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Full disclosure: I never read David Foster Wallace’s work until after learning about his passing. However the news immediately caught my attention for many reasons, the most prolific being the writer/suicide connection. So I felt compelled to do as much reading of his works as I could get my hands on. Turns out that a lot of readers had the same idea because it’s pretty damn hard to get your hands on a copy of any of his works on Amazon. Thankfully Haper’s, Rolling Stone, Gourmet , The New Yorker and the Atlantic have all made Wallace’s works available to read on their sites.
So over the past few days, I’ve been reading through some of the longest essays I’ve ever read and I am finding myself taken aback by this man’s talent. I decide that I want to write a piece on him for Suite but that I cannot do the article any justice until I read all of these essays, until I can get a feel for who this man was through his words.
And I am constantly being surprised. His writing is genuis caliber, but he is an really intellectually diverse person. He won an undergrad prize for something called “modal logic” (??), went to Harvard to study philosophy, (AFTER having already published his first novel), then got his MFA in fiction at the University of Arizona. This man was smart. He was a thinker and an analyzer. Which I suppose is what made his disease so difficult for him.
So as I continue to pour through them, I am learning about a man who in a lot of ways mirrors myself (depressed writer, loved education, fighting off the demons in his head) and I am more than fascinated. I think I am angry, I am pissed. This man of such beautiful words and ideas and intelligence and wit chose to kill himself and rob the world of the talent he most surely still retained.
A lot to ponder and this research is really more intense than any I’ve done for any other article. This man’s words move me and I’m pretty pissed that he cheated us of so much more of his gift.
I am working on two three separate articles for Suite101, both relating to books with a 9-11 theme. I am trying to form a best of list for both fiction and non-fiction. While I do have my favorites, I was hoping to get a broader perspective from a wider audience. Please leave your picks in the comments ASAP.
Thanks for your help!
Yeah, it’s finally Spring. Now we can all experience a much needed bout of Spring Fever!
What are your goals for the month?
Mine are as follows (and I’m trying to keep them in order of priorities):
1. Get book project where it needs to be for the next project milestone which is on April 27. This deadlines includes the first 20k words of the book, as well as an updated outline if necessary.
2. Have at least 10 solid case study participants who have sent back the questions, or have gotten in touch with me about when I can expect their answers.
3. Hit the 50 article mark at Suite101 (current article count is at 47).
4. Work on EASY projects on ELANCE. Re: articles where I am already familiar w/ the topic, or simple proofreading jobs.
5. An author contacted me asking if I would like to review his new book. Sure, why not? I just made it clear to him that I can’t promise instant gratification due to my hectic schedule.
6. An ezine contacted me about writing for them. It seems more like they want me to pitch them a story idea. It seems kind of out of my area of expertise, but if I have some free time, I will brainstorm ideas.
Are you a self-published author with a stellar book who’s looking for a way to promote it? Are you an independent publisher wanting to get exposure for some of your titles? Are you a large publication house looking to mass-promote the next best-seller? If any of these apply to you, why not send me a review copy of your book (hardcopy is preferred over electronic version) and I will do my best to read it and offer an honest review on SUITE101.com
Email me for the details: serenity0605(at)optonline(dot)net
I’ve decided to cancel my account with Associated Content. I just don’t have the time to write for 3 different places. I just couldn’t get into their structure and way of doing things. Bottom line – it just wasn’t a good fit for me. I’m staying with Suite101 and Helium for the time being.
I just got another paying job(!) to edit a student’s Masters thesis. As much as I complain about Elance, it is definitely been a good month for me in terms of jobs I’m getting through them. I’m also working on an on-going project with a repeat client, editing her online Spa manager program modules.
I also think I need to order new business cards, as the ones I am currently using only have my email address and not my website link. I’m making a mental list right now to do that in the near future.
I also need to add a signature block on my emails that have the links to all the places where I write. Does anyone know how I can do that?
There’s also a new article posted at Suite101 about Tips for Managing Acne from an Esthetician.
One more FYI- I am no longer going to link articles I write for Helium on this blog since the quantity of work I’ve been producing for them has been excessive (9 in 1 week!). I will only post a link if it’s an article I am especially inclined to share. Otherwise bookmark the page and check back periodically.
I started reading a new book today with the sole purpose of it being used to write up a book review on Suite101. I had gotten an email a week or so ago, asking if I would like to review a copy of new book. The PR person got my name off the Suite101 site and I felt really excited that these opportunities were coming my way. I love reading so if people want to send me a book, I’ll gladly read it and write a review for it on Suite101.
So anyway this book is called The Secrets of Happily Married Women..so at first I thought it might be a boring self-help book, but so far I’m really loving it. I’m 100 pages into and I actually feel like I am learning all kinds of great marital advice. My point is that I normally wouldn’t have picked up this book to read on my own, but I am glad that the offer came my way to review this one.
I hope that more of these opportunities come my way. I feel like making some kind of disclaimer saying: PUBLISHERS FEEL FREE TO SEND ME REVIEW COPIES OF YOUR MANUSCRIPTS TO REVIEW. It’s a win-win situation for the both of us anyway, since the author is getting publicity and I am getting a byline on an article.
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Linda Formichelli has a great page on her website where she lists tons of publishers and their email/snail mail addresses where you can request review copies of manuscripts. Generally publishers are very willing to supply freelancers with copies of their books. This will be another thing I need to work on doing in my down time.
Just a quick update, it seems as if things are going good this week in terms of work.
First of all, I landed a project I really wanted on Elance. It involves the proofreading and editing of a Spa-related text. I really am enjoying this project since it’s a topic that interests me. It’s almost been 3 weeks without getting any work off Elance so I am hoping this will boost my optimism again.
Second, I got my first email from a publishing company to review a book because of my exposure on Suite101. I am really excited about that because it means that 1) people are reading my articles and 2) that they are coming to me with work (instead of the other way around).
Finally, I submitted an article for Associated Content which I need to tweak up so that it fits their requirements. I really need to spend some time familiarizing myself with their whole setup as well.
All this is one day! And just yesterday I was worried that I had no work on the horizon. The wonderful ups and downs of freelancing.
Thanks to my sister-in-law I’ve landed a job at Suite101.com as a freelance writer. This is a very exciting opportunity for me, since it is my first long term assignment where I get to write about specific topics that interest me. My goal is to produce 10 articles for them in a 3 month period. Ideally I would like to write book reviews for them, so that is what I am concentrating on at the moment. Although before I can do any writing I need to familiarize myself with their writer’s handbook which is quite extensive. Thank goodness I have Samantha to turn to for help!
Currently I am working on my first article for them, and I’ll post the link when it’s up.
With all of the holiday celebrations taking place this month, it is getting harder to come up with original and personal gift ideas. I mean, you can give everyone a gift card, but how heartfelt is that really? Why not supplement the less-personal gift with something a bit more sentimental? Here are some writing ideas that you could incorporate into that special someone’s stocking this year:
1. A poem. Nothing is better at conveying emotion than a poem. Don’t worry about rhyming or trying to fit any kind of preconceived structure. A poem can be as simple as a few lines of imagery that speaks to you and the recipient. If you absolutely cannot craft your own poem, how about finding one that you like and either write it in calligraphy or fancy handwriting (if you have the skills) or print it up on a nice piece of paper using a fun font. After printing it out, arrange it in a shadowbox-type frame with pictures and other mementos for a from-the-heart gift.
2. A letter. When was the last time you hand-wrote a letter? With the wonderful invention of the cell-phone and e-mail, letters appeared to have gone the way of the cassette tape (remember those?). Now imagine the look on your Grandma, Mom or best friend’s face when she reads the tear-jerking letter you penned her this Christmas. What should your letter include? The possibilities are limitless! You can recall a fond memory (even better if it’s holiday-related), extend some gratitude for the things we take for granted, or tell them something that you’ve been holding back from sharing with them.
3. A memory journal. Are you a new parent or a newly wed? If so, have you thought about keeping a memory book? You can buy one with lots of pre-printed pages prompted you to fill in the blanks with such questions as: What do you remember about our first date? How did you feel when you first found out you were expecting? Although these aren’t as original as a letter or poem, they still let you capture important moments and share them with loved ones. Of course if you are feeling extra crafty this holiday season, you can create your own memory book which you can design to your heart’s desire.
Combining any of these projects with a gift card, a plate of homemade cookies or a bottle of perfume is a sure fire way to distinguish your gift from the rest of the pack!
