Archive for May, 2009

Turning Down Assignments

May 25, 2009
By Linda Formichelli
Turning Down Assignments

Every once in awhile I like to go through my journal to see what I was doing in this month in years past. Here’s what I wrote on May 29, 2007: I plan to either not write for again or to ask what we can do to make sure I don’t go through...
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Posted in Advice, Observations, Personal yammerings, Rants | 13 Comments »

When to Stay Open, When to Stay Closed

May 21, 2009
By Linda Formichelli

In her fabulous Finding Your Voice blog, my goal buddy Jennifer Lawler has a great post called “Open the Office Door.” In it, she talks about how we writers need to stay focused, yet need to set aside time to be open to new ideas. Jennifer gives some good tips on how to stay...
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Posted in Writing | No Comments »

Interview with Dan Baum on Writing for the Big Names — and on the Future of Journalism

May 18, 2009
By Linda Formichelli
Interview with Dan Baum on Writing for the Big Names — and on the Future of Journalism

Dan Baum has written for Rolling Stone, Playboy, Wired, and other big-name magazines, and is a former staff writer for The New Yorker; on his website, you can download proposals that landed assignments with these magazines. Baum is the author of Nine Lives, and runs a blog called WordWork. The account of his “short...
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Posted in Advice, Interviewing, Magazines, Query letters, Reporting, Rules, Writer Q&A, Writing | 25 Comments »

In Tough Times, the Joys of Journalism

May 15, 2009
By Linda Formichelli

This guest post is by Elaine Grant, a former editor at Inc. and current health and science reporter at New Hampshire Public Radio. Elaine’s course on Magazine Writing Basics starts on Monday…sign up today! I just sent two tweets out in rapid succession and realized that I sound like someone with multiple personalities. On...
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Posted in Observations, Personal yammerings, Writing | 5 Comments »

5 Tips for Creating an Inspiring Workspace

May 13, 2009
By Linda Formichelli
5 Tips for Creating an Inspiring Workspace

This is my first week in my new office space in downtown Concord, New Hampshire. As you may know, on January 2 we welcomed Traver Maxwell to the world. Eric and I turned the home office into a nursery, and moved all my office furniture and equipment into Eric’s game room. Now, Eric is...
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Posted in Advice, Motivation, Organization, Personal yammerings, productivity | 12 Comments »

Five Foolproof Ways to Generate Story Ideas Editors will Love

May 11, 2009
By Linda Formichelli
Five Foolproof Ways to Generate Story Ideas Editors will Love

The author of this guest post, Elaine Appleton Grant, is a former editor at Inc. magazine and is now the health and science reporter at New Hampshire Public Radio. Elaine teaches the Renegade Writer e-course “Magazine Writing Basics.” Her next session begins Monday, May 18. For more information on the course, click here. One...
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Posted in Advice, Writing | 3 Comments »

Please Check Out My New Website!

May 7, 2009
By Linda Formichelli

My fabulous web designer Reese created a website for me that focuses on my mentoring and 8-week e-course on breaking into magazines (the next session of which starts on June 8!). I think Reese did a great job with the design, and she helped me with SEO as well. I’d love it if other...
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Posted in News you can use | 4 Comments »

Connecting with Editors on Social Media

May 5, 2009
By Linda Formichelli
Connecting with Editors on Social Media

You’ve found an editor on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Should you ask to connect? Will the editor think you’re a stalker? If you connect, do you have to reign in your free expression, lest the editor sees photos of you with a lampshade on your head on Facebook, or catches your Twitter post about...
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Posted in Advice, Editors, Marketing, Networking | 7 Comments »

Magazine Writing Basics E-Course: New Start Date

May 3, 2009
By Linda Formichelli

The start date for Elaine Grant’s e-course Magazine Writing Basics has been postponed until Monday, May 18. If you wanted to learn how to understand editors’ thought processes, write great articles, ace your interviews, and do thorough research, you now have an extra two weeks to sign up!
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Posted in Writing | No Comments »