— Jenny Neill

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Advice

When Inspiration Fails, Innochat

By: Jenny
30-11-2012
Advice

Blogging (almost) every day while juggling the demands of volunteer work, keeping the freelance life afloat, and having time for non-work activities started to wear on me last week. For the first time in what felt like too long a time, I “tuned in” to one of my favorite online gathering places today to discover the topic was a perfect fit for my work attitude. Drew Marshall stepped up to the challenge of framing a topic for us to discuss when inspiration failed him.

uninspired

Photo courtesy of bornazombie. Some rights reserved.

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Seattle Public Library Perks

By: Jenny
26-11-2012
Advice, Non-Fiction

Increasingly, I am spending time doing research. Much of this takes place online and one of the best tools available, as a Seattle resident and library card holder, is using the Seattle Public Library website. What I didn’t realize until today was that being a member also gets me access to museums in the area.

Seattle Public Library

Photo courtesy of Mike Russell All rights reserved.

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Social Media 101 for Travel Writers: Get Real

By: Jenny
11-11-2012
Advice, Non-Fiction

November 1 marked more than the beginning of my blogging challenge. That evening, an eclectic assortment of writers, editors, and PR specialists gathered to discuss the latest trends for travel writers seeking to build their brand online. This was no stuffy, formal presentation. Myrna Oakley, chair of the Pacific NW Travel Writers Conference, included panelists and attendees alike in a dialogue about what’s hot and what’s not in social media.

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Standing Out When Crowdsourcing

By: Jenny
08-11-2012
Advice, Non-Fiction

This year, I’ve been asked with increasing frequency what I know about using platforms like Kickstarter to fund book projects. Let me start by saying that I’ve not written a book (under my own name) nor have I used crowdsourcing to fund a project (yet). I am, however, a lifelong student of communications and technology with a keen interest in digital publishing.

Standing out when crowdsourcing

Photo courtesy of Haags Uitburo . Some rights reserved.

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Writer Residencies: Oh the Places You’ll Go

By: Jenny
04-11-2012
Advice

The Hedgebrook Alumnae Leadership hosted a panel discussion about writer residencies and conferences at Hugo House on Wednesday, October 24. Many Seattle Writergrrls were among those who packed the room that night to hear advice from Susan Rich, Donna Miscolta, and Claudia Rowe. While much of the discussion covered retreats, the speakers also touched on finding grants to help offset costs for programs that don’t offer a full ride.

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My Stop SOPA/PIPA Statement

By: Jenny
18-01-2012
Advice

I have a few entertaining stories almost ready for your reading pleasure. In the meantime, I have added a Stop SOPA/PIPA page. It includes a brief statement about my view on this issue and links to a number of other opinion pages I found helpful when deciding to join the protest.

Nov. 4, 2012 ETA:
The link above was updated to point to a post that preserves what was on my Stop SOPA/PIPA page, which was removed in August.

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TEDxRainier11: To Gain, In Translation

By: Jenny
16-11-2011
Advice, Meta

Some understanding can only be developed by crossing boundaries or shifting context. For example, imagine studying a foreign language. You come across a word that doesn’t have a direct translation. What process do you go through to figure out what it means?

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Be There Without Being There: How Hashtags Can Save You Money

By: Jenny
24-09-2011
Advice

Conferences can be expensive to attend. First you have to register. Then, for many, you have to pay for travel and hotel. Being at such an event can be a fantastic way to meet like-minded professionals or hobbyists. However, if you are pinching pennies, there are ways to glean tips and information from such meetings without spending money. One is to find out if the conference has an official Twitter hashtag.

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My Top 3 Kitchen Books

By: Jenny
08-09-2011
Advice, Food

Flavors intrigue me. That’s what got me into restaurant work in the first place. I’ve spent much of the past decade learning about and tasting wine in order to pair it with food. It took a little longer for that interest to spur me to experiment with cooking in my own kitchen.

The idea of making something as simple as a salad used to paralyze me with uncertainty. Some of my early forays into making up my own recipes were disasters: mushy pasta, broken sauces and dressings, or entrees with serious seasoning problems. Being around chefs taught me some valuable lessons.

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