Freelance Writing Blog

Putting the “Try” Back into Marketing

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Poison Prince by Amy MacDonaldWhat I’m reading: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen Hopefully as you read this, I’m reeling in record-breaking bass or pike. One can only hope. Per usual, here are some vapor trails of my existence…. The birthday is now a day old and I…

Monthly Assessment: June 2010

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Wasted Words by The Allman Brothers Band Amen for June. I was glad to see the arse-end of May, and June proved to be much better all the way around. Emotional upheavals gone, biopsies out of the way, work issues vaporized, and checks actually arrived, amen. Here’s the low-down: Queries:I did…

Mad Dashes and Lists

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Wannabe by The Spice Girls (stop laughing)What I’m reading upstairs: Going to Meet the Man by James Baldwin I’ve been a bit quiet about it, but I’m actually about to go on vacation. The reason I’ve been quiet: the moment I announce it, all hell tends to break loose workwise. So…

Concessions

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Run by Amy MacDonaldWhat I’m reading: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen Had an interesting twist on a client project recently. I’d sent over an invoice for a quick-and-dirty project, but heard nothing on either the project or the invoice for a week. I sent a “Did you…

Dressing for the Job

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: The Joker by Steve Miller Band Dressing? For freelancing? Is she kidding? you must be thinking. Actually, I’m quite serious. Despite the fact that I sit at home with very occasional “remote” work days, I dress for my job. That’s not to say every day I put on a business suit,…

Friday Stuff

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: After the Gold by Neil Young If you get a chance, head over the About Freelance Writing, where I have a new post. Yesterday I’d had enough of these four walls, which are now steaming thanks to a Southern exposure and 80 degrees. I grabbed the laptop and headed to the…

Learning How to Ask

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Something Good This Way Comes by Jakob Dylan Yesterday was a really fruitful day. I managed to get one ongoing project done in the morning, conduct an interview, have lunch, rewrite an article, finish three blog posts, and get one more ongoing project done in the afternoon. And I was done…

Building Respect

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading upstairs: Going to Meet the Man by James BaldwinWhat’s on the iPod: Halleluia by Rufus Wainwright Lately my life has taken on some interesting issues – one of which is the seat-of-the-pants method by which others around me live their lives. While I’m a proponent of spontaneity, I am not willing to…

Why I’ll Always Be a Girl

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: The Devil in the White City by Erik LarsenWhat’s on the iPod: Take It Easy by The Eagles Last week I quipped that when invoices get argued, I entertain ideas of pulling a James Chartrand – in other words, adopting a male persona in order to get a little more respect. I…

Devon Ellington

As you know, I publish under a variety of names, in both fiction and non-fiction — most female, some male, some ambigious. It never ceases to amaze me how people project onto the name. I am who I am, at the core, no matter what the persona (although voice shifts slightly).

I got my start in theatre working rock and roll crews. I had to be twice as good as any of the guys to get half as much respect — stronger, faster, smarter. And I was. And it helped me with everything else. Once I proved I could do the work, the rest fell away, and I was accepted on professional terms.

I agree- writer's block is b.s. It's a luxury of the unpublished, or those who can rely on someone else's income. Those of us who pay the bills by writing don't have time for it.

Susan Johnston

I was kind of shocked by the James Chartrand reveal, but I wasn't offended. People who were offended should realize that MANY online personas are not who they appear to be. You don't always know who you're dealing with, even when you've been reading a blogger for a long time and think you "know" them.

I've had plenty of behind-the-scenes "panic" moments myself.

Wendy

I have a lot of respect for James Chartrand and her situation. I highly respect her for keeping up that disguise, so to speak. (I have no idea how she managed it)I did, however, lose some trust with it. I'm not real sure why, but it almost feels like when you're reading a great book and someone spoils the ending for you. You just don't quite have the same passion for it anymore.

I agree that the net is a huge source of anonymity. With that anonymity comes many biases. I see it myself here and there. It's harder to integrate into blog or forum communities now then it was a few years ago. In some cases, your opinion or statements mean nothing unless you have a website, blog, or some social media tool connected to your name. The level of trust is not there if you can't check that person out and get a feel for who they are.

I visit and comment on several blogs. Some I comment under Wendy S. Johnson and others I'm just simply Wendy. (No links attached the names.) I get a better response when I use just Wendy. I don't know if that's because I come across as being more of a friend coming to chat, than someone trying to push my services or what. I'm not complaining, because I certainly understand the trust issue, but should that make a difference when it comes to my point of view, especially when it was asked for? Bad business decision, yes, but that would be my choice like it was James Chartrand's choice to do what she felt best for her situation.

