The Journey Continues....

All this time since my last post and I still don't have a good handle/firm grasp on this blogging thing. Oh, I've learned quite a lot on how to do it, why it's important to do it for me as a writer, and much more. But mostly, I haven't been able to justify spending a lot of time actually working on it. Instead I've spent a lot of time chasing leads for paying gigs and juggling financial chainsaws to stay afloat. Neither of those projects have been working out very well. While I've made a few dollars here and there from one-shot writing gigs and "odd jobs", and have deftly juggled debts and finances for the past few months, I'm still drowning. I've never been closer to the end of my rope than now. Meanwhile.....

It's difficult for me to separate what I'm willing to disclose publicly via this (or any) blog from what I write for public consumption. There's a fine line between the two. There is still a very pressing need to keep some things private, mostly so as not to offend anyone. But there is also a passion to write and share knowledge/info/experiences with others.

Generally, my life isn't getting any better. In fact, it has gotten measurably worse. I've lost 30 pounds in the past 4 years since I moved from Chicago to Las Vegas in 9/2001. Losing 30 pounds might sound like a good thing for some. For me, it means I'm down to 74 pounds. That's not a healthy weight for ANY grown woman. I look like a walking skeleton. I only have enough money to last another month or so. I'm receiving welfare/food stamps and Medicaid, but no other assistance because I don't have kids/dependents. I've been living with my mother and she gets SSA but it's not enough for both of us to live on. So as my life circles the toilet bowl .....

I'm hoping for a miracle. But I haven't heard of one happening for many decades. I don't know what I can do to save myself anymore. I struggle every day to answer "What's the point?"

Yeah, it's one of THOSE days.....

Why I Started Freelance Writing

The short answer to this question is: In 2010 I had an epiphany; a light-bulb moment. After spending nearly 10 years looking for a corporate job as a Tech Writer (and many other full-time, steady jobs), I realized that I was wasting my time on that endeavor. Corporate employers wanted someone much younger and willing to work for much less pay than I could afford to accept, given my several years of experience in the field. In my last corporate job I was making $25/hour as a Tech Writer in the IT industry. The jobs I was seeing paid about half that. They also wanted a candidate to have some programming experience and other skills I didn't have at the time.

Frustrated, but knowing I had a marketable skill - writing - I decided to pursue freelance tech writing gigs. I found a a few website where I could post a profile, look for jobs and also have employers find ME. It wasn't a whole month before I was getting offers. One that I accepted was for some creative writing for a travel website, then another for technical writing for a franchise consulting company. The latter proved to be a long-term contract - 3+ years. It ended recently because they decided to go from hourly to fixed-rate contracts only. I got another hourly contract right away, but it's been a rocky start so far. Two weeks of a lot of work; 2 weeks of NO work.

Still, freelance writing has given me the freedom of working virtually/from home, wherever that home is. No need for a car/transportation or proximity to an office location. Have laptop/internet connection, will travel is the standard. That kind of freedom has it's own downside. Stay tuned for a separate posting on the topic!

Learning to Blog Properly

I'm still trying to getting a good handle on blogging. This one was my first. But blogging has evolved and expanded quite a bit since I started in 2010. These days, anyone who wants to be found on the internet for any reason needs to have a blog. Especially those who are trying to build a following and/or a business. I am still surprised at how many job postings I see for hiring a blogger for a company's website, and how many job sites there are where one can look for such a job. Like other forms of written communication, the blog has evolved as an art form.

A New Home for Some of My Articles

So far, I have four (4) articles published on Ezine Articles. Though I've been a member of the site since 2010 and had submitted a few articles back then, none were accepted. But this week, all 4 were accepted/approved and published on their site within 24 hours. YAY!! Here is the link to my "Expert Author" profile page which includes a list of my articles and links to them: My Ezine Author Profile

Ezine Articles is one of many sites I've found where a writer can post articles for exposure to the public. No pay. But if a publisher is looking for content for a newsletter or for their own website, they can snag your article for it and they must include your name/byline as the author.

While I am on hiatus between paying writing gigs, I plan to get more articles written and posted there. Stay tuned!

