Karen M. Lynch

Change is good

2008-02-07T15:25:00.001-08:00

That's why I keep doing it.

I've got a new website and the software has a blogging component. So I'm leaving blogger and heading over there.

Please update your links and/or RSS feeds if you have them after you head over to http://www.karenmlynch.com.

Thanks all! Oh, and it might take an hour or two to go live -- if you see purple, it's not the latest and greatest.

Words from the Heart

2008-01-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

That's the name of the article that appeared in yesterday's Stamford Advocate about two Fairfield County women with essays appearing in Chicken Soup for the Wine Lover's Soul.

Here's a list of things I can say about the article:

Yes, I was one of the two local women featured in the anthology;
Yes, that is me in the photograph they chose to run with the piece;
Yes, that's my fabulous Ikea wine rack -- my other less functional wine rack houses more bottles but is less photogenic!

You can read the article here. Enjoy!

Another Month, Another Byline

2008-01-03T20:04:00.001-08:00

This time in the January '08 issue of Woman's Day. It's a 'your health' short -- hopefully the first of many.

(Yes, I'm patting myself on the back with a smile!)

2007-11-30T11:23:00.000-08:00

The FOB I wrote for SELF Magazine (Sip for a Cause) made it into the December issue as planned. Here's a copy of the .pdf I received from the folks at Dog House Wine -- thrilled to be included in this piece, of course.

Karen M. Lynch on WICC 600 AM

2007-11-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

Today I visited the studio offices of WICC 600 AM radio -- where I was interviewed by on air personality David Smith about my inclusion in the Chicken Soup for the Wine Lover's Soul and Chicken Soup for the Shopper's Soul anthologies.

Here's a link to the audio file of the interview!

Hectic Holidays

2007-11-14T04:38:00.001-08:00

Another piece of mine has made it into print. The current issue of Wilton Magazine features my story, Hectic Holidays: Heading Over the River or Over the Edge?

This piece was extremely fun to do; speaking with people months before the holiday season really made me appreciate the spirit of the holidays before they fell upon us. And, interviewing people about their "coping" strategies helped me formulate my own. It was a pleasure.

Happy Holidays everybody. More specifically ... have a Happy Thanksgiving, a Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, too.

The Heroines of Breast Cancer

2007-11-08T11:33:00.000-08:00

The article I wrote for the Oct/Nov 2007 issue of Fairfield Magazine (a regional glossy) now appears online at their website.

It's called, The Heroines of Breast Cancer. Here's the link. It's worth sharing, I think, because the message is one I'm passionate about.

Let me know what you think; better yet, let the editor know what you think, especially if you like it.

And if you are an editor ... remember me come next year when your October issue is on the frontburner!

A Parents Magazine Assignment

2007-10-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, I received another assignment from a another magazine that's near and dear to my heart. I'm psyched about this one because the editor didn't humor me during our initial phone conversation; she explained that the piece will be tough to write and she told me what she didn't like about my query, what voice to use, the direction to take the sidebars -- basically, she was not leaving much up to chance but that's helpful and will result in a win/win article.

Oh, and she offered me a great per word rate. Now, thanks to Profnet I've gotten some great sources lined up to interview next week. Once that's done, I'll get the editor the outline she requested and start writing. I'm psyched.

The advice I can offer newbies based on this assignment alone?

You've got to write a good query. Research how, read a book, take a class, study ones that work -- but really, without good query, you don't stand a chance.

Resist writing on spec. Having never worked with me before, the editorial team wanted me to write this one on spec. I pushed back and said no, I need an assignment and gave a solid reason why I wouldn't write a piece without one. They came back with the assignment. NOW, I was confident that I could deliver the final piece to them as they want it -- so if you're not sure of yourself, you might not want to go this route.

Accept feedback from the editor when it comes and don't take it as personal criticism. Their job is to make sure the pieces all fit coherently within the pages of that magazine -- a writer's individual voice is less important than the voice of the magazine. Stick to the essay markets if you can't handle that.

Find your sources fast. Your experts will provide you with information that you need to shape the piece -- what they offer up might lead you in a different direction. You don't want to put those off until you near deadline. And, if you use Profnet, be informative about what you need/what type of expert you are looking for in your initial query and be courteous to those that respond.