Sometimes, I see it offline. I'm from SW Mn and we tend to have a thick accent. I go to Ill. to visit my sister and the people in that area don't always take me seriously because of how I talk. We're branded as rednecks and that apparently means we don't have brains. I don't really mind it, because it just gives me leave to have fun with it and watch their faces when they see that I do have a brain. And, I do know how to use it.

Paula

As an Illinoisan, I found Wendy's comment interesting. No one I know considers a Minnesotan accent in any way redneck. We might flash back to the movie Fargo, but that's about it.

Almost everyone has preconceived notions of some sort. It's human nature. The key is not caring what others assume you to be. Just be who you are. My grandma taught me that by example, and we grew up without much gender bias.

If you expect a bias, you'll see one, even if it's not really there. Like the friend who gets upset if a guy holds a door open for her. Instead of seeing it for what it is – a polite gesture – she interprets it as insinuating she's incapable of opening the door for herself. (She actually said that!)

In college, I was entering the library and someone was behind me, so I held the door open as I always do when someone is right behind me. The person happened to be in a wheelchair. And they (can't remember if it was a he or she) yelled at me for holding it open. "I don't need your help!" I said, "I was just being polite." As I let go of the door I said, "You're not so special – I would have held it open for anyone."

Lori

Devon, that's an interesting observation! I think you're right – at the core, it's the same person. The gender, or the perception of gender, shouldn't make any difference.

Susan, I've seen a few of those bloggers who talk out both sides of their faces. You're so right – you can't always know someone who's busy projecting an opposite image to the real one. We're all multi-faceted, so I think it would be tough to imagine that one facet represents the whole.

Wendy, I think you've just made my argument above. I'm from redneck country (and rather proud of it). I'm also a girl specializing in a male-dominated, technical industry. Want to see heads spin? Watch someone the first time I bust out the risk management talk with my western PA accent while wearing fabulous shoes and makeup. LOL You'd think they were witnessing a small miracle.

Lori

"If you expect a bias, you'll see one, even if it's not really there." Exactly, Paula. Even if it's not there, you create the reality.

Love your examples – proof that we create it in our heads sometimes.

Jake P

For starters, I'm going to confess that I had no idea what the "James Chartrand" reference was–am I the only one in the entire writing community who didn't know the story? Or, is it a story that made the rounds within the womenfolk, but us menfolk (and yes, I'm 100% guy) got left off the mailing list? Hmmm.

To me, the bias that all of us need to overcome on a regular basis is the freelancers-aren't-businesspeople bias. You're right on: Taking a stand on the questioned invoice, and refusing to be a victim, speaks as much to that as it does about any gender issues!

Wendy

Paula, my sister lives outside of Peoria. That's where I usually run into that problem. Some don't have a problem with it. They just ask me to repeat something they didn't understand, but quite a few jump to the conclusion that I'm I must know Jeff Foxworthy or something.

Lori, I take a different approach. I just throw on my trucker's hat and say, "Get 'er Done" and then go into my spiel based on the conversation I'm having.

Paula

Wendy – that's so funny, considering the further south in Illinois you go, the more Southern twang replaces the Midwestern twang. (I'm about as far north in Illinois as you can get without being a Cheesehead.)

Anne Wayman

Love it that the James Chartrand controversy has already fallen off the scope… I didn't understand the upset either.

Like you, I'm a girl… always have been, always will and I enjoy that… but you ask about giving up a bias…

Years ago I took some Beyond Racism training given through Universal Unitarians… the question that moved me the most was "what, as a white person, is it like to be white?" That shook me and still shakes me and still informs my view of myself and my world.

It's been a journey to see myself as a member of the dominant culture.

Lori

Jake, try this:
"http://www.copyblogger.com/james-chartrand-underpants/"James Chartrand And no, it's not a women-only thing – it hit the entire writing community.

Sounds like an eye-opening discussion, Anne. I think it's a super idea to turn things over and examine the bottom sometimes.

Jake P

Thanks for the link, Lori; I was curious enough to search out the story since I'd obviously missed out on something good! More than anything, my comment was snarking on myself for being ignorant of the goings-on within the writer-community loop–should've added a /sarc tag 🙂

Lori

Oh, no worries, Jake. I didn't take it seriously – your tone suggested you were being playful. 🙂