I always say that once Halloween rolls around, the rest of the year is a roller coaster with no brakes. Somehow, with all the holidays, the little things fall between the cracks. That was certainly the case with updating this blog — the holidays took over and seemed to extend past 1/1, spilling almost all the way to Tax Day. (Party on.) But now I’m back with a few quick updates.
Developmental Editing
Writing, Editing, and Reading: October 5, 2015 Edition
Writing:
My current copywriting assignment (a health-related business website) is in client 
review, so I’ve switched gears to work on creative projects: a residency application and poetry revisions. The key to moving forward as a writer is to always be closing on something (Glengarry Glen Ross reference).
Editing:
This week a new client found me online. We’re working together to tighten the plot and improve the flow of his science fiction short story. Fun!
Reading:
Perfidia by James Ellroy, for a book club, though my library copy of Elena Ferrante’s Days of Abandonment just arrived and I’m eager to start it. The fiction I’ve been writing lately is about women who stay at home too much (the perils of freelancing from home — it infects your creative work). I’m eager to get another perspective on solitude.
— Kristen
Writing, Editing, and Reading: September 21, 2015 Edition
Photo © Keisuke Hoashi and Kristen Havens. All rights reserved.
Last week, I worked on a magazine pitch, website updates (my own), short fiction, and poetry. This week. . .
Writing:
I’m finalizing an agreement to write 16 pages of short copy for a health-related website.
I’m also revising a short story and several poems while getting back encouraging rejection letters from literary magazines. Pro Tip: If you get a form letter saying something like, “This story isn’t quite right, but we like your writing, please submit again,” pin it to a cork board over your desk. The growing pile is a daily reminder that you’re on the right track–and also a reminder that you really do need to submit to that publication again.
Editing:
Since finishing my last batch of career content for a client, I’ve had my copywriter’s hat on, creating website content for health companies. That’s one of the joys of freelancing–no two weeks are exactly the same.
If you need a professional bio, a LinkedIn profile, or an application essay critiqued or edited, please contact me. Career content edits are thoroughly enjoyable, and my clients usually feel the same way by the end of the process. (Here are some testimonials.)
Reading:
Perfidia by James Ellroy for a book club. Hard-boiled crime is not something I’d normally pick, which is why I voted for it–one needs to stretch now and again.
I’m also picking my way through a couple issues of The New Yorker and was impressed by this eerie short story, “In the Act of Falling”, by Danielle McLaughlin. Here’s an interview where she talks about what it looked like in earlier drafts.
— Kristen