Category Archives: One Writer’s Life Blog

Unexpected returns from slacking off!

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Summer’s charging ahead with very little time for writing beyond the Brooks-Range blog – but that’s as it should be, all play and little work in this short period of warmth. Flowers blooming, sun shining, insects buzzing, feet moving, bears roaming – all sounds good to me. Yup, even the bears.

Enjoying the open alpine of Yoho’s Kindersley Pass. (Photo: M.Kopp)

Hiked Kindersley Pass in Yoho National Park this past week and met a grizzly bear on the way. It appeared disinterested in us as we backed off and peered around the trunk of a large tree. Quietly it moved off the trail, ghosting into the woods before our eyes.

Safety off the bear spray, canister in hand, we yelled our approach for the next kilometer or so, kept eyes open for any movement in the trees and heaved a big sigh of relief when we reached the alpine – open – slopes of the pass. Most memorable piece of wooded trail I’ve hiked in a long time.

My mind started racing with a couple of article ideas as we walked. See that’s the great thing about not working, stories can unfold even as you are out enjoying life.

What stories are you experiencing this summer?

“If one advances confidently in the directions of his dreams,
And endeavours to live a life which he has imagined,
He will meet a success unexpected in common hours.”
–          Henry David Thoreau

Back and blogging again

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“The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamouring to become visible.“- Vladimir Nabakov

I showed a friend some travel pics a while ago and he asked, “Why aren’t these, and stories of your adventures, on your blog?”

Cinque Terre’s Blue Path at sunset, Italy. (Photo: Megan Kopp)

Good question.

I guess it’s safe to say, I’ve been busy. It may be true, but it’s probably a bit of a cheat.

Lazy? Perhaps a little.

Unfocused? Yup.

Unsure if maintaining this blog was really necessary? Definitely.

I’ve recently come to the realization that promoting yourself is not only necessary, it’s rather critical for a freelance writer. Letting people know who you are and your specialties is important  – especially if one your niches is something like enjoying the outdoors through self-powered travel. It can be a somewhat small market for a writer.

That being said, here goes a toot or two – and no, you don’t need to stand back from the monitor!

  1. I’ve got a hiking article on Italy set for online publication in September.
  2. Several weeks ago I received feedback from my spring continuing education travel writing course at Mount Royal University – and this, copied directly by staff from comment sheets, is what the students said:

What did you like about the course?

  • Megan was very well prepared, knowledgeable, provided a great deal of relevant information and resources
  • That Megan encouraged so much class participation – we all critiques each other’s work.

What changes would you like to have made that would improve the course?

  • Nothing it is great
  • I liked it as is
  • Nothing at all – WOW!

Other Comments:

  • Megan was informative, knowledgeable, humorous, helpful, encouraging.

I may be blushing, but I’m also focused, knowing that what I say can have an impact and that what I write can be useful to others.

What about you, do you think it’s important for your writing and work to have an impact?

A Taste of Spring

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I’ve got to say that I’m quite happy to see the backside of January and February. I’m looking forward to the optimism of spring – a rebirth, renewal and recharge.

Saw a loon on the river yesterday – one of the few stretches not ice-covered it would seem. What a wacky winter this has been, but the rhythm of a season beating to a close has begun.

As the promise of change continues, I’m finding myself creatively inspired and willing and able to take on projects that were daunting a month ago. Part of this is no doubt due to an escape south for a week of desert glory – in Big Bend National Park, Texas. Birds sang, sun shone and water flowed. We camped, hiked, explored, talked, laughed, gazed, and stole precious time to rest weary souls.

No matter that we came back to a slam of winter; we tasted spring and it was delicious.

“Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit,
and as vital to our lives as water and a good bread.”
– Edward Abbey

Smarter Social Marketing

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“Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I will not forget you.”
– William Arthur Ward

It feels like school all over again. When one steps away from the familiar and into the unknown, learning is a given. Over the past year and a bit I’ve joined the Facebook fray, started several Twitter accounts, built a blog, and started learning how to promote my online presence. Not bad for a self-confessed techno-phobe. But I didn’t do it alone; I had great help.

