online. We have never actually met. But we have been corresponding often. In fact, at least once a week, she has written to ask how things are going with my husband. She also asks for career advice and lets me know about her latest publications, but it's the personal touch that has stuck with me. I see her name in my e-mail and think, oh, there's a friend who cares. So, as soon as I heard about SeaPort, I thought, now where exactly does Candace live? Hey, perfect.

I don't like the word networking. It sounds phony. Think about it as making friends. God knows writing is a lonely business, but the Internet can make it a lot less lonely. If you read a blog you like (not necessarily mine), comment. If you meet someone you enjoy spending time with, whether at a conference or at the dentist's office, get their contact information and stay in touch. Some of the best things that have happened in my career have happened because I had a friend in the right place.

Oh, and if you happen to live in or near Seattle, Washington, or Portland, Pendleton, Astoria or Newport, Oregon, send queries to Jeremy Burke at publisher@newportnewstimes.com. Think visitors' guide. He's looking primarily for magazine-style pre-stories about upcoming events and things to do in those areas. Tell him you read it on my blog.

Everybody Wants to Teach You to Write

This column also appears in the May/June issue of The Scriptorium online newsletter for which I have been writing a column called Everything But Writing for several years.

Let's be honest. A lot of people say they want to be writers. Of those, about half want it badly enough to invest in books, magazines, conferences, workshops, software and other items that promise to give them the keys to the writing kingdom. Smart entrepreneurs have recognized a market exists in supplying these things to would-be writers. We all buy these things. I have at least a dozen writing books waiting to be read. I'm almost a year behind in my writing magazines and I usually have at least 25 unread online newsletters. I'm as much a patsy for the things people sell to writers as anyone else.

With my articles and books for writers (Freelancing for Newspapers: Writing for an Overlooked Market, Quill Driver Books, 2007), I have even been part of the industry marketing products to people who want to do what I have done—write, publish and make money. This column is part of it.

I could say that I'm sharing what I have learned. That's true. I love to teach about writing and the business of being a writer. I enjoy giving workshops and inspiring people to write. But I also recognize a market, a place where I can sell my knowledge and make some money to support the other writing that so far isn't paying as well. So do lots of other people with less noble motives. They know, as I do, that fewer than a quarter of the people who say they want to be writers will persist long enough to succeed. When I teach at conferences, I look around the room and know that maybe five of those students will actually use the information I have provided. Writing is hard. Many people drop out along the way. But for some folks, it's a profitable business.

We writers need to beware of buying too many products or services promising to make us famous authors. One can easily become so overwhelmed in the onslaught of instructional materials for writers that we don't have time to write. We must be stingy with our money and our time. The only way to really become a writer is to write, revise, study the markets and submit our work. We must do this over and over for as long we want to be writers.

There are certainly good products that will help you hone your writing skills and teach the basics of how to offer your work to editors. Others will offer inspiration when you're feeling empty. Buy the ones that appeal to you. I list some good ones on my website at suelick.com. Although craft books help, don't lose sight of the goal. Like playing the piano, lessons are important, but the only thing that will really make you a good at it is practice.

Punctuate quotes correctly

Last week I promised to go over the rules for punctuating quotes. It's surprising how many people just don't get it, but editors get tired of fixing misplaced quotation marks, commas, periods, and their kin.

Here are a few guidelines:

* Beginning a quote requires beginning a new paragraph.
"Why don't you buy a new car?" Jane asked. "The Ford dealership has some great bargains right now."
"It's too expensive," Smith said.

* In the U.S., direct quotes--which means you write exactly what they said--call for double quotation marks on each end. "It's too expensive," Smith said.

* The other punctuation goes INSIDE the quotation marks. See where the comma is in the above quote?

* A quote within a quote calls for single quotation marks. "My daughter said, 'It's not that expensive,'" Smith added.

* If an attribution such as "Smith said" comes after the quotation, end the quotation with a comma because the sentence isn't finished yet. The period goes after Smith said.

* If the word that follows the quotation is not a proper noun, don't capitalize it.
"It's too expensive," he said.

* If you are paraphrasing, rather than using a direct quote, don't put quotation marks around it. For example, Smith said it was too expensive.

* If you want to show us an emotion, pick a quote that shows it or include a gesture or expression that conveys how the speaker feels. For example, don't write, "It's too expensive," Smith said angrily. How about, "It's too damned expensive," Smith said. Or, "It's too expensive," Smith said, pounding the table with his fist.

For more on punctuation, check the Associated Press Stylebook, which is the guide for most newspapers. For books and magazine articles, many editors use the Chicago Manual of Style. A great online reference is grammarbook.com, which not only explains things clearly, but offers quizzes to test yourself.

Happy quoting.

Just say 'He said'

In the book I'm currently editing, the attributions are driving me nuts. It's a novel, but some of the same issues apply in writing freelance articles. When you're quoting someone, especially in a back-and-forth dialogue, it's definitely important that the reader knows who's speaking. You must let them know where the information is coming from.

However, too many writers go overboard with the attributions. For example, "'Who's responsible for this?' he asked suspiciously." We already know he's suspicious from his question. How about, "'I really don't want to discuss this,' she evaded, clearly reluctant to share her secrets." Hello, she already said it. The writer doesn't need to repeat it. Likewise, "'I disagree,' he stated emphatically." "Stated" is stodgy and if we can't tell his mood from his words, try showing what he's doing as he says it. "'I disagree,' Smith said, slamming his notebook shut." Doesn't that paint a clearer picture?

Then there are the physically impossible attributions. "I'm tired," she yawned. That's one talented yawner, able to put words out as she yawns. It makes me think of the kids who try to burp words.

In most cases, the best word to use is simply "said." Readers are so used to seeing it that they don't notice it. Any words that take their attention away from what is being said should be deleted. If it's clear who's speaking, you don't need any attribution. If you need to say something to avoid confusion, go away and slip in, "Smith said" one in a while. "Asked" is fine, too, if he's asking a question. But don't say, "Smith queried" or "Smith inquired."

In a future blog, we're going to get into how to punctuate quotes because clearly a lot of people don't understand it.

Meanwhile, keep writing. Let me know how you're doing.