Alright ... time to start brainstorming my interview questions.

A Piece to be Proud of

2007-10-12T08:27:00.001-07:00

Every writer has one -- some are lucky to have more than one. While there are many pieces of mine that muster up some internal pride, this one takes the prize. Look for it on the last page of the October 2007 issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The column is called 'Last Drop' and the piece is called 'Boobytrap'.

If you're interested, I'll email you a .pdf of the clip.

The Importance of Fact Checking

2007-09-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

As an advocate for breast cancer awareness and issues I've been featured quite a bit in some notable publications -- this month alone I'm in SHAPE and Beyond Breast Cancer.

I'm proud and honored and flattered, of course. Especially with the former piece. But I'm also a little disappointed with the latter. It's hard to see your life in print when the details of your life aren't reflected accurately.

The thing is, a fact checker emailed me an excerpt with my quotes, asked me if it was accurate, and I emailed her back accurate information. And they still misprinted the information.

On the one hand, it's not that critical to get the facts straight -- so I have three children, not two, nobody will be hurt by that error. On the other hand, the TRAM flap surgery is one that must be completely understood before agreeing to it, and calling it a trans flap is downright mis informative. Not to mention a double mastectomy with said TRAM flap reconstruction would be an extreme surgery for someone with a diagnosis of DCIS and no family history to speak of. But after a recurrence of breast cancer, a recurrence of invasive cancer no less, a more advanced stage than the first time ... well, that's a different story altogether.

I'm just shocked the facts were overlooked in a magazine dedicated to breast cancer.

Anyway, as a writer, I take away this message: never again will I allow myself to overlook the details during my interviews. If I have to go over things again and again until I get them right, I will.

If you're a writer, you should to0.

Always double check your facts.
Never underestimate the importance of details.
Make sure changes are made when incorrect information is clarified.

A FOB Assignment

2007-09-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

There appear to be a few schools of thought when it comes to FOBs (front of book pieces). Some swear they're the gateway to 'bigger and better' features in a publication worth writing for -- so you should suck it up and write one up if it's offered. Others think they are a whole lot of work (research wise) for a fraction of the price a higher word count article would allow so you ought to bow out of them gracefully.

I'm somewhere in the middle on this one. If I've not written for a publication before, why not show them what I've got with a lower risk assignment -- especially if it opens the door to a future feature? Yes, they are a lot of effort for the per word payment ... but the work is fun (at least for me) and the paycheck some publications pay for a short doesn't suck. But sometimes a shorter, snippier 150 word piece is more gratifying to write than a grueling 1,200 word feature.

That's why I'm happy to take on the FOB assignment I just landed from an editor at Woman's Day!

Waaahoooo!

Sharing Google Reader Items

2007-08-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

I was just clearing out the starred (i.e., 'saved') items in my Google Reader (I found hundreds and hundreds of items I wanted to revisit when I had more time ... time that just isn't going to appear out of nowhere).

In doing so, I found many items I think you'll appreciate, from some of my favorite blogs (Ask Allison, Inkthinker and The Renegade Writer to name a few). But rather than blog about them, I'm going to share them with you directly (since Google & Blogger make it easy to do).

So check out the new widget to the right -- and let me know what you think!

The Aim of Writing

2007-08-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

My sister sent me this today:

"Writing is a prestigious profession which puts one right in the center of the world, and to remain on top, one has to work really hard, the aim being a good and original theme, simplicity in expression and the use of the irreplaceable word."

That's from Nelson Mandela; I think they're words he wrote to his daughter, Zindzi, in 1977 (but please, correct me if I'm wrong).

I frequently hear chatter amongst freelancers about whether their job is perceived as a real job.

I think the misperception that freelance writing is not a real job stems from the fact that (1) many people journal (or blog) admittedly as a means of self-expression or self-analysis only and (2) the creative, artistic, romantic, 'write when the muse hits' side of writing prevails as the reigning archetype of a freelancer.

Can you blame people for being unfamiliar with the nuances of unearthing an idea, coming up with an angle, preparing a pitch, researching a story, revising drafts until you're seeing red pen in your sleep -- then waking up and doing it all over again with another idea -- when new (wannabe) freelancers don't even get that aspect of the job themselves?

