Psst-Have You Heard?

Wendy Williams was called on her show by Chicago’s own Bruce Dumont, National Chairman of the Radio Hall of Fame to inform Ms. Wendy that she had been inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame! Ms. Wendy who admitted to being aware of her nomination, actually cried for real tears folks & not the fake kind…Anyhow, congratulations to her!

Clara54’s article Five Surefire Ways To Ignite Interest In Your Freelance Writing Business was recently published by The Small Business CEO Magazine for their August issue. You can link to the article here: Http://www.SmallBusinessCEOMagazine.com/article.aspx?Article=412. 

Sherri Shepard who wore a bikini on The View today to show off her new figure, will be doing her evening comedy show, aptly titled, SHERRI and co-hosting The View in the mornings; her husband on the show? Mr. Malcolm Jamal Warner- that Cosby kid has grown to become a hunk-a-hunk of burning love! just sayin’

Clara54 recently profiled her Marketingbuddha Bootcamp for writers instructor here. The good news for Chicago writers is that Sonya Carmichael Jones is headed to Chicago in October to teach a class! Interested parties can visit Sonya’s website @ http://www.freelancewritermarketingcenter for updates & of course, Clara54.

Terri S. Nelson is putting the final touches on her upcoming book Reflections From Women where I’m among the lucky 50 writers chosen from entries all over the world I might add, to be included in the book about women… for women… 

Ok, that’s ALL you lucky readers of clara54 is gonna get for today, but tune in because “Life is like a box of chocolates”… Remember? The parting question of today…Do you all think Paula Abdul should leave American Idol? and Should Kirstie Alley (rumored) replace her?

FYI: It might be a man’s world, but it’s women who RULE …

Sonya Carmichael Jones…Marketing Guru

C54.Sonya thanks for giving clara54 a moment of your time. You’ve recently wrapped another marketing bootcamp for writers class. Can you tell us a bit about your classes & what they have to offer us writers? 

  

 Get published. Get paid! Marketing Bootcamp for Freelance writers is a one-of-a-kind course open to all freelance writers—regardless of their writing experience. Several things make this class different from other freelance writing classes. One is that Marketing Bootcamp focuses on marketing strategies—things that writers can do for long-term self-sustainability. In other words my workshop is all about helping freelance writers earn money. We cover marketing strategies such as email marketing, direct mail marketing, search optimization, social networking—any current marketing trend that is effective and can be easily applied to a freelance writing business.

The class is being offered in several locations and is coming to Chicago in October. All the details will be posted on:http://www.freelancewritermarketingcenter

 

C54. I understand you’ve just celebrated your 10th year of being a copywriter…have you always known what your career goals were?

 

 

 I wanted to write books. Be an author. By the time I was 14 I had my Oprah interview down. And I still have aspirations of being the next Toni Morrison. In college I subscribed to Essence Magazine and was fascinated by the freelance writer Bios so I also wanted to write magazine articles. I never thought of copywriting until 2000 when it turned up in an Internet search while I was looking for basic information on freelance writing.

I read several books about copywriters making 6 figures and being self-sufficient on a freelance writing income in less than a year. It gave me a lot of inspiration because I’d always heard that writers didn’t make much money. Ten years later I’m still freelance writing full-time and I’m very well fed. I offer more than copywriting services I help other companies (writers included!) plan and launch their marketing campaigns. I specialize in SEO, direct response and lead generation strategies. Writers have the opportunity to create their own career paths.

 

C54.What’s the best advice you’d give to writers embarking upon starting their own freelance writing business?

 

 

Treat freelance writing as a business. Think about how you want to position your writing business and take the necessary action steps. Be prepared to work at providing superior service and keep improving your skills. Learn how to market yourself and market consistently—even when you have writing assignments lined up. Be brave. A combination of giant leaps and baby steps will help you build confidence.

 

C54. I’ve heard that it actually takes 10 years to become a success in freelance writing, maybe half if you’re persistent. Do you think this is the norm?

 

 

 How long it takes for a writer to become successful depends on several things: Drive and ambition. A clear goal. A writer’s marketing ability and writing skill. Having a solid support system. Having the belief in yourself. A writer has to define success in his or her own terms. Success could be a byline or a paycheck or extra money to purchase a new scooter.

 

C54. How do you define success?

 

 

  Doing what I love and making a living at it.

 

 C54.What are you working on now?

