Becks and the City: Goals

Showing posts with label Goals. Show all posts

Are You Ass-kicking Your Goals in 2013?

The dust has well-and-truly settled since I kicked up my heels at New Year's, but how am I going with my goals for 2013? Completely forgotten, guilty memory, or notched up into achievements already? Let's take a look...

In my blog post, "Hello 2013!", I set my annual writing goals, including 10 magazines I'm fixing to write for:

In these first two months (in fact, by the end of January!), I'd written for two of these mags, Peppermint and Girlfriend. I've also attended a social media course in Melbourne (run by NET:101's Tim Martin) and am currently writing an article 'on spec' for The Big Issue.

I'm feeling like I'm making real progress. I attribute this to:

switching back to 3 days a week in my 9-5 mediator job and having more time to write
being more established as a writer so it's easier to get further writing gigs and, well...
luck.

Long may it continue!

I'll share my articles from Peppermint and Girlfriend as they're published (fingers crossed!), along with my latest query letters to editors, successful and not-so-much.

So, over to you. How are your goals going?

If they're of the writerly persuasion (dreaming of a career in magazines, writing, blogging or similar), I'm here to help!

Here's how:

Magazine Interns and Freelance Writers: I'd love to interview you on this-a-here blog (see examples here and here). And I'll link to your Twitter, Facebook, blog 'n' all as part of the deal. : )
Beginner Writers and Bloggers: Contact me with your best questions about writing and I'll do my darnedest to answer them on the blog, or if you're shy, by email back atcha!
Everyone: Happy to hear from you with any questions, comments, suggestions etc you may have or if there's anything you'd like me to blog about.

Just email me at beckemail@gmail.com or tweet right at me @becksandthecity. Easy!

Hello 2013!

January's almost over, but I've got big plans for 2013...

Overall writing goals:

Write more magazine articles.
Finish my zine.
Pitch my non-fiction book to agents and publishers, hopefully resulting in a book deal. : )

On the magazine front, I'd like to improve my portfolio by writing for more big-name women's fashion and lifestyle titles, including some international publications. My ultimate goal is a commission from Vogue.

I'll continue writing generally on lifestyle, health, weddings etc, but also develop a niche in fashion writing/shopping (especially online -- eBay, Etsy, buying and selling etc)/social media/winning competitions/consumer issues.

With the above in mind, I'll be pitching to:

Online, I'd like to write posts for:

The Punch
ABC The Drum

We'll see how all this pans out! What are your goals (writerly or otherwise) for this year?

Goodbye 2012

Beck's year 2012...

Survived taste-testing a century egg and enjoyed our friends' wedding in Malaysia.
Visited a psychic for the first time.
Freelanced full-time for three months, dayjobbed (a verb, yes?) for nine months and decided to revert to part-time to make way for more writing.
Endured a real low point when our cat Jemma went missing and never returned, despite months of searching.
Regained custody of my two cats, Mew-Two and Jaffa, after they'd lived with my ex for three years.
Dabbled in being a redhead and decided I like life on the flame-haired side.
Dipped my toe into the wonderful world of fish foot spas.
Voted on firemen calendar wannabes at a selection night and won the raffle prize of attending the photo shoot and oiling down the "talent". Phew, it was tough work!
Won, in addition to the firemen raffle, a magazine subscription and social media course. Hooray! : )
Learned to make cheese with my friend Karen.
Wrote for magazines, Dog's Life and Diabetic Living, and online for Mamamia (Megan Gale even tweeted about my article!).
Tried (and got heart palpitations from) shooting a gun.
Managed not to go completely round the twist renovating our bathroom.
Saw The Hunger Games at the cinema, became enthralled, and then proceeded to buy the books and read them repeatedly.
Modelled myself on Lady Gaga for my pole dancing competition performance to Just Dance.
Saw one of my ultra-idols, James Marsters aka Spike from Buffy, at a pop culture convention.
Enjoyed my first ever flight for (and paid for by) work, staying in a beautiful Melbourne hotel with a TV in the bath!
Learned to make sparkly, magpie-pleasing jewellery at a dichroic glass course with gal pal, Cathy.
Embarked on a road trip with Mr Big's family to the lovely seaside town of Port Fairy and had a ball pretending to be a pioneer at Sovereign Hill.
Saw my favourite band from back when I was a kid in concert. Roxette definitely still rox!

