Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The Daily Grind

Ah personal growth. Who has time?  I would love to get abs and speak French, but I have a tail to chase and stuff to think about and Facebook to update.

I have been blogging for over 2 years now and I want to take my writing and on-line life further.  I took a course tonight called "Breaking into Online Writing" at Media Bistro. It was taught by Will Doig, Features Editor for The Daily Beast.

This guy has been writing and working in publishing since he was knee-high to a SEND button.  He was a good teacher and as I was doodling and thinking of taking off on a cruise to Europe, he really made me home in on what I need besides air and water.  And that is focus.  It is all still a little fuzzy in my mind, but that is what I think I heard.

It seems if I want to write for on-line and get paid I have to 1. write  2. pitch and 3. really hustle. The fact that there are 1000s of previously employed Conde Nast and Wall Street Journal writers on the beat should not deter me.  (And why should it not again?)

This course confirmed what I was thinking may be true all along and that is someone is not going to come up to me on a subway platform and say "You look like a really good, funny writer.  Will you come with me to Paris and write full time for a lot of money?" 

It seems, instead, I have to read a lot of blogs and news sites and find where I would best fit in and come up with ideas that they would want and pitch to them.  Oh and accept rejection.   The latter part should not be hard for me at all.  So, ever the optimist, I have half of this already cracked!

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