Saturday, June 12, 2010

M.I.A.

So, not that a ton of people come here but those who do have likely noticed that I've been M.I.A. for nearly a month.  There's a reason other than disinterest.  I finally found a freelance writing gig!  Ok, don't get too excited for me yet.  It pays beans, well not really but pennies kinda look like beans, right? ;)  Anyway, it's a start.  I've been focusing a lot of my time on learning the publishing tool the company has its writers use, going out to locations for stories to take my own pictures instead of stock photos (I think it adds credibility), participating in the company's community forums for writers and working on generating traffic to my articles.

It's nice to see my two loves, writing and photography, finally merge in my life.

While I had a format here of doing a daily post, I will be going back to posting but it'll likely only be a few times a week and a presentation of some photos that I took while out for a story.  I could rattle off a few articles every day but they wouldn't be genuine, detailed and with personal photos.  I can be a machine but I choose to be human--even on the internet.

I'm hoping to build my presence online as a writer because a degree in English and almost five years of experience as a staff writer isn't appearing to cut it to get a writing job in the real world these days.  As many of you know, I was planning on going back to school to get a second Bachelor's degree in Journalism (didn't have the time nor the $ to study and take the GRE before the deadline for Fall term).  However, with the credit crunch, banks haven't been friendly to the idea of lending money to those who are unemployed or with prior debts (like student loans) or people like me who are both of those things.  Perhaps with a co-signer that would change but that requires one having someone willing to co-sign. ;)  It's provided me some frustration but at the same time I understand the position of the banks and of my family who aren't willing to stick their rear out into the wind of the whims of our economy right now.

For now, the ego boost of being accepted by my first pick of schools (a small private school KNOWN for their Journalism program and the quality graduates they produce) will have to be enough.  So, I'll do what I've done throughout my life--take the hard route and learn the un-traditional way.  It might take longer to achieve my goals this way but I've always been one who believed that it's more about the journey along the way rather than the destination.

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