Wanna see my 2011 list? Here it is.

I Tried... Shooting a Gun!

A voucher for my birthday, a firing range and popping balloons...

Firstly, let me get one thing straight: I don't advocate guns or killing for sport. I'm not even that keen on killing for food. I just wanted to try shooting a gun, you know, for the coming zombocalypse. Best to be prepared, right?

Shooting a gun at a firing range has been on my bucket list for some time and, recognising this, my in-laws decided to give me a taste of being an outlaw for my birthday. So off to the firing range Mr Big and I toddled.

If you've never fired a gun and you'd like to try it, first let me pose you a question: Are you afraid of popping balloons? Because I am. I hadn't connected these two concepts until I stood in my stall next to the other shooters and squealed and had a mini-heart attack every time someone fired at their target.

We tried four types of guns, each more powerful than the last, two automatic then two revolvers. I preferred the smallest automatic for its weaker kickback and (relatively) quiet bang. By the time we got to the revolvers, I was seriously considering quitting and waiting for Mr Big in the lounge area with a nice cup of tea.

But with nine other men in my group of shooters and zero women, I loathed the thought of being such a stereotypical girl. In the end, I'm glad I pushed through. I gave it a go, I'm actually not a bad shot, and I can now say I've tried firing a gun.

So, on to my next bucket list pursuit... Should I try skinny dipping or picking locks?

Have you tried firing a gun? Did it scare the living @#/%$ out of you?

I Tried... Making Cheese!

For a long time, I've had this fascination with cheesemaking. Not sure where it came from, but I decided to surrender to it and give it a go....

Last weekend, my friend Karen and I finally attended our long-awaited cheesemaking class through our local adult learning centre. Toting various cooking paraphernalia we were asked to bring (an esky, saucepan, slotted spoon etc), we rocked up almost (but not quite) dead last in the whole class. So as far as I'm concerned, since we were still more punctual than one other chick, we weren't officially late. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

We also brought along a couple of litres of non-homogenised milk (ie with the cream still floating in it). The teacher helped us add rennet and starter culture and heat the mixture to the correct temperature. Mine failed to thicken and set as it should and another lady had the same problem. Luckily, with a little extra TLC, I managed to work mine back into becoming cheese and after a couple of hours, Karen and I had our very own chunks of feta cheese. I was thrilled!

In between the different steps, we heard about the origins of the teacher's chesemaking business and sampled various types of cheese, from camembert to blue vein (EWWWWWWW!!!). After we finished, we were given printed instructions about how to turn our feta into camembert at home. I've decided to quite while I'm ahead, but I am planning to preserve my feta with dried herbs and olive oil. : )

So, I've now ticked number 10 off my bucket list and I'm so glad I tried it. I might even give it another go in future by myself... and even if I take only one thing out of it, I've developed a taste for full-cream non-homogenised milk. It's so much more natural and flavoursome than the homogenised version. Definitely try it!

Are you with me on this cheese fascination, or does the cheese stand alone? ; ) Have you tried a new skill recently?

I Tried... a Fish Foot Spa!

In Malaysia recently, I tried a pedicure with a difference...

I think I first saw doctor fish on The Amazing Race on TV. If you haven't heard of them before, they're two species of small fish used in special foot spas around the world to slough dead skin off your feet. Charming! Apparently the practice originated in Turkey. Check out a news story about the craze spreading through the US here.

In Malaysia earlier this month, my friend Karen and I spotted a spa offering this fish pedicure and couldn't resist giving it a shot.