I’m writing website copy for a computer repair company that just opened its third store in Seattle. I’m also preparing for October Bootcamp.

 

C54. You’re so busy, how do you break the monotony of this crazy, wonderful world of the freelance writer? 

 

I run. I bike (the pedaling kind). I go camping in the wilderness. I keep Michael Jackson’s moon walk alive.

 

Thanks Sonya…

 

 

AUSTRALIA:THE MOVIE

I’ve never been a big fan of Nicole Kidman’s, even when she married Tom Cruise, although I thought they made for a greal celebrity coupling. Hugh Jackman brought a bit of sexy to his Wolverine character, but, still never made my heart go pitter-patter. Putting these two A- list movie stars together in the movie Australia, however, has made me eat my words- This movie is an emotional, sentimental, witty & wistful piece of great cinema, colorful characters & a long to be there background setting of the ‘Down Under’ …

Australia centers around a woman (supposedly British) when we all know Ms Kidman is Australian, who comes from a wealthy cattle breeding  legacy& who in the interest of her family’s name decides to go where no decent ‘lady’ goes; To Australia to find out what’s happening with one of their properties.

The man( apparent trouble) who comes to welcome the lady is none other than the ‘Drover’ and what a mess of a character he is…and devious folks begin to note with certainty that when the lady meets the drover, she’ll simply sell the property to the villian who desires it & hightail it back from whence she came. The storyteller is a little boy born…”Not white..’not black” begins the tale of the Woman and the Drover.

There’s no shame in my game when I say that I balled like a baby several times throughout the movie & no, folks, it wasn’t because of Mother Nature! The movie for me was a reminder of family.Custom & spiritual belief. Love and Friendship. Regret and amends. Australia is a must see movie. Ladies try to snag your sweetie to cuddle with, it’s no fun watching Australia alone. BTW clara54 recommends grabbing a box of kleenex for when the tears flow & they will flow…

Writing Insomniac…

Occurs when there’s so much stuff atop the closet that houses my brain while the realization that I should be writing when nothing seems forthcoming causing sleepless nights, tossing & turning until snippits of conversation, images & flashes of light filters through… If you’re like me, you jump out of bed to place your BIC and ‘write’ for a miracle…

So your flow begins & you smile as the story emerges. Forget for a moment how tired you are. That the hustle & bustle of a mornings ‘day’ job looms. Instead, James Brown is singing “please, please, please.” and Macy Gray is screaming  “you bring out the ‘woman’ in me.” and you ponder, what’s love got to do with it?

But, you’re a writer & you ‘re creating. BESIDES, you’re not striving for perfection here, just a little bit of satisfication…heck, it’s ALL greeek to me, anyhow… ”yawn”

Review of Wendy “How Yer Doing?”Williams Show

My first paying job writing online was in 2007 for a celebrity/gossip website out of Las Vegas, Nevada. It took me only a few months between deciding to get serious about my work & trolling for jobs that I landed the gig . A no brainer for me because I’d grown up reading all the gossip mags & became a sort of go-to-girl for information about Celebrity.

Unfortunately, I’d taken the job because it was my first offer & not because I liked where my part came into play for this website. I was basically writing copy for someone else to take the credit, a ghostwriter, if you may…Nothing wrong with that, Ghostwriting brings in a pretty penny for those interested in doing that sort of work.

To make a long story short, I quit & I think it was a mutual and agreeable parting because the website was geared toward younger folks as well & I didn’t really gel with terms such as “like, I’m writing for this”. You get like, what I mean? Anyhow, I’ve been wanting to get back to the In Your Face sort of celebrity profile reviews I cut my teeth on back in the day.

The debut of The Wendy “how yer doing?” Williams Show on Fox television has given me just cause to flex my satirical review of celebrity. Wendy Williams first caught my eye when she had that great dispute on radio with Whitney Houston. Remember how Whitney wanted to come through the telephone on the talk trash diva after Wendy started asking those drug questions? Then, there was the time Wendy got into a terrible row with The Celebrity Apprentice’s Amorosa!

Those two catfighting on live tv, made for great ratings & seemingly helped to propel Wendy William’s career from 23 years in broadcasting to hosting her own talk television show. Let me just say for the record, Clara54 is sort of loving this unconventional, unrestrained & oftentimes off color humor coming out of this 40- something woman’s mouth. With Wendy Williams there’s no getting around it!