Thankfully there are writers who have earned their due respect. Earn it yourself by following Mandela's advice. Aim for:

A good and original theme
Simplicity in expression
The use of the irreplaceable word

Stop working and go play

2007-08-08T14:42:00.001-07:00

Sometimes a vacation is just what you need to land a stellar assignment.

On the one hand, I'm kidding. Total rest and relaxation are hardly going to make you a success in this business.

On the other hand, I'm serious. We need to give ourselves a break, slow down and appreciate other things in life, and trust that if we work hard most of the time, the assignments will still come if we take an occasional break.

While I was on vacation last week I learned that a story I submitted to "Chicken Soup for the Wine Lover's Soul" was accepted for publication in the anthology (due out November 2007) and I received an assignment from SELF magazine.

So if you haven't stopped working yet this summer ... go out and play. One week off, or at the very least, one day off, most likely won't make a difference in your acceptance ratio but will probably make a difference in your enjoyment ratio.

Write What You Know

2007-07-10T18:52:00.001-07:00

Every seasoned freelancer says the same thing: write what you know.

It took a while before that concept resonated with me, however. Instead, I heeded my own novice advice: write what you think you can get published.

Recently, the light bulb in my brain was switched on once and for all. I've stopped trying to pitch all my brilliant ideas; instead, I focus on pitching stories I know I can infuse with passion. Real passion.

I drink wine, almost every evening; it makes sense that I successfully pitched and sold an essay to Wine Enthusiast.

I have two sons, both of them are cub scouts; it makes sense that I successfully pitched and sold a story to Boys' Life.

It's a simple concept that can elude a new writer. I'm glad I'm no longer living in the dark. Illumination is a good thing.

So make a list of the things you are passionate about. Get specific. Then seek out markets that are suitable for stories related to those passions.

Flick the switch. Write what you know.

The iPhone is the Bomb

2007-06-30T06:43:00.002-07:00

I re-read yesterday's post and thought ... perhaps I exaggerated a bit. Perhaps I got caught up in the drama of the iPhone's launch. Perhaps.

Or perhaps everything in my life will change now that I have this baby in my possession.

For the record, I am not a geek. My husband on the other hand comes dangerously close to the title; I prefer to call him a gadget geek because he is darn cute, quite sociable and amiable, and though he has an obsession with all things electronic, would not be stereotypical at a geek convention.

That being said ... he had to get us both iPhones yesterday and there was just no arguing with him. I can't explain why, though I keep trying to understand it myself. It just mattered to him.

So, moving on ... let me tell you the about my iPhone and why "everything" in my life is forever changed.

My husband is having breakfast at the diner with the kids so I can catch up on some stuff in my office. He just sent me an IM. From the diner. From his phone. Yeah, it's like a text message, but it shows up on our iPhones like the IM dialog box on your computer.

While I sipped my first cup of coffee this morning, I checked the weather forecast. Here in Connecticut and in New York where we're headed later today. From my phone.

On Monday when I have to run a few errands, instead of being torn (should I run out or continue to wait on pins and needles for an email from an editor accepting my query) I can easily leave the house knowing I won't miss a thing. The exact in-box that is on my desktop is now on my phone.

If an email came in and the editor needed to speak with me immediately, well, the names of all my editors are in my address book; they've already been synchronized so I don't need to re-enter them. If I edit the main address book on my computer, the information is automatically synced with my phone when I place it on the dock.

I suppose that makes my iPhone like a Blackberry. Except it is so friendly I'm almost ashamed I need such a use friendly gadget. To think I was afraid I wouldn't be able to use it. HA!

Now for the music ... I can 'flip' through album covers on my iPhone to determine what to play on the built in iPod. The iPod that automatically pauses when a call comes in then returns back to the song you were listening to before the call came in.

I've also seen two hysterical You Tube videos ... on my phone. I've never really played a random You Tube video on my desktop computer. Frankly, I think surfing You Tube is a waste of time. But how many times have I been somewhere, been bored, and looked to my phone as a potential source of entertainment? Even 'bejeweled' gets old after a while.

The pictures I take with my phone can be synced with my iPhoto library. Pictures from my iPhoto library can be saved on my phone. No more questions like, 'what do you mean you don't have pictures of your kids on you at all times?' No more thoughts like, 'what kind of a mother am I?'

