Okay. Wow. It’s been a hot second since my last blog post, so allow me to fill you in. My mornings consist of novel editing. My afternoons consist of novel editing. My evenings consist of novel editing. And yet, somehow, I’m still getting pulled in 20 different directions all. the. time. Thanks for that, characters. (Seriously, though, I love my job.)

In other news, I recently landed a super exciting freelance writing opportunity that has already taught me a lot, besides making my heart happy. And it got me thinking…

How did I get here?

Around this time two years ago, I was traveling around the country, touring colleges that I eventually opted out of in favor of Praxis. I ran toward a career in writing as if my life depended on it. In some ways, I think it did.

After a full four months in the Praxis bootcamp, I was hired by The Mission to write podcast scripts for The Story. Though each episode changed significantly in the hands of multiple editors, and though my job description eventually changed to include SEO copywriting, working on those scripts is what ultimately turned me into a professional writer.

Here’s how.

Research

Before joining Praxis, I absolutely abhorred the tedious process of researching the heck out of a single subject. There were exceptions, of course; I could read about Helen Keller, Glen Eyrie Castle and Miep Gies all day. I still can. But within my first few days at The Mission, my researching skills were forced to expand dramatically.

The Story was and continues to be marketed as a historical fiction podcast, with each episode being based on a different person throughout history. My collecting accurate research was of utmost importance in the initial drafting process of each episode.

It took me a few weeks to find consistently reliable online sources on which to base each podcast episode. As I’m sure you know, it’s not hard to find straight facts about most anyone, dead or alive, with a quick search. This was helpful… but not unique. The articles I was reading and taking notes on were easily accessible by anyone with Internet service. And as we began covering the stories of living people, that ease became problematic. What was there to separate The Story from other media outlets?

By the time Season 2 rolled around, The Mission team knew that we needed to get creative with our sources for The Story. I began using autobiographies/biographies, other podcast episodes and video interviews to discover the nitty-gritty information about our characters. Not just the stories but the stories. The smaller moments that made all the difference. The messages that had the potential to change the lives of our audience members. Research was no longer an absentminded source of entertainment for me; it was the difference between a good story and a great one.

Outlining

The autobiographies, especially, were fascinating… but what was I going to do with all that information?

My favorite thing, of course!

I was going to create outlines for each podcast episode.

The Mission’s outlining process changed in various ways over the course of my time as Staff Writer. We tried the Hero’s Journey and similar mind maps before finally settling on what we termed, “20 Facts”. I began collecting my top 20 favorite mini stories from each of our characters to be combined into one, epic episode per person. Of course, I dropped and picked up mini stories along the way, but it was all in pursuit of a central goal: Tell a captivating story.

Draft

Generally speaking, I was responsible for the first and second drafts of each episode of The Story. But The Mission is a high-growth startup company–nothing is generic.

There were days when I cranked out multiple drafts of the same podcast episode, only to hate them all and start over. Other days, everything went miraculously according to plan and I ended up with a first draft of which I was genuinely proud. When it came down to it, all that mattered was that I was pouring my heart into each episode.

The Challenge

Did I forget to mention that all three of these steps had to be completed within 24 hours, five days per week?

I don’t know about you, but I’m not big on cramming in work after 5pm or waking up before 6am. That left me with between eight and nine hours to knock out one round of research, one outline and at least one shippable draft.

As our research requirements expanded, it was decided that the 24-hour timetable was “inhumane.” I was permitted up to 48 hours to complete my work on each episode, which dramatically improved the results of my research and the fluidity of each draft. Even so, I’m forever grateful for the challenge that the 24-hour timetable provided. Without it, I wouldn’t be the writer that I am today!

It’s easy to believe that creativity is something you feel, something you’re either born with or you aren’t. But that’s just not true! Working for The Mission taught me how to write even on the days when I didn’t feel like it. I later found this quote that put my experience into perspective:

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” – Louis L’Amour

Interested in working together?

I’m currently accepting freelance writing, editing and proofreading projects. Check out the full details here. I look forward to chatting with you!

Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash