Paying the Bills
Updated: Jun 6, 2019
Hello all!
As I have been developing this webpage, I started with some old examples of my creative writing with a few more general blog posts. Soon, you can look forward to some brand new content from me that will show just how much my writing has developed (spoiler, its a lot better). In the meantime, however, I figured it would be beneficial to show how I have been paying the bills with my writing.
Presently I am a Sustainability Coordinator for the University of Houston. Doesn't sound like a writing job right? Well, you would be surprised. Most jobs in academia and the non-profit world with "coordinator", "community", or "communications" in the title are very writing heavy jobs when you get right down to it. They may not be as exciting as journalism or full on creative writing jobs, but they are way more common and a great place to hone your skill and build your resume. In all honesty, it is jobs like this that have migrated writing from "hobby" to "profession" for me and it could do the same for you! Here are some examples of the kind of writing I have been doing for the University.
A big part of my job is a monthly newsletter. I find content for this publication, code the layout, and manage the listserv database. The cool part is that I also get to write the headline articles each month! This gives me vital exposure to many different styles of writing in addition to providing me with the challenge of writing with rules. As a professional writer, a marketing office will give you rules like "only use progressive language", or "this font can only be used for subtitles. Keeping your writing engaging and meaningful with various rules is a great way to show you are a real professional. Feel free to click on the image for the full newsletter!
Press Releases are also a major part of my job. If the university does something it is proud of, I get to write up a brief overview of the accomplishment or event. Again, this writing has to follow rigid rules and often can be very dry as a result. This being said, if you are able to engage people and make the reading enjoyable, that is a big accomplishment! I have also found that my creative writing thrives after having to write dry articles for a few days. The contrast in style can be freeing, and offer insight into how to write in different voices and styles. Feel free to click on the image for a full collection of Press Releases I have written if you are curious about what this kind of job might look like.
Beyond these pieces, I also write the copy on official university webpages, and countless flyers. Again, this might not sound like much, but I get paid to write and that is a big step forward. In conclusion, part of being a creative writer is being creative with your skills as well as your stories! Look back on some old jobs you have had, and you might just have some resume material to snag that next writing gig.
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