This week, meet writer Alethea M from New Haven, IN! Check out our blog every Wednesday for a new interview with our super talented and very interesting WriterAccess writers. For more featured writers, visit our Writer Wednesday category.
How did you decide to pursue freelance writing as a career?
I graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts and Graphic Design and worked as a graphic designer and marketing assistant for a few years. I got into the freelance scene when I got married, but stuck mostly to graphic design, illustration and photography.
I have always loved writing, but it wasn’t until my husband pushed me to explore the freelance writing websites that I really considered it for a career. Once I realized the pay for strong quality work was good, the clients were already there (freelance work takes a lot of self-marketing) and the payments were real (no more billing clients!), then I started in and haven’t looked back.
According to your profile, you’ve always been interested in a wide range of creative outlets from horseback riding to illustration to culinary arts. How do you make time to balance everything you love with this job?
I really dislike breaks where I am doing nothing, so a break from writing might mean cooking or some other form of activity. This job just makes it so easy, though. The flexibility of assignments means I can fill my plate as full as I want and work on assignments between any number of other activities.
Funny, all the years I’ve cleaned horse stalls, learned Western Dressage, jumped English style and rode on trails, I’ve only ever fallen off once (and it was really more of a quick dismount to my back from a rearing horse). I was in the process of training one of five horses and he and I were having a disagreement. I got right back on and he obeyed after that, so I guess I won. One of my favorite memories on a horse was galloping across a Jamaican beach on my honeymoon—I don’t think the guides really thought I could do it when they gave me permission because they told my husband I was a “crazy white lady.”
What niche do you like to write for the most?
I love marketing and fashion. I know they seem totally different, but they really aren’t. They are both art forms in their own way and they both deal with a brand in relation to the customer. My background makes writing about topics in art, fashion and business right up my alley and they are all topics I am very interested in and stay updated on.
I write about nearly anything and I love that freelance writing allows me to research and learn about new topics all the time. Design topics (like advertising, fashion and decor) are among my favorites, but I also write a lot of cooking, family, business, product and pet-related articles.
Are you reading anything right now, or have you read anything recently you’d like to recommend?
I just finished the Maze Runner series this weekend and I thought it was pretty good. I am excited about the movie that is supposed to come out in 2014. I loved reading The Hunger Games. I’ve been a bookworm since I was first able to read and started reading novels when I was in 3rd grade. I read whole series at a time and would have lived in the library if my mother had let me. Unfortunately, I read in the car so much that when I turned 16 I didn’t know how to get anywhere I couldn’t actually see from the house!
What advice would you like to leave off with for your fellow writers?
I’m fairly new to this industry, but I’m just eating up the opportunity to better my writing, learn about each industry I write for and stay up on the latest trends and news. I also keep up with the Writers Forums on WA to get tips and find out what other writers are doing right.
Alethea M is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Louis Roe is a content marketing intern at WriterAccess. Contact Louis on Twitter @lojoroe or by email Louis.Roe (at) WriterAccess.com.
