Writer’s Digest

I enjoy writing. I tell you that, just in case you could not tell. I have always thought blogging was a fad thing (and kinda still do), but it may actually be here to stay for a little while. It seems to have taken root pretty strongly.

While listening to Grammar Girl this week, she mentioned Writer’s Digest. She was talking about having a deadline for yourself to help you write more. She said that Writer’s Digest is always sponsoring writing contests. I remember back when I was taking a writing course that I used to love reading Writer’s Digest. I was too poor back then to subscribe, or even buy one every couple of months. I would go to the bookstore with my notebook in hand and write down all the information I could about different writing contests.

Even back when Internet in the home was new, WD had a website. I would spend hours there each night reading articles and writing for contests. I don’t remember submitting any entries, but I remember writing several. It was fun.

Well, as happens in my life, I will be passionate about something for a time and then it just fades away. I still enjoy writing, but I do not seek out freelance jobs anymore. It could have to do with the fact that the last place I worked did not allow us to moonlight. I wrote an article for pay once and had to surrender the check to the company. It was only $50 or $70, I don’t remember now, but back then it was a lot to me (would be a lot to me now too). The money was not as big of an issue to the company either, but they wanted to know that all my efforts were being expended on them. There were lots of reasons for that, to which I wholeheartely agree even to this day. But, it did kind of put a damper on my writing dreams.

Now I blog. Sometimes a lot, sometimes a little. I am a bit concerned that the people who butter my bread would see the amount I am blogging here and wonder what they are paying me for. But, not concerned enough to stop. If I were writing in a journal for personal enjoyment, no one would care. It is when you make stuff like this public that it tends to raise eyebrows.

Anyway, the point was to say that I enjoyed Writer’s Digest back about 8-10 years ago. I used to be on a couple of their e-mailing lists. It is time to surf over to their site and see what kind of offerings they have today. I might even enter a contest and sign up for a newsletter.