So ... let me clarify yesterday's post: technically, everything in my life isn't changed. But, the mindset I have when I leave my desk, my home, my kids ... that's all changed. The way I do business is changed. I have more freedom, more knowledge, more flexibility, more fun ... all because of this iPhone.

That will indeed be life changing.

The Day Has Finally Come

2007-06-29T09:32:00.001-07:00

Tonight, everything in my life will change. I had no choice. I had to say yes. My marriage depended upon it.

When my husband arrives home tonight with my new iPhone I will be able to decide once and for all if it is truly the bomb.

I Write for Hope

2007-06-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

I posted about these Paper Mate pens on my niche blog, Discussing Breast Cancer, and then I thought, these are going on my writing site as well. Here's why: Sometimes a writer discovers something in their lives, their heart or their soul, something they feel destined to write about.

For me, that's breast cancer. These pens are symbolic to me, symbolic of the passion I have to write about all things breast cancer related.

I write for hope, almost every day.

I write for hope. What do you write for?

How Writing Eases Pain

2007-06-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

I've been writing through my emotional pain since I was a teenage girl.

Check out this journal entry of mine from when I was 14:

"How the hell am I supposed to use the phone in a business-like manner? It's not fair. If they want to, they can just drive over to see their friends. I can't. I don't see them in school long enough to say all I have to, and five minutes a day just isn't enough. Parents just don't understand. PLEASE UNDERSTAND MOMMY! I HAVE TO USE THE PHONE TO KEEP MY FRIENDS. If I can't talk to them, I loose touch with my social life. Just wait. I don't need my parents' shit. I cannot wait until I go to college."

Makes for an interesting read now that I'm a parent, for sure.

Anyway, I just came across a WebMD report that explains the physiology behind emotional writing -- how it actually helps you process your emotions (and stop them much like a applying the brakes when you're driving). It's really quite fascinating.

So when you're done laughing about my teenage angst, check out the WebMD report.

And for the record, I was on the phone for hours each night and my parents are really wonderful and kind people!

"Writer Mama" Reviewed

2007-06-19T07:52:00.001-07:00

I recently finished reading a review copy of "Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids," by Christina Katz.

"Writer Mama" is a writer's reference book, one I'll keep on my active desktop and won't store it on a shelf out of arm's reach.

Christina identified a big problem for women who want to write and are inspired to write while their children are largely underfoot: a mother's personal time is limited, her work space is often full of distractions and her attention is in demand 24/7.

Christina knows this because she's a mom herself and figured out how to balance her family life and a successful writing career. She's a serious stay-at-home-mother-writer.

"Writer Mama" is full of steps a new stay-at-home-mother-writer should take, websites to visit, tips to consider and exercises to complete. It's a must-have manual she'll revisit time and time again. I myself have two dozen pages earmarked for future reference.

What I loved about the book is that every so often I'd read a quote from other credible freelancers: C. Hope Clark, Diana Burrell, Linda Formichelli, Jenna Glatzer, Kelly James-Enger and Moira Anderson Allen are only a few she quoted. I'd already read a considerable amount from each one of these women so I respected the research Christina did for this book.

The only problem I had with "Writer Mama" was that some of what I'd read was too basic for me. I'd already taken many of the early steps Christina outlined. I had also taken Christina's online class, Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff, so I continually ran into redundancies that I didn't personally gain from.

That being said ... it's a great book to add to your collection. I think Christina summarized it best in her introduction:

"This book will help you get published sooner, while still keeping an eye on your long-term writing goals and balancing your responsibilities at home."

A Writer Repackaged

2007-06-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

What kind of image are you putting in front of potential clients? One of a novice, junior writer or one of a seasoned, confident professional?

I asked myself that question and netted out with a new domain name, a new website and this new blog.

It was my writer repackaging, the recreation of my image, the redesign of my career.

I'm still on a journey, but now my path is vertical; I'm going up and the sky's the limit. I know many of my former readers are 'up and coming' writers; I'll keep that in mind as I write. I'll share my accomplishments and translate them into action steps for you to take to accomplish greatness as well.

If you liked A Writer's Blog, please give my new blog a read. It's the same me, only in a different package. If you never read A Writer's Blog, give my 'new to you' blog a read. It's me, Karen M. Lynch, and it would be a pleasure to write for you.