The guests have included Jimmy Fallen & an upcoming appearance by Vivica  A. Fox who will undoubtedly talk about the joys of ‘Cougar’ women. There’s also an ‘Ask Wendy’ segment, where the audience ask personal questions and receive some pretty straight forward answers from Wendy. There were a couple of spots that dragged in places; The cooking part in one segment where the Diva didn’t really allow much camera time to her guest. It was to be about showcasing his culinary talents, however It seemed she was hogging the camera as opposed to allowing his 15 minutes in the spotlight…

The big announcement from Wendy Williams today was that she’s leaving Inner City Broadcasting after 23 years to concentrate on her new show. If Oprah’s not worried now, perhaps she should be later. Clara54 has been on celebrity/entertainment watch for sometime & I’d give Wendy “How yer doing” Williams a 3 thumbs up along with a prediction that the show is only gonna get better with time…catch the show weekdays at 3pm on Fox. Check your local listings.

One On One With Kai Duc Luong-Filmmaker

C54. Last we talked you were in Paris doing  the video for CHAT-how’d that go?

Kai. Yes, indeed I was in Paris shooting a music video for EMI/Capitol France and an up -and-coming French Band called CHAT (which means CAT in French). She is a talented pianist classically trained @ the Conservatory in Geneva who started a career as a singer-songwriter three years ago. After being discovered through Myspace, she signed a major contract. Chat contacted me in October 2008 to work on her single ‘Alice Music Video’ for the release of her debut album (Folie Douce )which came out in February 2009. We had known each other for a few years and always wanted to do something together. This was the opportunity.

C54. You sent your readers/fans & such(myself) a copy of the spoiler interview. It was quite interesting and informative. Will you be doing that sort of Radio/interview soon?

Kai. I am always open to interviews. If any of you know of anyone interested in doing so, please do not hesitate to contact me. Spoiler Radio Alert is a very nice concept & I am grateful of radio host Toni Pennachia’s for her support of independent artists in the movie arena.

C54. Tell me about Los Angeles. How did folks receive the screening of your documentary “SomePlace Else”? Are you still getting rave reviews?

Kai. Yes, we went to LA for the screening of our documentary SOMEPLACE ELSE at the Director’s Guild of America, for visual Communications’ LA Asian Pacific Film Fest.  It was both a little trip for leisure to get out of Chicago’s moody weather and obviously go there to promote the film. My co-director Avisheh Mohsenin is Iranian, and the largest Persian community in the US is the LA area, and Avisheh happened to be featured on the main Iranian website so we had a great showing from this community. Also I am always humbled by the support of non-for-profit organizations and Asian-American programmers, who have singlehandedly been the most supportive of my efforts.

C54. Are you back in Chicago? 

Kai. Yes, I’m in Chicago but will have to go back to Paris again. I’ve been here for about a couple of months now,and was working on a few projects. I was quite drained after my Persian stint, so I also took a little time to relax.

C54. I’d read sometime ago an interview where you’d talked of how you’d like to make a film about your family’s escape from Cambodia. I thought of this beautiful/inspiring legacy for your family. Are you still considering this project?

Kai. I tried to pitch this to the producers in Paris, but no success thus far. Sometimes they don’t think about the personal touches that one can imprint on a story & tend to just see that a movie or a documentary has already been done on that subject, so this should be enough…Movies about World War11 are produced every year and keep on popping up… so why is it that there shouldn’t be more than one movie about the experience of the Cambodian genocide, or the Armenian one, or the Rwandan one?

C54. Have you kept in touch with that ‘raunchy’ bluesman from SOMEPLACE ELSE?

Kai. (laughs) Unfortunately, I haven’t seen Vance Kelly play for about nine months now…kinda miss it. I should try to go see him before I go out of town again but he’s aware of what’s happening through his daughter with whom I keep regularly in touch with. 

C54. I know you’re busy kind sir, so I’ll say keep in touch and much success.

Kai. Thanks so much Clara for your kind support all along and keep me posted on your end with what’s new!!!

