Greetings! Some updates on my schedule.

Unfortunately, I’m no longer offering my Story Ideas That Sell workshop. Last fall I had a long think about what direction to take my career, which meant ruling out projects that pull me away from my goals. Teaching was one of them. Sorry folks! But I’ll continue posting at the Renegade Writer blog, and in the next few months, I’ll be giving a teleseminar with the fabulous Linda Formichelli on — ta dah! — idea generation. Details TK.

So, that new direction I mentioned. I’ve been working on a book proposal for the last few months, and I’m really, really, REALLY psyched about it. The book’s topic is one that’s close to my heart; the proposal itself was actually a lot of fun to write. Yeah, you read that right … fun! (If you know anything about me, you know that I rarely describe writing as “fun.”) My agent sent the proposal out last week, so keep your fingers crossed for me, okay?

I continue to write for the Boston Globe (I just reviewed the honkingly huge Cuisinart Elite food processor), and Kiwi Magazine just published a story I wrote about all-natural food colorings and flavors. I’m working on another piece for them about a topic near-and-dear to my heart. Let’s just say it’s raw.

As for speaking engagements, Smith College (my alma mater) invited me to speak on a freelancing panel at “A Century of Women in Type: A Conference for Smith Women in the Media” on March 25-26, 2010 in Northampton, MA. I was honored by the invitation, as I’ll be speaking with the Smith alums Gloria Steinem, Wendy Kaminer, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, Andrea Cooper (a freelancer I admire greatly), among others. Yay!

Till next time.

My, how the winter has flown by. I’m weeks away from my India trip and in the midst of getting all my immunizations updated. This a.m. I finished my typhoid series, and tomorrow I head back to the doctor for my next round of rabies and hepatitis a/b shots. I’m starting to feel a little like the family dog! Then there are all the prescription meds I have to take along with me. My husband took one look at the immunization and prescription list and said, “You won’t catch me visiting a country where I need shots to get through immigration.” Haa! To be honest, I’m most worried about mosquitoes when we’re cruising the Kerala backwaters. It’s not malaria season in south India, but mosquitoes seem to think my blood is sweet and tasty. I’ve stocked up on repellents with the highest amount of DEET allowed.

I’ve also just purchased a new Nikon digital SLR camera. Once the current slew of assignments are off my desk, I hope to get out and play with it, as I need to take magazine-worthy photos for an assignment when I’m in south Asia.

Nothing much going on except that I’m swamped with work, which is, of course, a good thing. I recently got named as a contributing editor at Clean Eating magazine. When I picked up the premiere issue on the newsstand a month or so ago, I literally gasped when I thumbed through the pages. It’s a stunning magazine, filled with such gorgeous pictures of food — and I was so proud that I’d developed many of the recipes, including the main recipe feature. In the January/February issue of fresh, which you can pick up at Hannaford markets in the northeast, you’ll find my recipes for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.

Right now, I’m working on some stories for an inflight magazine, as well as some recipe development projects for fresh and Clean Eating. Oh, and finishing up two long-overdue-to-my-agent book proposals. Tomorrow I’m speaking to a food writing class at Boston University about how to write a great pitch letter. My Boston Globe editor is teaching the class, so I’m pretty flattered she asked me to speak!

Till next time! [db]

Check out my week-long food blog at eGullet. I’ll be blogging until Sunday, January 20.

I’ll be teaching my popular magazine writing class, Freelance Magazine Writing for Fun & Profit, though Chelmsford Community Education again this spring, starting on Tuesday, March 6, 2007. The class runs for three weeks from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. A few of my students have gone on to write for magazines including Parenting, Woman’s Day, and Yankee. They were already pretty terrific writers before my class, but hey, I like to think my kick in the pants made the difference. So don’t be shy — sign up today! The class always ends up being a lot of fun.

I’m also attending — not speaking at — Boston University’s Food and Wine Writing Symposium on Saturday, March 31. If you see me, say hi. I’m very excited about this symposium as some of my favorite authors, writer friends, and editors will be in attendance. While I adore writing about food and developing recipes, the truth is my high school home ec teacher kicked me out of her classroom. (Seriously. I’m not making that up.) I’ve got huge gaps in my knowledge of culinary matters, starting with how to time dishes so they all end up on the dinner table at once.

I’ll be speaking about crafting the perfect query letter with my co-author, Linda Formichelli, on Thursday, November 9, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Warwick, Rhode Island. We’ll also be signing our brand new book, The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters That Rock, which is coming out this week. While we have a prepared talk about how to put your best foot forward with editors, we’ll also have plenty of time to answer your writing-related questions.

Directions here. I look forward to meeting you!

Here’s my schedule for fall 2006:

September 22 – 23, 2006
Connecticut Coast Writers Retreat, Milford Yacht Club, Milford, CT, $199.
*Speaking with Linda Formichelli on how to write the perfect pitch letter.

October 3, 10, & 17, 2006
Chelmsford Community Education, Chelmsford, MA
*Teaching Get Published!: Magazine Writing for Fun & Profit, $60, on Tuesdays beginning Oct. 3, 6:00 – 9:00 PM. From the catalog: “Dream about writing for top magazines? Learn how to make a lucrative living off your timely ideas from a professional freelance journalist. From idea-gathering to completing your article, we’ll explore the skills and strategies you can use for freelance writing success.”

October 19, 2006
National Speakers Association teleseminar, details TK.

November 7-17, 2006
Editorial Freelancers Association online class, Query Letters That Rock, Tuesdays and Fridays, EFA members, $95; non-members, $115.

November 9, 2006
Barnes & Noble, Warwick, RI, workshop and signing, 7 p.m., free
*Linda Formichelli and I will be talking about the perfect pitch and signing copies of our new book, The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters That Rock.