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What Makes a Freelance Writer a Winner? The Den Contest Results

Carol Tice

Freelance writer contest winner. Makealivingwriting.comI’ve learned something in the past week: My blog readers can really write.

More than 40 writers entered the essay contest to win a year free in Freelance Writers Den I hosted with Other Den Mother Linda Formichelli. And I’m here to say, judging this contest was hard.

Linda and I wondered if there was a way to create 40 different prizes…but that’s crazy talk.

We did add an Honorable Mention category so we could sneak in a few more winners, though.

I’d like to recognize the creativity and courage of each writer who entered. Some even acknowledged their pride in taking the risk of putting it out there.

Keep on doing that.

What separated the winners and made them stand out? A few things:

Clarity

The winning writers had a clear sense of where they were in their career and how the Den could help them. Some writers’ goals didn’t fit well with what the Den offers — we don’t coach fiction writers, for instance.

The winners, as one entrant said, were the right fit. Linda and I could see where time in the Den could ignite their career and grow their earnings.

Personality

Each winner’s story gave us a chance to get to know them. They shared — without oversharing.They talked about hard times — layoffs and relocations — and how they’ve launched their writing careers despite everything.

One found a clever way to let us know she was in contest mode, for instance, “I have been in the perpetual state of contest entry known as ‘job seeking,'” she wrote.

Another wrote, “I’m a long ways from writing for content mills or leaving a bleeding kidney on the doorstep of an editor that ignored my query.”

Storytelling

Ultimately, any writing contest is about the craft. Winners told a compelling story about their lives and writing aspirations and made us want to read it through.

One told of her life as a home health nurse, and her escape plan. Another relates her struggles with ADD, but with humor and grace.

Polish

We were a little surprised to see quite a few entries pocked with grammar, spelling, and word-choice problems. In a writing contest, those details matter. Also, in your freelance writing assignments for about any kind of client you can name.

So…watch the small stuff.

Drive

All the resources we can provide won’t matter if you don’t have that flame inside to push yourself and carve out a career as a freelance writer. We saw that heartfelt desire to achieve in each winner’s entry.

“I am hungry for a better life as a writer and I’m willing to fight for any chance I might have to receive it,” one winner wrote.

“I want to shove myself violently out of my comfort zone,” another writer told us. OK, shove granted — so get ready to do it.

Here are the winners (you can check out the original post to see the details on all the prizes, including mentoring from me and Linda, the Audit of 4-Week Journalism School and our Freelance Writers Blast-Off Class, and the basic level of Linda’s Write for Magazines course). Congrats to all — and enjoy reading their entries.

1st Place Winners: Tom Bentley of The Write Word (check out the visual funny Tom did, too!) and Jennifer Hawkins of Slashing My Way into Freelance Writing.

1st Runner up: Kasie Whitener of Life on Clemson Road

2nd Runner up: Lynette of ADD Ranger Ramblings

3rd Runner up: Bree Normandin

Honorable mentions (win a copy of Make a Living Writing: The 21st Century Guide):

Glori Surban of The Not-So-Crazy Introvert, Rosella LaFevre of The Happy Millenial (her entry is in the comments to the contest kickoff post, though) and Megan Harris of MeganWrites.

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20 Ways to Find Freelance Writing Jobs for Beginners

20 Ways to Find Freelance Writing Jobs for Beginners

Best Freelance Writing Jobs for Beginners. Makealivingwriting.com

Right now, a record-high number of people are considering a freelance writing career. My inbox is overflowing with questions from newbies. And the first question is: “Where can I find freelance writing jobs for beginners?”

If that’s you, sending hugs! I totally feel your confusion. The freelance marketplace is a big, complicated place. There are lots of types of paid writing, and different kinds of clients, too.

I’ve been helping writers get started for a dozen years now. And I know how mystifying it can be. You feel like there’s a door you need to find, a person you need to know, a secret you must unlock to become a freelance writer.

But really, the path to freelance writing jobs for beginners is simple.

You need to find someone willing to let you write for them. That’s it.

You get a few samples and boom — you have a portfolio to show. And you’re on your way.

There are fairly simple, break-in writing assignments that newbies tend to get. I’m going to outline what they are below.

But first, I need to explain something…

How to Write a Personal Narrative (And Why It’s So Important)

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The purpose of a personal narrative is to describe a specific story in your life. No matter who you are, you have a plethora of life experiences, events, and stories that can be crafted into a compelling personal narrative for use in an article, blog post, case study, etc.

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Writing an Article vs. Writing a Blog Post: What’s the Difference?

Ever wonder what the difference is between writing an article and writing a blog post? It’s a topic that comes up a lot when people ask how to become a freelance writer. Besides style and research, you might be surprised by one of the key differences between blogs and articles.