When we walked in, our feet were firstly bathed over smooth stones in a basin. While that was happening, a customer getting a foot massage nearby said he'd tried the fish foot spa moments before and recommended we try the leftmost pool first, as that's the "easier" beginner pool. So, we steeled ourselves and plunged our feet in.

It's a really strange feeling. Once we got over the initial tickle torture, it was actually a relaxing sensation, made even more pleasant by the refreshing ginger tea the staff served (we ended up asking for the recipe, see below), probably to calm our shrieks and screams!

The helpful stranger had left, but we decided to now try the more difficult pool with the hungrier fish. We dipped our feet in and... nothing. The fish took the occasional nibble, but seemed pretty lazy and disinterested. He'd apparently lied to us for a laugh. Gah!!

Well, while the fish foot spa wasn't officially on my bucket list, I'm certainly glad I tried this new experience. Er, at least until I arrived back in Australia and googled "fish foot spa". I wish I hadn't. Hey, try it at your own risk and check the place is reputable before, well, taking the plunge!

Ginger Tea Recipe

To calm your nerves the next time you're being eaten alive by fish!

Fresh slices of ginger and lemongrass
Teabag of green tea
Pinch of sugar

Boil water and brew tea in a cup. Add a pinch of sugar and the slices of ginger and lemongrass (you can use a tea infuser if you wish) and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. Remove slices and tea bag and serve.

Have you ever tried any of the wackier beauty treatments? Would you try the fish foot spa?

Wheels + Dollbaby Challenge: Update #1

My new challenge for 2012 is to finish the zine I'm creating, Magazine Love. Here's the lowdown...

In early January, I posted "Hello 2012!" on this blog, in which I outlined my goals for the year, including the Wheels + Dollbaby Challenge. The Challenge is aimed at spurring me on to finish and launch Magazine Love, which I started late last year. Once this happens, I've promised myself free reign of the delectable Wheels & Dollbaby online store.

At this stage, I've finished 16 out of 25 double pages of the zine, so I'm getting towards the pointy end. Of course, I could just purge the last 9 pages and call it a day, but I really want to create a quality zine, something I would enjoy reading (and hopefully you will too!). I'm not quite satisfied with it yet. Today I got through the pages in the Zines section, so I'm gradually getting there!

So, here's the remaining pages I need to complete to meet the challenge:

Sporty and Zen
Fashion and Alternative
Letters
Reuse, Recycle
Giftwrapping
Gift Tags
Gift Baskets

I'll update you as I cross them off. Not long now!

Any advice to help motivate me? I'm all ears. : )

I Tried... Visiting a Psychic!

When I decided to tick "visiting a psychic" off my bucket list, I didn't realise there'd be a psychic fair in my suburb the very next weekend. It was like it was meant to be...

In matters of the mystic, I consider myself an "open-minded skeptic" (aka fence-sitter). I've suspected I was clairvoyant on occasion when I accurately predicted, say, my dropped toast would land butter side down, but it usually turned out to be well-founded pessimism in disguise.

With this in mind, I dragged Mr Big along to the psychic fair and for a mere fiver, was admitted entry to the local arts centre transformed into a world where hippies ruled supreme. Middle-aged women sauntered among trestle tables of healing crystals, boxed tarot card sets, incense and bohemian jewellery of questionable style, but the psychics were where the real action was, at $30 or more a pop (ouch!).

Poor Mr Big looked terminally bored. I left him browsing books with titles like Find Your Guardian Angel and What Colour is My Aura? and stepped up to the only available psychic's table for a 20-minute tarot reading. She looked, well, like a pretty, thin, middle-aged lady with a kindly face bare of makeup. Not especially hippy-like. Good start, as far as appearances can take you.

I confessed to being a newbie and asked how we should proceed. She explained as she got me to shuffle and cut the card deck that I could either ask a specific question or have a general reading. I opted for the latter. Some nice-sounding cards came up in the latticework arrangement she made on the table. Except the hanged man. I hoped that wasn't a bad one.

