Someone recently asked me why I don’t often cover the topic of writing on this blog. After all, as someone who writes for a living, this seems like a topic that would come up a lot, right? And it’s true; it does. In fact, it comes up so much that I have an entire blog where I write about writing.

That blog is called Real Words. I write there as often as possible (daily if I can or several times a week if I can’t). I try to share my thoughts on the writing process and the life of being a writer. Sometimes I share tips and resources about writing although it’s a personal blog (not a professional one per se) so it’s mostly just about how I see writing.

Do you also write about writing? If so, I’d love to check out your blog. Leave me the URL in the comments here.

Tags: kathryn vercillo, smartchick, writer's life, writers, writing

I write about a lot of different topics. One of the topics that I write about is writing. After all, it’s what I do for a living so it makes sense that I would write about it. Mostly I write about the writing life over on my other blog, Real Words. However, I’ve also recently started writing about writing over at Scribophile.

Scribophile seems like a pretty great community of writers so far. You sign up as an author and then you can post your work so that other writers can read it and comment on it. People seem to give really fair and interesting feedback.

Two articles that I’ve written for the site so far are about how to stay creative when you write for a living and why I don’t mind typos even though I’m a professional writer. Many people post fiction pieces and other works of prose or poetry over at this site.

Have you used Scribophile? What do you think of it?

Tags: kathryn vercillo, scribophile, smartchick, writers, writing about writing

People who are concerned about green issues may wonder if there is any area of their life which they haven’t gotten green enough with yet. Even if you’re really eco-friendly in your home, you can probably find new areas for green improvements. Maybe one of those areas is in your reading. Are you a green reader?

Here are some tips for getting greener with your reading:

• Buy or borrow used books instead of buying new books.
• Recycle or re-gift your or books instead of throwing them away.
• Treat all books kindly so that they last a long time.
• Use damaged books to create cool book art.
• Support writers and publishers who are green in their work.
• Always use recycled wrapping paper and shipping materials when sending books as gifts.
• Purchase eco-friendly reading glasses if reading glasses are something you need.
• Use low-energy reading lights with eco-friendly light bulbs in them.
• Always use eco-friendly transportation when going to bookstores or literary events.
• Read more about green issues so that you’re on top of being green.

Did I miss any important green reading tips here? What would you do to be a greener reader?

Tags: books, eco-friendly, environment, green, green issues, green reading, kathryn vercillo, readers, real words, writers

One of the things that you have to incorporate into your daily schedule when you work as a freelancer is the time to look for new freelance work. Although it’s a good idea to build up a set of steady clients so that you’re essentially working as a remote employee for just a few businesses, it is equally important to make sure that you’re continuously putting yourself out there to get new (and perhaps better) freelance jobs.

There are a few things that I’ve learned about finding work as a freelance writer that make the process of doing this simpler for me:

• It needs to be something that I do every day. This helps me stay abreast of the job opportunities that are out there so that I can apply to all of the ones that seem right for me.
• It should be done at the same time every day. That’s because it becomes part of a habitual schedule so you don’t have to think about when you’re going to fit it in. It’s just what you do every day like answer emails or update your social networking sites.
• It’s important to know where to look. I have a post up today listing ten places to look for freelance writing job leads for those people who are also working in this same industry.
• My resume must be kept up to date. As a freelancer, I usually rely on a web portfolio to show off my work but there are many potential clients who want a resume so it’s important to update mine regularly.
• The more you look, the better you get at looking. I can typically just glance at an ad now and easily tell whether it’s worth pursuing, whether or not to put a lot of effort into the application or if it’s a scam. Practice makes perfect so they say.

What have you learned about finding work as a freelancer? Any good tips or advice to share?

Tags: employment, freelance, freelance writing, job leads, work, writers, writing, writing work

I love being surrounded by other smart people who are also into writing. There are tons of places that you can find these people, of course, including coffee shops and book clubs. However, I think that the best place to go to get yourself in touch with smart writers is any kind of event where writers are reading their works.

I’m a big fan of literary events. Be it an open mic night at a local cafe or a big regional poetry slam at a large warehouse venue or a small book signing and reading at the indie bookstore, I think these things are a great chance to hear writing and meet writers.

Usually I end up feeling inspired just by attending one of these events. There’s something about meeting other people who are also doing writing for a living (or hobby) that makes you feel supported in the work that you yourself are doing as a writer.

And I find that going to these types of things doesn’t just inspire my writing. It inspires how I feel about life. I feel better about people in general after being around a lot of smart, creative, literary people in a group like this. Don’t you?!

Tags: being around people, open mic, poetry slam, smart people, writers, writing