Unpaid writing: A way to gain experience?

crimsonfire

First off I apologise if this is the wrong forum. It seemed the most appropriate. This thread concerns feature, article and review writing.

I know I want to be a writer but I have no experience, meaningful qualifications or anything published. As I haven't much industry experience (apart from a journalism course I didn't finish years ago) I thought it would be a good idea to write articles and features for free. Are there websites or independent magazines in Ireland that accept free contributions? I see it as a good way to hone my "skills" while getting my name out there. I also wouldn't have the foggiest notion how to get on the ladder in the industry. I'd be looking at film, culture, technology and entertainment type stuff. The "niche"-ier the better haha.

I am a fiction writer too but I've done a lot more homework there. The lack of anything published in that capacity is my own fault

FewFew

Setting up a blog is a genuinely good way to keep your skills sharp and work on your portfolio. After that you'll find loads of places dying for free content, especially online. If a newspaper prints your article they should pay you, otherwise unions will be grumbling.

Check out the news&media forum for more advice on this type of writing.

ondeball

Get yourself a blog going on Wordpress and use Twitter to promote it.

Some good publication for submitting to when you're practicising are Ireland's Own (very good for short stories) and the Dubliner.

Lots of publications welcome free content so just get into Eason's and have a look around to see the style of publication you think you'd fit well with.

It's all about building up your portfolio in line with building up your confidence, reputation and talent.

EileenG

I would blog for free, but if you are writing anything which is getting published (unless it's for charity) you should be paid. If your work is good enough to be published, it's good enough to earn money.

EileenG

By the way, posting here and asking for a critique is a good way to learn a lot in a hurry. Editors who don't use your work will just say they are not using it, they won't say why. If you post here, you'll get a lot of feedback on which areas of your writing need most work.

crimsonfire

Thanks very much, guys. Good advice all round. I do actually have a blog on Wordpress and registered my full name as a .com domain. I hear that's the first port of call. I don't post on it much and have trouble finding things to write about. That is my own fault though, I'm not looking hard enough

Any of you do this type of writing? Any success stories?

FewFew

crimsonfire wrote: »

Any of you do this type of writing? Any success stories?

I set up a current affairs type blog in college, got head hunted, now have a full-time job, so, it can work out, you just need to put the work in.

EileenG

crimsonfire wrote: »

Any of you do this type of writing? Any success stories?

I don't blog, but I am a freelance journalist (all right, currently at home with the children and writing novels) but I started from scratch, doing feature articles for whatever I could get from local papers and small magazines, and working up to doing news full time for the Nationals.

crimsonfire

Good to hear. Nice to know there's some success to be found with something that's so satisfying to do.

Writing has never taken centre stage in my life but I am starting to realise that it's all I've ever wanted to really do career wise. Guess I just need that first "win" to give me the confidence to pursue it. That "win" for me would be seeing my name and article in print or at least on a reputable website.

FewFew

crimsonfire wrote: »

Good to hear. Nice to know there's some success to be found with something that's so satisfying to do.

Writing has never taken centre stage in my life but I am starting to realise that it's all I've ever wanted to really do career wise. Guess I just need that first "win" to give me the confidence to pursue it. That "win" for me would be seeing my name and article in print or at least on a reputable website.

Depending where you're located, try to get yourself out to big events around the place. Bring a camera or a dictaphone and capture some of the action. Then bust out the eye-witness report for publications. If you're lucky enough to be where other journos aren't then you can grab the scoop-a-loop and hopefully someone will publish it. Also attending such things is a great chance for colour pieces for your local media if you do it right.

crimsonfire

Yeah I must try that. I'm currently taking the blog suggestion on board too. The one I have is hosted by Wordpress.com but I'm looking at paying for hosting and making it a bit more professional, get a posting schedule going and getting myself used to sniffing out potential articles. I'm going to really try and make a bona fide portfolio/showcase type site. Suppose it won't happen for me unless I get off my backside and put in the graft.

EileenG

Fewcifur wrote: »

Depending where you're located, try to get yourself out to big events around the place. Bring a camera or a dictaphone and capture some of the action. Then bust out the eye-witness report for publications. If you're lucky enough to be where other journos aren't then you can grab the scoop-a-loop and hopefully someone will publish it. Also attending such things is a great chance for colour pieces for your local media if you do it right.

This.

Always carry a notebook and keep your eyes and ears open. The smallest thing can be a great story if you find the angle that makes it unusual.

If you see something, go and interview people. Don't just say "A car slipped on a banana skin", find out what the driver of the car was doing when it slipped (and spell his name right), find out what the other witnesses thought was happening, then get a quote from the investigating Garda about the legality of banana slipping, and maybe even from the makers of the car which slipped.