Virtual Tours of Chicago

Chicago has hundreds of ways to tour the city – bus, walking, trolley, Segway, bicycle. And any tour might highlight any category of them – history, architecture, theater, food, film, pizza, cemeteries, etc.While doing research for another of my writing projects (Street Advisor reviews), I've found links to many sites where you can actually take a virtual tour from the comfort of your computer! The tours include a set of MP3 audio files along with an annotated map of the locations on the tour. The idea is to download and print the map, and to download the audio files to your favorite listening device. With those two items, you are fully prepared to walk (or in some cases take a taxi or public transportation) to each location. However as part of my research, I used the interactive map (when available) to travel to and listen to each audio clip from my laptop. I highly recommend doing a virtual tour in preparation for your own in-person tour. When you do it virtually, you'll see a small photo of each location and its address, so that you'll know where you're going and what you're looking for when you go in-person. You can also design your own tour – albeit manually – by visiting locations that are close to each other but on different audio tour tracks. (See notes in the list below.)

All the audio clips are narrated by professionals and include commentary by local subject matter experts such as Tim Samuelson (Chicago Historian), Ed Uhlir (Millennium Park planning expert), and Buddy Guy (Blues legend).

I have yet to find a central website for all these tours, so in I'm in the process of building my own, starting with this list. Stay tuned. I'm sure I'll find more as my research continues!

Source: Chicago Loop Alliance
All three of these tours are in Chicago's “Loop”/Downtown area, and they are the easiest to combine since they cover the same basic area.

1 Public Art Tour
http://www.chicagoloopalliance.com/loopthe loop/artloop/

17 stops; approximately 2 miles.

Full review at http://www.streetadvisor.com/illinois/forums/loop-public-art-audiovirtual-tour

2 Landmarks Tour
http://www.chicagoloopalliance.com/loopthe loop/landmarkloop/

23 stops; approximately 2 miles.

Full review at: http://www.streetadvisor.com/illinois/forums/loop-landmark-architecture-audio-tour

3 Theater Tour
http://www.chicagoloopalliance.com/loopthe loop/theaterloop/

10 stops; approximately 2 miles.

Full review at http://www.streetadvisor.com/illinois/forums/loop-theater-audio-tour

Source: Enjoy Illinois “Onscreen Ilinois”

This is a FABULOUS site for movies made in Chicago and throughout the state of Illinois. The Chicago film tour is narrated by Bill Kurtis (famous newscaster, and narrator of TV and Cable documentary shows). Site includes info and photos scattered throughout the state (Peoria, Galesburg, Galena).

Chicago Film Tour
http://www.enjoyillinois.com/movies/home.a spx

15 stops; about 10 miles between Uptown (North) and Bridgeport (South).

Full review at: http://www.streetadvisor.com/illinois/forums/chicago-film-tour-podcast2

Source: Explore Chicago (www.downloadchicagotours.com)

These tours are available from the Explore Chicago website.

1 Millennium Park Tour

Gives you the “backstory” and history of this jewel on Michigan Avenue, and its infamous icons.
http://www.antennaaudio.com/millenniumpark.shtml

Full review at: http://www.streetadvisor.com/illinois/forums/explore-chicago-audio-tours-millennium-park

2 Chicago Blues History Tour

Best to take this tour virtually or with a knowledgeable tour guide as the locations are in a “dicey” neighborhood. Narrated by blues legend, Buddy Guy himself!
http://64.78.16.63/citytours/chicago/blues.html

Full review at: http://www.streetadvisor.com/illinois/forums/explore-chicago-audio-tours-history-of-chicago-blues

3 Chicago For Kids Tour
Yes, there is even a tour designed for the young (and the young at heart)! Narrated by a “tween”, this was a fun tour even for this “pre-senior”. The website also has 8 interactive, low-tech, Chicago-centric games.
http://www.chicagoforkids.org/ChicagoKids/
Full review at: http://www.streetadvisor.com/illinois/forums/explore-chicago-audio-tours-chicago-for-kids


Source: Macy's/Marshall Field's
An inside and outside tour of this iconic State Street landmark. So much more than a retail store!
http://www.visitmacyschicago.com/tours.cfm
Full review at: http://www.streetadvisor.com/illinois/forums/macysmarshall-fields-virtualaudio-tour2

New Street Advisor Reviews!

Chicago neighborhood reviews posted last week: Goose Island, Bronzeville, Chinatown, and Hyde Park. Stay tuned!

Street Advisor Neighborhood Reviews

I have my own "Local Expert" page on this site! It contains my reviews of Chicago neighborhoods. Did you know there are 77 different neighborhoods in Chicago? Listed below are the reviews I have written so far.

Week Ending 6/26/2010: West Loop, Central Loop, Magnificent Mile, New Eastside

Week Ending 7/3/2010: Streeterville, Near North, Gold Coast, Near South

Stay tuned!