When we started, I deliberately didn't reveal anything about myself to see what she would come up with unprompted. She zoned in on career questions, explaining I had many possible paths and that I should try to extend myself and learn new things (like trying a pyschic reading, perhaps?). She said my partner is very accommodating (correct) and that she could see travel to nordic countries like Denmark (Legoland?!).

All of her predictions sounded positive and in tune with my past, future goals and present plans. I was a bit puzzled when she could see pharmacy or chemistry around me, but hey, maybe she was predicting last night's jab in the bum to cure my migraine? Who knows. In any event, even the hanged man turned out to have a positive interpretation, something about the bubbles surrounding him representing opportunities I can pluck out of the air.

And there you have it, I'm all predicted up and ready to kick my future in the balls. Or something.

Have you visited a psychic? Did they have any startling predictions for you?

Hello 2012!

2011 is, like, sooooooooo last year.

And not everything last year went to plan.

I had two writing goals for 2011, to create a kick-ass magazine writing portfolio (tick!) and to get my non-fiction book published (FAIL). To help myself along, I issued challenges to myself with highly desirable rewards for inspiration. When I was satisfied with my portfolio, I treated myself to a beautiful cardigan in the Alannah Hill Challenge. My quest to own a pair of sweet little mouse flats in the Marc Jacobs Challenge didn't fare so well.

Let's take a look at the flip side -- my personal goals for 2011. I had nine, I accomplished... two (improving my writing portfolio and going on a girls' trip), and the second one was only because my friend's husband organised it, not me. Yikes, that's not a great strike rate! In the words of Carrie, "If I was a ball player, I'd be batting... whatever really bad is".

Rather than feel guilty (such a wasted emotion), this year I'm going to alter my approach. So, hang onto your fedoras, ladies, here's the plan as we delve into 2012... : )

Firstly, I'm resuscitating the Marc Jacobs Challenge, which since the beginning of 2011, has only had two updates (naughty, naughty!). And, I'm introducing...

The Wheels & Dollbaby Challenge

Picture Alannah Hill clothing with a stronger '50s edge, worn by the likes of Dita Von Teese, Gwen Stefani and Katy Perry and with rockstar prices to match. Check out the gloriously girly eboutique here.

So, if I win this challenge, I'm giving myself dangerously free reign in the W&D store. To earn it? This should hopefully be easy -- finish and launch my zine, Magazine Love. For my first blog post on this new challenge, I'll outline my game plan. : )

Personal Goals

As for my personal goals, I've decided to take a fresh approach. Even though my current bucket list is rather small, it still has enough items to overwhelm me. The multi-tasker in me wants to begin all of them at once and then gets frustrated, so I'm keeping things simple and... where I can see them.

In 2012, I'm introducing a mini bucket list on the Becks and the City sidebar to show you my latest personal goals -- hobbies I'd like to take up, experiences I'd like to try, my travel wishlist, etc. You can even send me suggestions. Big and small aspirations will be included and feel free to share with me whether you've tried any of them or your tips for succeeding! I plan for it to be an ever-changing kaleidoscope of experiences and you'll hear about when I succeed in ticking off an item. Boy, will you hear about it! ; )

So that's the plan. What do you think? And what do you think of my current mini bucket list?

Goodbye 2011

Beck's year 2011...

