Tag: freelance writing

Freelance Writing Workshop with Writer’s Block Philippines

Jumpstart-Freelance-Writing-Workshop-career-class-classes

Manila, 3 August, 2010Three freelance writers dreamt of putting together a group where other writers could be inspired and armed with the proper skills to be more effective communicators.

It may have started out as a wish. But it was also the start of Writer’s Block Philippines, a group founded by Ana Santos, Nikka Sarthou and Nina Terol-Zialcita.

The trio collectively have two decades of experience in freelance writing as a career. Together, their works on lifestyle, travel, arts & culture, changemaking, advocacy, sex & relationships, and women’s issues have been extensively published both locally and internationally.

As freelance writers, they know how much effort it takes to establish and manage their own bylines and how hard it is to make writing a lucrative enterprise.

“Writer’s Block Philippines is the kind of support system that we wished we had when we were starting our own freelance writing careers,” says Santos, a sex & relationship columnist and sexual health advocate. Santos, who also writes about armed conflict in Mindanao, has had her work published in international publications like IRIN News, the humanitarian news agency of the United Nations.

“There’s a misconception that freelance writing does not entail serious work, but it’s actually a business in itself,” Sarthou says. “Aside from practicing the craft, you have to disciplined enough to manage your projects and meet all your deadlines. Through our workshops, we’ll share  practical tips and insights on how to  go about with having a freelance writing career.” Sarthou focuses more on lifestyle writing. She also manages corporate accounts, which give her the flexibility to pursue her other passions such as traveling.

Writer’s Block Philippines conducts writing workshops that cover a wide range of topics to get writers started on their freelance writing career.

The warm reception of their first workshop inspired Santos, Sarthou and Terol-Zialcita to do another run of “How to Jumpstart Your Freelance Writing Career 2.0” on August 22  and 29, 2010 at Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4,  Makati. The two-day workshop will focus on writing techniques and practical insider information on how to get started with freelancing and is supported by Powerbooks and Travelife magazine.

“We were overwhelmed and also very happy about the response we got to the first workshop which was sold out,” says Terol-Zialcita, who is also a poetess and political communicator. “This session will be beefed up with more hands-on coaching on writing and a section on ethics. We included an ethics portion because we believe in maintaining a high level of professionalism and integrity in writing.”

While the most common avenues for freelance writing may be magazines and newspapers, “How to Jumpstart Your Freelance Writing Career 2.0” will discuss the variety of non-traditional media and international publications that can be tapped and the nuances of writing for each specific media.

“How to Jumpstart Your Freelance Writing Career 2.0” will be held on August 22 and 29, 2010. Log on to writersblock.ph@gmail.com or message 0927.850.8280 for more information. Avail of a special Early Bird rate of P3,500 for the two-day workshop by making a reservation on or before August 6, 2010.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Ana Santos:
0917.886.4862

Writer’s Block Philippines believes that writing is both art and craft, both creative and methodical, a form of expression and a discipline. Writing itself is only one aspect of “writing”; a culmination of other processes that make it easier for you to write your piece. Through its workshops, Writer’s Block will bring all these different processes together and teach you how to be an effective writer.

Writers Block Press Release Jumpstart 2 August 2010



Edumacate Me about Freelance Writing and recaps of “The G-Spot”

You’ve found “The G-Spot” with DJ Vince G.

A radio show on Mellow 94.7 FM every every Saturday from 6-9am and Sundays 6-10am.

Listing down all the stuff I talked about On Air in case you wanted to check it out.

Listen online – http://Mellow947.fm

Connect with me on Facebook.com/djVinceG or on Twitter.com/VinceGolangco

Edumacate me!

Niña Terol-Zialcita is a co-founder of Writer’s Block Philippines, an organization that helps aspiring writers break into the freelance writing market by becoming better writers and building their own personal brands. She has seven years of experience in freelance writing and has been published in MEGA Magazine, Cosmo Philippines, Metro Magazine, Entrepreneur, Philippine Daily Inquirer, among many others. Niña is also a political communicator, a blogger, a poet, a “changemaker” and an arts and culture enthusiast. It is through writing that she is able to explore and reconcile her various and sometimes unique interests.

Websites:

YouTube Video of the Day

Funny Cartoon – “Diet Riot : Foamy The Squirrel”

Weird News

‘World’s Ugliest Dog’ dies at 17

Miss Ellie, a small, bug-eyed Chinese Crested Hairless dog whose pimples and lolling tongue helped her win Animal Planet’s “World’s Ugliest Dog” contest in 2009, has died at age 17 after a career in resort show business in the Smoky Mountains.

The Mountain Press reported Thursday that Ellie starred in shows at the Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge. She also appeared on The Animal Planet cable show “Dogs 101” and was on billboards and in a commercial.

Ellie-worlds-ugliest-ugly-dog-dies-at-17

On This Day – June 6

1944 – D-Day: 150,000 Allied Expeditionary Force lands in Normandy, France

1946 – 11 Basketball of America Assn teams meet to schedule 1st season

1966 – NFL & AFL announce their merger

1974 – 47th National Spelling Bee: Julie Ann Junkin wins spelling hydrophyte

1976 – 30th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 2

1991 – NBC announces Jay Leno will replace Johnny Carson on May 25, 1992

Celebrity Birthdays

Kenny G, 54, saxophone player, born Kenny Gorelick at Seattle, WA, June 6, 1956.

#1 Song Today, June 6th in the 90s:

THE 1980s

1989 Wind Beneath My Wings Bette Midler
1988 One More Try George Michael
1987 You Keep Me Hangin’ On Kim Wilde
1986 Live to Tell Madonna
1985 Everybody Wants to Rule the World Tears for Fears
1984 Time After Time Cyndi Lauper
1983 Flashdance … What a Feeling Irene Cara
1982 Ebony and Ivory Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
1981 Bette Davis Eyes Kim Carnes
1980 Funkytown Lipps, Inc.

Fact or Fiction

Today is known as “D-Day” a day when 150,000 Allied Expeditionary Force lands in Normandy, France, June 6, 1944 is the date during World War II when the Allies invaded western Europe in WWII

The D in D-Day stands for “Dooms-Day?”

FICTION

June 6, 1944. In the early morning hours Allied forces landed in Normandy on the north coast of France. In an operation that took months of planning, a fleet of 2,727 ships of every description converged from British ports from Wales to the North Sea. Operation Overlord involved 2,000,000 tons of war materials, including more than 50,000 tanks, armored cars, jeeps, trucks and half-tracks. The US alone sent 1,700,000 fighting men. The Germans believed the invasion would not take place under the adverse weather conditions of this early June day. But as the sun came up, the village of Saint Mère Eglise was liberated by American parachutists, and by nightfall the landing of 155,000 Allies attested to the success of D-Day. The long-awaited second front had at last materialized.

What does the “D” in D-Day stand for?
The “D” does not stand for “Deliverance”, “Doom”, “Debarkation” or similar words. In fact, it does not stand for anything. The “D” is derived from the word “Day”. “D-Day” means the day on which a military operation begins. The term “D-Day” has been used for many different operations, but it is now generally only used to refer to the Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944.

Why was the expression “D-Day” used?

When a military operation is being planned, its actual date and time is not always known exactly. The term “D-Day” was therefore used to mean the date on which operations would begin, whenever that was to be. The day before D-Day was known as “D-1”, while the day after D-Day was “D+1”, and so on. This meant that if the projected date of an operation changed, all the dates in the plan did not also need to be changed. This actually happened in the case of the Normandy Landings. D-Day in Normandy was originally intended to be on 5 June 1944, but at the last minute bad weather delayed it until the following day. The armed forces also used the expression “H-Hour” for the time during the day at which operations were to begin.

Reason to party today – coz it’s happy hour somewhere in the world.

“Sex and the City” TV Premiere

June 6, 1998. HBO’s modern comedy of manners focused on four fashionable women navigating the perilous waters of New York City’s dating scene. Starred Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie Bradshaw), Kristin Davis (Charlotte York), Kim Cattrall (Samantha Jones) and Cynthia Nixon (Miranda Hobbes). More than 10 million viewers tuned in to watch the 94th and final episode on Feb 22, 2004.

Moment of Zen

“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”  ~E.E. Cummings, 1955

Thanks for listening to “The G-Spot”

Hope it was good for you too…