Comments on: Never Eat Alone: The Write Stuff http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/10/14/never-eat-alone-the-write-stuff/ Simple, applicable personal finance advice for the modern world Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:19:06 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Gauhar Kachchhi http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/10/14/never-eat-alone-the-write-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-790860 Gauhar Kachchhi Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:59:41 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4426#comment-790860 This is an excellent article, just like all other "Never Eat Alone" articles you have written. The habit of writing could become a very useful social tool. After reading your reviews, I don't think I would need the book. You've explained everything that I have to know... Thank you very much... :) Cheers! This is an excellent article, just like all other “Never Eat Alone” articles you have written. The habit of writing could become a very useful social tool. After reading your reviews, I don’t think I would need the book. You’ve explained everything that I have to know… Thank you very much… :)

Cheers!

]]> By: Eileen http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/10/14/never-eat-alone-the-write-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-790797 Eileen Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:51:49 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4426#comment-790797 You've convinced me to go get the book - tell Keith he could send you some royalties;-). I've really enjoyed this book review series and your thoughts about it. Thanks! Eileen You’ve convinced me to go get the book – tell Keith he could send you some royalties;-). I’ve really enjoyed this book review series and your thoughts about it. Thanks! Eileen

]]> By: angela http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/10/14/never-eat-alone-the-write-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-790766 angela Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:07:46 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4426#comment-790766 Good job Trent. I am thankful I read this article today. I have a new job interview. Thinking of people as your equals will ease my mind a bit. Being able to take text and place it into any situation in your life is one thing I do quite a bit from many of your articles. I too am a writer, have started a blog and also have hope of being published one day. I am going back to school after 20 years to finish my college degree and am teetering between Technical Communications or Organizational Communications. Reading articles like this gives me great food for thought. Thank you. Good job Trent. I am thankful I read this article today. I have a new job interview. Thinking of people as your equals will ease my mind a bit.

Being able to take text and place it into any situation in your life is one thing I do quite a bit from many of your articles. I too am a writer, have started a blog and also have hope of being published one day. I am going back to school after 20 years to finish my college degree and am teetering between Technical Communications or Organizational Communications. Reading articles like this gives me great food for thought. Thank you.

]]> By: Frank http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/10/14/never-eat-alone-the-write-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-790726 Frank Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:25:14 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4426#comment-790726 I am really enjoying the series that you have put together on Never Eat Alone. The book itself offers a lot of food for thought. I thank you for sharing your personal experiences as you apply the lessons taught in the book. I would love to see other readers share there experiences doing the same. Once again, great work. I appreciate it. I am really enjoying the series that you have put together on Never Eat Alone. The book itself offers a lot of food for thought. I thank you for sharing your personal experiences as you apply the lessons taught in the book. I would love to see other readers share there experiences doing the same.

Once again, great work. I appreciate it.

]]> By: Beadstalk http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/10/14/never-eat-alone-the-write-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-790672 Beadstalk Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:23:53 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4426#comment-790672 The biggest problem I have with writing anything is getting overwhelmed by the sheer amount or research I end up getting. I decide to write an article on a subject then the research just seems to take days with the end result of having so much information its difficult to fit it all into the article size, then half the time I end up giving up. The biggest problem I have with writing anything is getting overwhelmed by the sheer amount or research I end up getting. I decide to write an article on a subject then the research just seems to take days with the end result of having so much information its difficult to fit it all into the article size, then half the time I end up giving up.

]]> By: Foxie@CarsxGirl http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/10/14/never-eat-alone-the-write-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-790555 Foxie@CarsxGirl Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:51:09 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4426#comment-790555 I've always thought I was decent at writing... I always seem to get good marks on writing assignments, and in one of my high school classes I was notorious for being an extremely harsh and brutally honest reviewer of drafts. (I had at least one guy who would seek me out to go over his writing for him, since I was so picky.) I think, perhaps, it's more about developing a unique voice more than anything. Though I have often wondered what it would take to get published in a local newspaper.... Not sure what I'd write about for a paper anyhow. I'd love to write for a magazine, though. :) I’ve always thought I was decent at writing… I always seem to get good marks on writing assignments, and in one of my high school classes I was notorious for being an extremely harsh and brutally honest reviewer of drafts. (I had at least one guy who would seek me out to go over his writing for him, since I was so picky.) I think, perhaps, it’s more about developing a unique voice more than anything.

Though I have often wondered what it would take to get published in a local newspaper…. Not sure what I’d write about for a paper anyhow. I’d love to write for a magazine, though. :)

]]> By: Kyle http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/10/14/never-eat-alone-the-write-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-790500 Kyle Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:32:13 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4426#comment-790500 Sorry for the triple-post, but I decided to take the advice and do some writing of my own. Here's some tips on how to get into sports stringing for fun and profit: http://sportswritingjobs.blogspot.com/2009/10/string-theory.html Sorry for the triple-post, but I decided to take the advice and do some writing of my own. Here’s some tips on how to get into sports stringing for fun and profit:

http://sportswritingjobs.blogspot.com/2009/10/string-theory.html

]]> By: Kyle http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/10/14/never-eat-alone-the-write-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-790474 Kyle Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:38:11 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4426#comment-790474 Actually, though, if you live in a rural area and like sports, that's a *great* part-time job opportunity. If your small local paper covers more than two or three schools, I guarantee they need stringer help during football and basketball season, and they'd be willing to train. Being a good writer is far less important than being willing to take direction. As an editor, I can fix bad writing. But if I told you what information I wanted and you didn't get it to me, I'm stuck. Pay would typically be $25-$50 a story. Actually, though, if you live in a rural area and like sports, that’s a *great* part-time job opportunity.

If your small local paper covers more than two or three schools, I guarantee they need stringer help during football and basketball season, and they’d be willing to train.

Being a good writer is far less important than being willing to take direction. As an editor, I can fix bad writing. But if I told you what information I wanted and you didn’t get it to me, I’m stuck.

Pay would typically be $25-$50 a story.

]]> By: Kyle http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/10/14/never-eat-alone-the-write-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-790468 Kyle Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:29:00 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4426#comment-790468 If your local paper finds out that you are lobbying a source for personal advice, especially job hunting, expect that to be the last freelance assignment you ever get from them. That's a serious breach of journalistic ethics, and even freelancers are expected to abide by the profession's code. That said, it is amazing the sort of contacts you can build up in this business, incidentally. I live in a small town in the oil fields of North Dakota, and we did a special section on the oil business. One of the features was on a NASDAQ-traded exploration company, and two days after my initial call I got a returned call from their CEO, profusely apologizing for not getting back to me sooner. I almost laughed: the 27-year-old reporter making $10.80/hour is being apologized to for lack of prompt attention from the CEO who made almost $4 million in compensation in the last five years. Later that day, a U.S. congressman took a few minutes before attending a funeral to call me directly as well. It's a heady job :) If your local paper finds out that you are lobbying a source for personal advice, especially job hunting, expect that to be the last freelance assignment you ever get from them. That’s a serious breach of journalistic ethics, and even freelancers are expected to abide by the profession’s code.

That said, it is amazing the sort of contacts you can build up in this business, incidentally. I live in a small town in the oil fields of North Dakota, and we did a special section on the oil business. One of the features was on a NASDAQ-traded exploration company, and two days after my initial call I got a returned call from their CEO, profusely apologizing for not getting back to me sooner. I almost laughed: the 27-year-old reporter making $10.80/hour is being apologized to for lack of prompt attention from the CEO who made almost $4 million in compensation in the last five years.

Later that day, a U.S. congressman took a few minutes before attending a funeral to call me directly as well.

It’s a heady job :)

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