Enjoyed being part of a live TV audience for a football show, along with Mr Big and friends.
Revelled in the glorious tackiness that is the Eurovision Song Contest.
Completed my first paid copywriting assignment for a recruitment agency's blog.
Placed 3rd in an amateur pole dancing competition by performing a routine to Jason Derulo's "In My Head".
Was a bridesmaid for my very close friends, Alexis and Ying, in a lovely October ceremony.
Experienced my first spray tan, massage and facial and shortest haircut (a bob) in ten years.
Won the Alannah Hill Challenge by compiling a nice little magazine writing portfolio and bought myself a pretty cardigan as a reward.
Became hooked on the fist-pumping, hard-drinking action in Jersey Shore.
Celebrated a delightful first anniversary in Sydney with Mr Big, exploring Taronga Zoo, discovering the amazing Kinokuniya bookstore and eating at Pie Face and Wagamama.
Became hooked on zines and started creating Magazine Love.
Dressed as a Strawberry Shortcake character, in a masquerade mask and as a pirate for friends' birthdays.
Survived the fifty-billion musical numbers we watched in a stage production of Miss Saigon.
Worked as a guerrilla secretary in a private boys' college, tree-lopping company, hospital, car dealership, solar panel provider, law firm and old folks' home, amongst others. Almost worked for Witchery.
Witnessed my football team's worst thrashing in the club's history live in Melbourne.
Hosted the first Becks and the City giveaway.
Let my inner nerd out to play at my first comic convention and saw Lance Henriksen (the android, Bishop, in Aliens) speak live.
Wrote for Women's Health & Fitness and eBayLife magazines, and scored a gig as assistant editor for The Essential Guide to Twitter.
Won a VIP backstage pass to a fashion parade and enjoyed a personal styling session, makeup application by The Body Shop, meeting hot cricket stars and getting a behind-the-scenes view of the modelling world with my mother-in-law and two friends.
Nearly collapsed learning to dance the can-can.
Enjoyed a full 12 months off from my regular 9-5 occupation to write, write, write.

Thanks 2011, you've been amazeballs and awesomesauce!

Wanna see my 2010 list? Here it is.

Writing My Bucket List

It's time to try new things, decide what I want, and GO FOR IT. In short, I need a bucket list...

Ride in a hot air balloon.
Visit LEGOLAND.
Learn to play the guitar.
Invent a boardgame.
Learn French (I've already made a half-assed attempt).
Become a published author.
Go on a Sex and the City tour in New York.
Visit Europe.
Be published in Vogue.
Learn how to make cheese (dunno why, looks fun and I dig milky treats, okay?!).
Go zorbing.
Try shooting a gun at a firing range.
Be an extra in a movie (er... aim high, right?).
Write and sell a TV script.
Attend a grand slam tennis event, preferably the Australian Open or Wimbledon.
Build a Big Thing like the Big Pineapple.
Try a life drawing class (hey, I'm not a perve!).
Learn Japanese.
Try fencing.
Become an awesome breakdancer!
Learn an obscure musical instrument.
Milk a cow.
Learn archery.
Go on a helicopter ride.
Own a pinball machine.
Learn how to pick locks (I can pretend I'm Hercule Poirot or something).
~~See a psychic~~. Completed 15 January 2012 at the Pyschic Expo.

Gosh, this is a bit lame. I'd like to add heaps more items.

HELP!!! I need ideas!!!

What's on your list?

Alannah Hill Challenge: Update # 8 and FINISHED!

Fireworks! Music! Partying! I've reached my goal of a whiz-bang writing portfolio of magazine articles to kickstart my freelance writing career!

I finally bought the lovely "Poor Little Fun Mum" Alannah Hill cardie pictured above for my reward. I heart it so much! You can't really see from the dodgy-quality photo I took on my iPhone (sorry!), but it's black with pink bows all over it and best of all, I bought it half price and fit into a size smaller than usual. Sweet! Also, because it's black, it'll go with so much of my wardrobe, but it's still quirky and cute enough to make me smile whenever I wear it. I'm so happy I treated myself to celebrate finishing this challenge. : )

When I started the challenge in January, I was all fresh and eager to succeed this year. I've now accumulated six glossy issues in my portfolio, and more on the way, but I'll be honest -- it's been a hard slog and not everything has turned out as expected along the way. This has been both bad and good...

The Bad:

Being asked to write 'on spec' (with guarantee of publication) by SA Life and, more recently, Good Health and after writing 1,000 words or more each time, having those articles rejected. Grrrrr!!
Receiving a "yes" from a magazine editor in March, saying she'd be in touch later in the year for their summer issue. When I followed up this week, I discovered she's resigned from that role and I was asked to re-send the pitch (ie back to square one). Double grrrr!!
A famous brand of travel guides offering me a gig updating the outback SA section of their Australian book for a scarily low rate. By the time I paid for petrol, accommodation etc visiting all the restaurants, sites and hotels, I would've been earning next to nothing. When I sent a polite reply email clarifying the deal, I never heard from them again. Nice.

The Good:

Learning that feature writing and short stints working as an office temp combine quite well -- you earn a tidy extra income and playing secretary temporarily doesn't interfere with your writing. Also, office work can be quite interesting if you're not at any one workplace long enough to be bored by your allocated tasks or annoyed by the office politics. Yay!
I'm exploring the wonderful world of copywriting. I'd never really considered it before, but I've been approached by a business to do some blogging for them and I'm seriously looking forward to it -- I think it'd be fun. We're still finalising the details. More info will be revealed as it (hopefully) happens. ; )
Other opportunities have taken me by surprise as well, such as competitions to be a magazine intern or paid fashion blogger, writing for smaller magazines on some very entertaining topics and being given a role as assistant editor for The Essential Guide to Twitter.
Exchanging emails with a fellow Sydney Writers' Centre graduate who first wrote to me a couple of months ago. The info and support we've shared has been invaluable in keeping my spirits up and generating ideas.

So it's had a few twists, this Alannah Hill Challenge, but every time I wear this cardie, I'll be wrapped in how far I've come. Thanks to the editors, my email pen pal and the others who've helped me along the way. I couldn't have done it without you. : )

What's your dream job? How have you been working towards it lately?

Alannah Hill Challenge: Update #7

Yes, I'm still on my quest to accumulate a decent writing portfolio. When I'm satisfied with it, I've promised myself a lovely Alannah Hill shopping trip for a frilly cardigan. (See previous updates on this challenge.)

Well, we're at the halfway point of my 12 months of freelancing. I can return to my government job at the end of this year if writing doesn't work out and it's great to have this safety net. I'm thinking I may be mooning my old boss on my way out the door permanently in December, but I still have to prove to myself that writing can earn me full-time money. At the moment, I'm using office temping as a financial crutch, which is working out well, but eventually the plan is to be earning 100% of my income from writing. It ain't as easy as it sounds. : )

I've been doing the office temping for two months now, and I gotta say, it's surprisingly fun. I think of myself as a guerrilla office girl, a kind of mercenary secretary-for-hire, waging war on the crappy 9-5 drudgery. If my short-term gigs are pleasurable, then great, if not, then what-the-hey, I'll only be there for a few days before I move on. It's the perfect set-up for career commitment-phobes like me.

As far as the writing portfolio goes, I can almost feel that new, deliciously overdone AH cardigan wrapped around me! It now displays five magazines (admittedly there's two issues of eBay Life, but hey, that still counts!). A couple more will do it -- preferably with at least one more newly-cracked publication. Happily, I've got another article in the works for Women's Health & Fitness coming to contribute to the cause.

Oh, and did you happen to catch that not only did I write for The Essential Guide to Twitter, I scored the role of assistant editor? Hells yeah, I was rather chuffed with that effort. The actual act of editing other writers' work? Not so much (there were grammar mistakes, repetition, scary turns-of-phrase -- the works!). It's certainly a boost to my writing cred though. Bonza!

Hopefully the next Alannah Hill Challenge post will be my last and I'll need your help to pick my brand-new, brand-name cardie once I've reached my portfolio goal. Good times!

How I Plan My Blog

The artsy purple image above is of my Smiggle notebook. Isn't it cute? Here's a sneak peek into how I use it to plan Becks and the City...

Whenever I'm sitting in a cafe or out and about and have a spare second, I pull out my notebook and indulge in a spot of blog planning. I write to-do lists of ideas for posts, goals of how many Google followers I want to reach and marketing ideas (giveaways, new widgets etc). Rather than being a chore, I really enjoy it.