When I posted on a question on a freelance forum about how to promote a new blog, I certainly wasn’t expecting this encouraging and pertinent response:

You can share links on Stumbleupon, Digg, Reddit, Yahoo! Buzz, Google Buzz, Netvibes, Sphinn, Delicious, etc. Adding the blog to Technorati can help.

I try to post links to Twitter and Facebook using bit.ly so I can see how many clicks the post has received, as directly related to my tweets and status updates.

…

Thanks Ron Doyle. Gotta go now, I have to study up on and Digg and Redditt and ohhh… my head is starting to Buzz!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

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There are days as a freelancer, where it’s nothing but an uphill slog in a whiteout.

And then there are days when the snow lifts, the sun breaks free and snow-draped evergreens punctuate picture-perfect powder. Today’s one of those days – just saw the covers for two of my latest Capstone kid’s books.

I feel like a kid catching Santa before he scoots up the chimney. It didn’t matter that I knew these projects were in the works.  It didn’t help that I’ve received a paycheque already.  But when I saw the pictures of the covers, it was like the sun breaking out and everything looks beautiful – and I don’t even really like snakes.

Coming out soon!

Spring 2011 from Capstone

May the sun come out for you today – and magically turn snakes into sunshine!

Writing Projects

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“It never rains, but it pours!”

That saying has never been more true. Since September, I’ve completed four magazine articles and five work-for-hire, non-fiction children’s books. I’m in the process of finishing up a sixth book due December 24th.

In November, B-R Dispatch went live. Last week it morphed into five days a week of outdoor-related posts. Also in November, I prepped for and taught my bi-annual travel writing course at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

Among all of this, I took an eye-opening four-day trip along Alberta’s Cowboy Trail and headed to the southern States for five weeks of hiking and exploration. Loaded with article ideas, I’ve been steadily plugging away sending out queries to potential markets.

So, if you’re wondering why I haven’t been posting as often as I’d like on this site, there are my excuses!

Travel Photography

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Sometimes it’s all a matter of perspective.

I took a walk around Henderson Lake in Lethbridge with my college girl. Early December, the sun set early. We trudged through drifted parking lot snowbanks to the cleared lakeside path just as the sky turned golden. Glorious warm light bathed trees to the east; perfect silhouettes looking west.

Golden glow at Henderson Lake

Winter sunset in Lethbridge

At Work, On the Road

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Have computer, will travel.

Finished up edits on my latest kid’s book in between hikes through Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and BLM lands outside of Colorado National Monument.  Life is good!

A walk up to Montana's oldest guest ranch just outside Yellowstone.

Glorious Grand Teton

Hiking to Rattlesnake Arches Canyon, Co

Networking Opportunities for Freelance Writers

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“It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up.” – Vince Lombardi

I started writing for a local regional parenting publication almost 12 years ago. Well over a hundred articles later, the editor let me know late summer that they are closing shop and reassessing if, when, and it what form, they may come back.

A newly acquired book editor seemed like the perfect fit in September. In October email reads “moving on to new position in a different company.”

Sent a query to a local newspaper. “Like the idea, unfortunately no budget for additional stories this month.”

One children’s writer forum I follow has a new thread about disappearing school visit opportunities.

Interesting times in the life of a freelance writer. Some may see this news and think it’s time to reassess the writing career. Others may look at it and say get busy finding new places and ways to sell your words. I’m of the latter school.

There is no doubt that the publishing world in a state of flux. Budgets (or lack thereof) are a direct reflection of the current economic recession. There is a definite shift in delivery from paper to computer screen. But the sky isn’t falling in, it’s just clouding over. When the clouds clear, it may look a little different, but it’ll still be there.

Now’s the time to network (see my post on social media for writers). Contact other writers who’ve mentioned  potential new markets and follow through on those leads. Join writing organizations and attend the conferences and other networking opportunities. I’ve got to admit, this is harder than it sounds if you’re somewhat quiet in crowds, but the pay-off is there.

Ready, Set, Net (work!)

Children’s writers – check out the Society for Children’s Book Writers & Illustrator’s (SCBWI) 12th Annual Winter Conference ,Jan 28 -30, 2011.

Travel writers – check out the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC).