Tag: freelance writer

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KOA Newsletter

Widely known as North America’s largest system of family-friendly campgrounds,

KOA, or Kampgrounds of America, is well known for its distinctive yellow signs found in more than 185 cities and towns across the U.S. and Canada. It may be surprising to some to learn, however, that KOA began right here in Billings, Montana, when entrepreneur Dave Drum created a campground to serve the needs of travelers to the 1962 World’s Fair.

I have had the opportunity to work with the remarkable folks at KOA for over 5 years on a variety of projects. Some of the most recent include crafting stories for inclusion in their camper newsletter, which is distributed to more than a half million camping guests each month. The Kompass newsletter is full of great camping tips, recipes and travel stories that capture the imaginations of campers everywhere.

A few of my favorites include having the chance to research the best camping movies ever made, finding out what makes up a great kid-friendly travel kit and interviewing campground owners to find out what their average days are like (I learned that “average” days rarely exist for these busy men and women!)

I hope you’ll sneak a peek at the newsletter stories above and start making your plans now to camp with KOA soon!

KOA Kampgrounds Newsletter Freelance Writing

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Cody Mural Website

Cody WY – bringing history back with a website.

If you were to ask people what they knew about Cody, Wyoming, most of them would likely talk about the man after which it was named: William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Few, however, would be able to tell you about the history of the pioneers who settled the Big Horn Basin in which the town is nestled or know about one of the most unusual art pieces in the region.

In coordination with Kinetic Marketing & Communications, I had the opportunity to help change that by creating a dynamic new website sharing the story of the Cody Mural and its attached pioneer museum. The new site shares the story of not only how the mural and museum came to be, but why they came to be. Because I am originally from the Big Horn Basin, I admit that getting to tell the story of its settlement at the turn of the last century was a great personal experience. Professionally, I am also pleased to know that the client’s goals of gaining a higher profile among tourists from around the world via its website continue to be realized.

Work completed:

  • Client interviews
  • Creative overview, brief and presentation
  • Keyword and key phrase research
  • Content development

Project: Cody Mural Website

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Time Savers Article

I began my freelance career writing for an award-winning local publication called Magic Magazine.

My first article coincided with the 30th anniversary of Roots, and I had the opportunity write about something I’m actually fairly fascinated with: genealogy.  Since that time, I’ve written countless articles on homes (getting to tour people’s homes is awesome, in case you’re wondering) for the magazine, and occasionally have the chance to whip up something a little different.  Once such occasion was late in 2013, when I was challenged to write “Time Savers That Aren’t.” The goal of the piece was to look at those things that are supposed to essentially make life more efficient but instead do precisely the opposite.

There are times in every writer’s life, I suppose, when prose practically falls from their brain through their fingertips and right onto the screen. Those block-free moments are pure, unadulterated joy. It just so happens, this article happened precisely that way.  The inspiration struck, and out everything came in a lighthearted stream.  As I recall, it took less than 45 minutes to write from start to finish, and I had a ball.

I do wish that all of my freelance writing projects could be that fun and that easy; after all,  I’m like everyone else who’s ever experienced writer’s block and agonized over every letter in every word in every sentence. So I look at it as a gift, and can’t wait to receive another one just like it.

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LINK Magazine Premiere Issue

In early 2014, not long after I launched Box 117 Creative, I was contacted by the special publications team at the Billings Gazette. Working in conjunction with the Billings Chamber of Commerce, they were in the process of creating a new quarterly publication called LINK, and asked if I would write a story for the new magazine. Having worked on Magic Magazine and other Gazette publications, I was happy to do so.

Writing the lead story, “Defining Tomorrow” was a great opportunity to meet new members of our business community.

As a freelance writer for over 5 years, I knew several of the individuals I was to interview, but was excited to talk with others to whom I had not yet been introduced. Every person to whom I spoke was gracious and excited to share their ideas about the future of our city.  Given the fact I was just starting out on my own, hearing their enthusiasm was infectious, and gave me greater insight as to the possibilities for both personal and professional growth right here at home.

As with any project, not everything goes as smoothly as one would like. In this instance, the story was nearly to press when one of the main individuals I had interviewed stepped down from his position. Working frantically with my editor, I was able to set up an interview with another community leader, rework the story to accommodate his thoughts and replace the lead-in faster that I ever thought possible.

Work completed:

  • Interviews
  • Article writing

Project: LINK Magazine Premiere Issue - Freelance Writing

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Why Black Friday and I May Be Breaking Up

Black Friday and I, it seems, may be breaking up this year

A two decades-old relationship is coming to an end, ruined by stores who fail to see the value of the Black Friday brand and the experience it provided. 

It’s been nearly 20 years since the first time I set my foot out the door, shivering in the frosty chill as I scraped off my windshield and headed out into the pre-dawn darkness. My hair was a mess and I’d only taken the time to brush my teeth and take care of the basic social necessities, but with my mission clear in my mind, it didn’t really matter.

As I recall, it was a VCR that was on sale at ShopKo that had drawn me out for my initial Black Friday adventure. Of course, I had friends who’d been shopping it for years, especially to take advantage of toy offers for their kiddos. I’d called them crazy, but when I saw the price of that piece of television tech, I decided it just might be worth it after all.

I arrived and took my place in the long line of women at about 4 a.m. Most, like me, looked as if they’d just rolled out of bed. I chatted with people I didn’t know, and there were a lot of giggles about how we were silly to be up this early. I suppose you could call it a comraderie of craziness, a club of ladies committed to getting deals while having fun.

Did I get that VCR? Actually, I can’t remember—but the experience remains etched on my mind. For every year thereafter, with few exceptions, I would head out for those early morning Black Friday deals. It wasn’t about the sales, mind you; it was all about the experience. Pouring over the Thanksgiving Day ads and planning where to go and what to buy. Heading out with other wives and moms, having fun huddling together in our pajamas and coats, laughing as we waited in long lines and sharing the deals we’d snagged. It was even worth it when we returned from 12 hours of shopping, exhausted, feet hurting but with bags full of finds.

In a way, you could say this was the Black Friday brand. A brand I loved—enough to be a part of a CNN story a few years ago about my shopping strategies. It’s also a brand that has, especially over the last 3 years, diluted itself to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.

Now stores are opening almost as soon as the last bite of turkey has been consumed, and the fun of it all has declined. It’s not just that more people are coming out—it’s that they’re coming out complaining every step of the way. The lines are too long, they say. They don’t understand why the store may only have 3 of those $199 70” televisions in stock. They push, they whine, they argue. Men who would never dream of getting up at 3 a.m. are being dragged along by wives and girlfriends, and they aren’t happy about it. I’m not the only one to dislike the practice, mind you; in fact, 62% of Americans who participated in a recent survey reported they either disliked or “hated” the practice of opening it up on Thursday.

I can do all my shopping online and get the same deals, so I don’t see any reason to go out in my pajamas when I can certainly stay at home in them. So perhaps that will be what the Black Friday brand will ultimately become—a day of staying in. Which is a little ironic, considering that’s exactly what Thanksgiving Day used to be.

So Black Friday and I, it seems, may be breaking up this year—a two decades-old relationship coming to an end. Ruined by stores who fail to see the value of the Black Friday brand and the experience it provided.

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Why Good Web Writing Differs from Print Writing

As a writer, I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I need to “sharpen the proverbial pencil” on some of my copy. I think it’s safe to say that every writer has, and like most writers I’ve grown to celebrate a great editorial eye or well-conceived feedback. Occasionally, however, I do find that even the most well-read and well-intentioned individuals may not understand the difference between good web writing and good print writing.

I had the privilege of being taught by some of the truly great English teachers in this world–including (then) Ms. Townsend and (still) Mrs. Jacob. These women, my junior high and high school instructors respectively, taught me to diagram sentences with a vengeance, use what can only be described as exceptional grammar (“up with those things I frequently put”) and construct paragraphs that would’ve made Webster cry.  Research papers, theme papers, creative writing–they put me through my paces and by the time I hit college I was more than prepared for what came my way.

What they didn’t teach me was that writing for a website is completely different than writing for a newspaper, a book or virtually any other article known to man.

In their defense, web as we use it didn’t exist when I was in junior high and high school. But even for those who graduated more recently than did I, there is often a misconception relating to what is “correct” insofar as online copy is concerned.

Here’s why: img-pencilsharpener

  • When you want (need) your web site or a specific page within that site to be found by a potential
    audience, a greater emphasis must be placed on commonly accepted words and phrases–even if that means sacrificing or adjusting, to some extent, grammar and/or punctuation
  • Once on the page, few people will read it line for line; thus, the use of bullets, dashes and call outs (including those which might be considered incomplete sentences) often prove more effective than a beautifully crafted paragraph
  • With few exceptions, websites are used to raise awareness, generate leads or sell a product or service; as such, there must be clear links and/or calls to action which move the reader through the site step by step

The world of SEO has played a significant role in how words and phrases are used on websites as well. I have embraced the latest Google updates, which places great value on “the content of your content.” The black hat tactics of a few years ago with its wild keyword stuffing, random links and mind-boggling bolding strategies are now being penalized.

Good website writing eliminates repetitive patterns of words between pages (even though doing so may seem “inconsistent” to some writers) while still being able to naturally include the key messages needed for a properly optimized site. It is tighter in its construct, with its length and content planned long before the first word is written. Most importantly, it guides visitors through the site, providing a path with signs along the way about where they should go and what they should do next.