by Tami Kamin Meyer | Jun 3, 2022 | Blog, Write Now Columbus Essay Archives
I was blessed to enjoy a solo 18-day odyssey of Colorado in May. I relish the research involved in learning about new places to see and unique activities to undertake. I mean, research is my life! I relish creating a driving itinerary and enjoy comparing the prices, services and amenities offered in various locales.
As my trip unfolded, unusual happenstances occurred, which are the hallmark of my life. For example, when I thought I had registered for a fundamental yoga class, it turned out to be an hour of fundamental jujitsu. I had little idea what that entailed, but I had driven to their studio for exercise and I was determined to move my body, no matter what.
I was promptly outfitted in a gee by a sweet and highly patient company rep, another occurrence demonstrating how unpredictable my life can be.
I participated in the various warm-up exercises without issue. “Oh, I can do this,” I thought smugly.
Then, shoulder rolls commenced and I knew I had met my match.
I bowed respectfully to the Sensei (teacher) to communicate I appreciated his assistance, but I was bowing out. I wanted to stretch my limbs in ways that helped me combat the discomforts I experienced due to arthritis. I also knew if I tried those somersaults, my classmates (30+ adult males and teenage boys and two teenage girls) would have rolled over me repeatedly. Everyone but me was somersaulting beautifully on their shoulders, one roll after the other down the long mat, five rows across. Imagine Twister and Cirque de Soleil, all in one, rolling towards you. I would have slowed everyone . . . to a crawl.
The situation was comical, but I didn’t dare laugh or giggle during class. That would have been incredibly disrespectful. But I sure did smile inside, knowing that once again, I had done things my way, even that day in the jujitsu class.
When I stretch my limbs, my mind frees and wanders. Topics flit through my head. As usual, writing and words are the focus of my thoughts. For example, I might see a word on a wall, and then I spell as many other words as I can using the letters of the target word.
Yup. Pretty exciting stuff.
As a freelance writer, I try to drum up viable story ideas nearly every waking moment. It can be maddening, but I can’t help it. Crafting an article suggestion that might appeal to at least one editor is not as simple as “Poof. Here’s my idea.” It takes time to massage an idea into an actual article query I send to an editor in the hope of attracting their favor.
A freelance writer needs to be aware of a publication’s demographics. An article about training bras would not be appropriate for a website aimed at Baby Boomers. If I don’t know the editor to whom I hope to pitch a story, I research them online before I send off my query. I try to discover anything we might have in common, like both of us graduating from the University of Cincinnati, for example. Having something in common with an editor is usually a great way to instantly connect with someone.
I’m looking for a nugget of familiarity, something I can write briefly about when I reach out, something to break the ice. That technique has opened many doors for me. I implore you to try it yourself.
I did a lot of stretching and therefore, thinking, during my time in the Centennial State. I’m excited to be back in front of my laptop where my fingers tap out the words of the articles I have sought to write.
Feels great.
No matter where I go or what I do, my life consistently revolves around one subject: Words.
What does your life revolve around?
~ Tami
(c)Tami Kamin Meyer, 2022, all rights reserved
by Tami Kamin Meyer | Oct 3, 2021 | Blog, Write Now Columbus Essay Archives
The Opulence of October: Where to find writing ideas—Guest post by Tami Kamin Meyer
Write Now Columbus editor Tami Kamin Meyer shares how she comes up with ideas for writing her articles and stories
I spent much of September traveling this great and beautiful country. I was blessed with a week in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains and a week soaking in the sun and waves on Tybee Island, Georgia. While in Breckenridge, Colorado, I literally spent an entire day staring at the majesty of Baldy Mountain, an enormous peak, 12,441 feet high. It stood like a beacon of the mountains. I could not take my eyes off of her.
After a brief respite at home for laundry and dog kisses, I drove 1,700 miles to Tybee, then Atlanta, then home. This unique situation afforded me time to ponder a myriad of topics and listen to an excellent book on CD.
I don’t recall everything my mind touched during that long drive, but I am certain about one thing: I thought often about writing.
As my hands gripped the leather steering wheel of my convertible, I recalled articles I had written and ones that were due. I reminisced on how I conjured some of the ideas for articles I eventually wrote, and about the many more stories I’d like to have published when I find them a home. I also smiled when I recalled a question people ask often of me and other writers.
“How do you come up with story ideas?”
That question really perplexes people, which is understandable. Methods for generating story ideas are as unique as the writer who creates them.
I don’t have a formula for conjuring story ideas. I know some writers who brainstorm for suggestions by writing a word, then brainstorming every concept or word relating to it. Out of those scribblings, the writer hopes to piece together an idea about what to write about.
I don’t work that way.
I think of ideas organically. Story suggestions come to me from an article or book I am reading, or from something I hear on the TV or radio. Recently, a friend mentioned how the Holocaust led to the meeting of his parents, and eventually his birth. His unique attitude about how he owes his very life to the vagary of the Holocaust shocked me at first. I had never considered a point of view like his before. However, after the initial surprise of his tale wore off, a story idea came to mind.
And that’s how I come up with article writing ideas.