These ideas don't always make it into Becks and the City as the blog evolves -- I lose enthusiasm, they become out-of-date or I'm just too lazy -- but it's exciting to dream up these concepts, as most of them become a reality.

Because I'm a visual person, I also draw little sketches of how I envisage the blog should look in the near future, like the one below from two months ago...

So far I've completed the revamped portfolio section (although I ended up using Google Documents to store my scanned articles online rather than similar service, issuu), but am still working on the other features:

Beautiful pictures
Press
Reaching 500 followers
E-magazine
"For Sex and the City Fans" labels

Hopefully they'll be completed soon.

What do you think? Which of the above features would you like to see in Becks and the City? How do you plan your blog?

Alannah Hill Challenge: Update #6

The Mission: To amass an impressive magazine writing portfolio and win the Alannah Hill Challenge.
The Reward: Buying myself a pretty cardie from the Alannah Hill collection.
Last Known Status: Living the pauper lifestyle, despiting landing a decent swag of writing assignments.

So what's the current status of my challenge?

Thankfully, I'm much more cashed up, due to applying to temping agencies and scoring two office jobs from them. The first was at a law firm dealing in patents and trademarks for two weeks and the other a two-day stint at a wine industry organisation. I'm eager to keep temping to top up my writing income, as long as I can find the right balance and it doesn't interfere with writing time. I'm also expecting to be paid for several articles in the next two months, so hooray for the money rolling in!

My Women's Health & Fitness article, "Being Left-handed," was published two weeks ago. I returned from buying the magazine on my lunch break and couldn't resist showing my supervisor at the law firm, who photocopied the article and pinned it to the noticeboard. It was like a proud mum sticking a kid's drawing on the fridge! Very cute.

I'm now back on the bandwagon of pitching article ideas to magazines, but there have been no new breakthroughs to report, sadly. In the meantime, I've tidied my current portfolio and linked the entries to my scanned-in articles. Check out the spiffy results here and click on one of the magazine covers to read my articles, if you'd like. : )

It's beginning to take shape...

Alannah Hill Challenge: Update #5

The Alannah Hill Challenge aims to motivate me to build an enviable magazine writing portfolio by dangling a designer clothing carrot -- a girly Alannah Hill cardie. How's my quest going lately?

It's been a lean couple of months. Yes, I've been given writing assignments by some pretty juicy publications. No, (sadly) I don't mean I've shed any kilos. Yes, I'm eating my fair quota of Easter eggs. What I mean is cold, hard, sweet, sweet cash -- it's been eluding me.

You see, as a freelance writer you pen your article, send it to your editor along with your invoice and wait for the cash to roll in. If you're lucky, you're paid once the article is accepted. The other option is you're paid sometime after the piece is published, which could be months down the track.

So I was overjoyed to be paid this week. Hooray! I also finished an assignment that saw me take on an assistant editor position for a new magazine about social media. This was pretty exciting, but I learnt editing other people's writing can be time-consuming and frustrating. It was a great resume-booster getting that gig though.

So now I'm back on to pitching article ideas to magazines and (hopefully) my book proposal I haven't even glanced at since time immemorial. In a couple of weeks my article for Women's Health and Fitness should be out as well. I can't wait to see it in print. : )

In the interests of curing my bank account's anorexia, I've also developed a game plan of which magazines I'll pitch article ideas to next.

Here's my new list of magazines to tackle (view the old one here):

Fingers crossed I'll get a mountain of work and be able to afford a little Hill soon.

Alannah Hill Challenge: Update #4

Wow, it's been a month since I last updated you on how the Alannah Hill Challenge is going!

My mission, since I chose to accept it, is to write magazine articles, thereby growing an incredible portfolio of clips from the likes of Cosmopolitan, Vogue and Marie Claire. When I left off, I'd added two articles for fledgling publication eBaylife to my debut Cosmo Bride article and had a tentative yes from local-but-prestigious SA Life.

Unfortunately, SA Life didn't pan out, but my work for eBaylife has snowballed into five articles (I'm just finishing the fourth today) and extras like fillers, tips, news and gossip. Hooray! The articles are really satisfying and fun to write, so I'm well pleased with this arrangement. The first one, "Everybody Loves Lego," is out in the current issue:

I'm also thrilled to announce I've scored a commission to do a piece for Women's Health & Fitness. It's on a subject close to my heart, so I'm looking forward to getting stuck into it.

I'm still aiming to crack the top fashion magazines, but for now I'm pleased to be getting paying work at magazines available at news agencies.

Not too shabby at all. : )

Alannah Hill Challenge: Update #3

The Alannah Hill Challenge to build up my magazine writing portfolio is still ticking along...

I'm still pitching one article per weekday and have only had one more yes, from eBaylife again. I've written this second article and sent it to them and I'm now focusing on the SA Life one.

Feeling a bit pitch-weary, I'm going to stop doing it every day Monday-Friday and follow up on the month's worth of ones already sent out instead. Like a good earth-conscious girl, where a publication rejects a pitch, I'll recycle it by sending it elsewhere to a similar magazine.

I'll also slow down on adding further magazine guides to this blog. Since my last update, I've uploaded Wellbeing, Shop Til You Drop, Dance Australia, Peppermint, and Girlfriend, taking the tally up to 17. You guys will probably enjoy the rest from the relentless stream as well!

Once I've finished the current article I'm writing, I might start sending fresh pitches out again. I want to be efficient, not lazy. There's a fine line.

Hopefully I'll get a "yes" from one of my dream publications soon...

Marc Jacobs Challenge: Update #1

You've heard the latest on the Alannah Hill Challenge, now let's find out how my bid to earn some gorgeous Marc Jacobs shoes is going...

For those who haven't heard the Mark Jacobs Challenge is to snare either an agent or publisher for my book on entering and winning competitions.

Here's what I've accomplished so far:

~~Write another blog post on my other blog,~~ ~~I LOVE WINNING~~. I've written a couple, actually.
~~Amass 200 Google followers on that blog.~~ Current count is 205.
~~Print out my book proposal and sample chapters.~~ Done.
Finish sample chapters. Nope, haven't looked at them yet.
Update proposal with 2010 media training and appearances, plus freelance writing, and check comparisons with other books etc are still up-to-date. Nope.
Create ordered list of agents and publishers to whom I'll send my proposal. Nope.
Select first round of agents and publishers to send to and check their guidelines. Nopeski.
Send out proposal/cover letters to first round. Not even close!

So you could say it's not progressing so well, this challenge. I ticked off the first three items a couple of weeks ago and since then, a whole lot of not much. In my defence, I've been concentrating on the Alannah Hill Challenge and I've also been dealing with my computer catching some sort of hideous STD that makes it look up gay porn (I wish I was kidding). I'm currently limping along using Adam's Apple (ha ha) and the library PCs.

I'll have to get my butt into gear next week. Will let you know how that goes!

Alannah Hill Challenge: Update #2

The Alannah Hill Challenge to put my name to some well-known magazine articles has progressed well this week.

Since update #1, I have:

Added two more magazines to my guides, Women's Health & Fitness and Harper's Bazaar.
Kept up my pitch-per-weekday rate (I'm a couple behind today due to being sick yesterday, but I'm confident I can catch up).
Emailed my article and invoice to eBaylife and have SA Life interested in one of my pitches, pending how the finished article looks. Both of these publications are from my "First Magazines to Tackle" list, so I've nominated candidates at the right level, it seems.
Pitched article ideas to Yen, Women's Health, Women's Health & Fitness, Virgin Blue Voyeur, Cosmo Bride and Shop Til You Drop.
Been rejected by Yen, but it was one of those helpful, encouraging rejections, so I'll try again soon with a new idea.

While Vogue and Madison are not beating a path to my door yet, I'm feeling optimistic about my progress. A nice little Alannah Hill treat is firmly in my sights...