Writng for the paper

ladyre · 08-22-2005, 06:03 PM

As some of you already know I write a weekly restaurant review column for the daily paper here in Waynesboro, VA. (We have 3 daily papers all competing and all prospering, so the newspaper business in not dead in small town America.)

Well, I spoke with the features editor at the paper today, and I may be writing 2 more columns for the paper. These would be monthly instead of weekly. One would be on different people's hobbies - model trains, rocketry, full sized gliders, gaming, remote control cars, and that sort of thing. I could even write a piece on medieval re-creationism in which my family is involved.

The other column would be about home schooling. A subject near and dear to my heart. No one else seems to have a newspaper column on this topic. The paper I write owned by a small company involved in communications. If my column is good enough and hits the market just right, I could end up becoming a synidicated columnist. At least in my wildest dreams it could happen.

First I need to find the time to write the columns, which is difficult as the business for my freelance title company is picking up a little more each week. But, a lot of writers gave up

to write while they worked regular jobs. The difference with these columns is that I would actually get paid for writing them. Hoody Hoo!

And before I forget, I received my first fan letter from the owner of a restaurant that I reviewed last month. It was mailed to me at the paper. I still find it to be very

that my column is laminated, framed, and hung up in so many restaurants in this area.

I just keep remembering that I began to do this to stretch beyond my comfort zone by confronting my fear of the blank page. And I

at myself.

Bruinsmama · 08-22-2005, 07:29 PM

Ladyre That is GREAT!
I know you can do it, and do it well!
What wonderful news! Congrats to you.
You will find the time because it is something you WANT to do!
i

Chris

becky · 09-14-2005, 09:12 AM

Wow that is awesome!! Sounds like fun, even if it is tiring! So, did you go to school for journalist or anything or is it just something you started doing? Have fun with it!!!

ladyre · 09-14-2005, 10:35 AM

Here is the latest update on my writing. I am looking for a market for my monthly homeschooling column. While the features editor would love to see me paid, the managing editor is a tightwad who is now complaining because I do not prorate the tips I pay to the wait staff when I eat at a restaurant that I am reviewing. Because he is being such a bean counter lately, I am loooking for other markets for my column

s. Fortunately, I live in an area with 3 local daily papers and several regional ones.

Becky, my BA is in History (research, not education), and I started writing in order to push my personal boundaries a bit. It worked as a solution for a lot of things in my life.

I will post again when I have some sort of contract in place for one of my columns.

becky · 09-15-2005, 05:51 AM

Good luck with finding someone that is not a tightwad and having a home for your column!! Well, even though its not for journalism, your BA has probably

ed or will

you in the future anyway just because of what it is. Look forward to hearing more about writing days!

ladyre · 09-15-2005, 02:32 PM

Becky.

I am one of those rare individuals who is actually working my the field of my degree. My current job is a form of historical research. I have been in my field for almost 20 years now. The last 2+ I have been doing it freelance. I am only about 3 classes short from a teaching certificate and have already passed the PRAXIS I test by the old standard in VA. I am currently homeschooling my 11 yo DD.

I had something come in via email about possibly writing 2 columns a month at $50 per column. I am considering that offer. Although I would prefer to write for a magazine instead of a web site at this point, that may be where I will need to start in order to get picked up by a magazine at some time in the future.

Thanks for all of the support and good wishes.