Sometimes, an idea is related to a topic at hand. Or, a story suggestion simply enters my mind without warning or impetus. Suddenly, they’re just there. I keep a pen and paper by the side of my bed and next to my favorite seat on my living room couch, just in case the mood strikes.
Some of my ideas are founded in my personal interests, while others highlight topics that pique my attention. I never know when an idea will come to mind. I also sheepishly admit to forgetting many more ideas than I’ve ever researched or written about. If I don’t make myself commit the suggestion to paper when it comes to mind, I usually forget it. It’s gone forever. Even if I write an idea down, I may not be able to decipher my handwriting or unscramble my hieroglyphics when I try to read my scribblings.
That bums me out, of course, but it’s all part of the creative process.
This month I will finalize an article for a well-known publication, researching and writing about a one-time Ohio State athlete and, of course, mining my world for ideas for what to write about next.
(c)Tami Kamin Meyer, 2021, all rights reserved
This essay originally appeared in Write Now Columbus, a free, monthly email newsletter for central Ohio writers and readers. SUBSCRIBE HERE.
by Tami Kamin Meyer | Sep 3, 2021 | Blog, Write Now Columbus Essay Archives
THE SERENDIPITY OF SEPTEMBER – GUEST POST BY TAMI KAMIN MEYER
When I think of September, I think yellow school busses, football and cooler weather. I throw open my screen porch door and house windows to allow the fresh, crisp air to waft through my house like a welcome friend. I also adore the renewed energy of Fall that seems to radiate everywhere, although admittedly, it is muted due to the pandemic.
Meanwhile, something happened to me recently that conjured up that same sense of excitement, although this occurrence relates to my life as a freelance writer.
With time on my hands during the quarantine, I often found myself perusing LinkedIn for something interesting to read. A few months back, I happened upon a post about a non-profit organization, headquartered in Johnstown, Ohio, just east of Columbus. The message’s author was John Mennell, the founder of the Ohio Literacy Bank (OLB). The mission of his non-profit is ending illiteracy by providing new and recycled magazines to at-risk readers in locations easily accessible to them, such as food banks.
I immediately invited John to connect with me, and he obliged. We exchanged several messages about his group and how I wanted to volunteer at some point. We share a love of magazines, and it was fun to discuss how the industry has evolved over the years. Thankfully for my professional endeavors, print magazines are not a dying breed, as evidenced by an article in Forbes. New titles, such as Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia, are replacing defunct hardcopy publications such as Marie Claire.
I feel an extra dose of pride when one of my pieces appears in a print publication
I am incredibly grateful for technology and the Internet, because they expose freelance writers to a large, diverse and information-hungry audience and online publications for whom to write. However, I must admit I feel an extra dose of pride when one of my pieces appears in a print publication versus online only. In my mind, there is something poetic, even romantic, about opening a magazine and flipping through its colorful pages. People carry magazines from room to room and keep them stacked on their bedside table. Some read magazines cover-to-cover and others, sadly, are left in the plastic in which they arrived until it’s time they are recycled. No matter their journey, magazines are ubiquitous and I am supremely thankful for that.
Back to John. After two aborted attempts to meet face-to-face to further discuss our professional commonalities, we recently met in-person for coffee and a chat.
John regaled me with interesting stories how his small-but-mighty non-profit is attacking illiteracy. To hear him discuss the various magazines the OLB has received and distributed as well as the numerous unselfish acts of volunteerism performed by supporters across the country that have ensured that publications get in the hands of those who would benefit is like listening to a well-tuned orchestra. As John’s zeal and pride about his organization’s mission grew, so did my interest in hearing more.
And that’s when my moment of serendipity hit.
I felt a surge of excitement as story ideas based on the OLB’s successes flooded my brain. Intuitively, I began brainstorming about which publications might be interested in those ideas and why John’s story might appeal to the demographics of particular outlets. John and his mission are compelling and I was thrilled to be learning more about him and his organization’s efforts. All of that and they’re right here in central Ohio, too.
I scribbled notes in my characteristically messy handwriting as he spoke, careful to understand the gravity of his non-profit’s efforts and achievements. I peppered him with questions, all of which he answered with positivity and specificity. Meeting in person, over a cup of coffee, just like I would have pre-COVID-19, was refreshing. It was also vaguely familiar as an activity I enjoyed immensely prior to COVID-19. Meeting face-to-face made the experience that much richer, and I realized how much I missed the social aspect of being a freelance writer.
My heart pumped with adrenaline while meeting with John because after so long of not interacting with people face-to-face, I was gifted with that experience again. Speaking with him at arm’s length rather than through a square box on my laptop monitor, ala Zoom, reminded me of one of my favorite aspects of being a freelancer that I truly missed: social interaction. That experience reignited my zeal for writing, which honestly had waned during the long, hot summer and the even longer and seemingly unending worldwide pandemic.
Thankfully, it’s back and so am I. Hope you enjoy a serendipitous September, too.
(c)Tami Kamin Meyer, 2021, all rights reserved
This essay first appeared in the September 2021 issue of Write Now Columbus. Subscribe here.
