Following on from How to get started in feature writing The Crafty Writer would like to introduce you to the basics of writing for magazines and newspaper supplements. In the previous article I stressed that you should get yourself some training then work on building up a small portfolio of work by doing freebies for charities or student publications. Once you’ve done that, you can approach an editor and hopefully get your first paying commission. Continue reading ‘The basics of feature writing 1′
Archive for the 'Feature Writing' Category Page 2 of 2
Ask any freelance and they’ll tell you one of their biggest worries is payment: when they’ll get paid, how much they’ll get paid, if they’ll get paid. When I first tried freelance work after being a staffer, I soon discovered I had to become a hard-nosed businesswoman as well as a top-class journo. For some, this comes more naturally than others. Continue reading ‘What to do when you don’t get paid’
I’m often asked: ‘Can anyone learn how to write a feature article?’ I usually answer with another question: ‘Can anyone learn gardening?” The answer to both questions is ‘yes’ and ‘no’. To be a gardener you don’t need a degree in horticulture – particularly if you just want to potter around in the back yard. But if you want to sell your services to lazy neighbours it would help your credibility if you had
- completed a course in gardening; or
- had years of experience and references.
For most prospective employers, 2) would be more important than 1), but in order to get to 2) it might help to first go through 1).
Welcome to The Crafty Writer, published by Fiona Veitch Smith, a freelance journalist, editor, author, playwright, screenwriter and writing teacher. This site is full of information and resources to help you to become a better writer. 