*This interview was edited for sake of brevity. Clara54 will alert her readers to the full interview in upcoming posts…

I Know ‘Love’ Poetry…

It’s been a while that’s for sure, since I’ve penned a “for love poem” but I’ve been missing my love of words & have been thinking lately on the possibility of a ‘thang’ and if for no other reason than this, maybe my readers might get a kick out of my prose & glimpse another side of this transitional nurse, woman, and writer.  Here goes:

For No Other Reason…

than to hear your soft laughter

after man on woman loving

or, whatever floats your boat

The outcome of two people cupplings

make for happy times & even happier moods

for whatever the day might bring…

Basking in moments of shared intimacies

where their ‘flow’ seems right … 

It is the most awesome feeling

to show another your

caring, compassionate, & passionate self

perhaps ,oftentimes kept hidden

away from prying eyes & inquiring minds

of the world…

Clara54 advises folks to:

live a little

love a lot

give themselves up

To the possibility of a ‘thang’

to note with certainty:

I’ve been there…

done that…

loved…

The Endless Possibilities For Writers Who Network…

Ok, so you remember how hesitant I was to join Twitter right? Sure ya do. Anyhow, from where I’m sitting today, it was the best networking move that I could have done, other than visiting writer’s blogs & commenting. Have met some great folks that way as well. However, today has been a great day of communication via email & twitter. So many folks are following me on Twitter & I in turn follow them…Well only the ones with similar interests.

Heard back from Kyle Avermann (who’s on twitter as well) about the new citizen journalism group & it’s an apparent go…According to Kyle, folks were lined up to apply! Also the gig I’d applied for at The International responded with an assignment to complete as this prestigious job is one that few folks get to actually obtain. I’m still debating this one, seems If I pass this assignment, I’ll commit to a weekly article with an international focus(natch) and the pay is excellent!

It was a pleasure to hear from Carrie Clark, the Illinois HWA coorindinator. NBC picked up a segment on workplace bullying with interviews with Dr. Gary Namie, founder of the Workplace Bullying Institute and also told the story of Coleen Robinson, an Illinois Healthy Workplace Advocate & the State Coorindinator. Readers can see the entire interview here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31904004#31904004. You can also visit the Workplace Bullying Institute’s Website.

Off from my ‘day’ job. It’s been a crazy whirlwind of a day. Between talking with friends & family and putting in queries, I’m pretty beat, yet optimistic about what tomorrow brings. A query sent out today for possible “Columnist” position got a prompt response letting me know they’ll make a decision within a reasonable stretch of time due to the many submissions! Keep your fingers & toes crossed that I get this gig because I’m bursting to share tools learned from living life experiences to other women of a certain age…Hear me now!:)

A bit of silliness always bring a smile at clara54. “Ya feel me?”

Today’s “Writer” Update…

NOT a writing day, it was a nursing day! Yep. Spent time with the elderly was exhausted and came home to warm bath, napped & checked emails…same in AM. Would think I’d miss out on sitting at my trusted computer & you’d be right, but, there’s also a wealth of information to be had here, ALL  good as I’m collecting stories & a paycheck for the future of my writing business… 

Some writing updates include sending out an updated bio for inclusion in ReflectionsFromWomen, a book of motivational/inspirational stories from women whose stories might help other women on their journey in life. The author, Terri S. Nelson is a clinical social worker as well, sooo feel very honored to be included in her book.

Also received email from a young fellow whose Citizen Journalism reportings have landed him on CNN’s iReport and who asked (after reading my columns at examiner.com) if I’d be interested in participating in a citizen journalist group he’s starting in the Illinois area. Of course, I said he was welcome to send details…

Addressed the ‘in your face’ racism of folks at the Philadelphia camp that removed 65 children from their swimming pool because of the color of their skin…in 2009 I might add! The article can be viewed at my column over on BLOGHER… Clara54 will try to keep it light & fun here, but if you’ve been following my work, you’ll notice the digression when ’stuff’ happens and it becomes something that cannot & shouldn’t be ignored…

Sent out queries of interest for possible gigs and added reminder to followup on a few promised interviews for clara54 on my “to do” list.

Anyho, that was clara54’s update for the week…What writers roundtable stuff you’d like to share with my readers?

Clara54 Review of Sex & The City-The Movie

I’m somewhat of a ‘yea, that can wait’ sort of person when it comes to flocking to see the latest movie, reading the next bestseller, or rushing out to purchase the newest CD of the next great musician. I suppose when its already been played up repeatedly in the media, friends, family and such. .. AND you listen to ALL of these other versions of what went on and it’s like, “I’ll catch it later.” Such was the case with the movie Sex & The City… Took  me more than a year to watch it.

First off, Let me be fair and say how much I liked the fashion all 4 women sported along with the shoes & purses to match, enjoyed the flavor Jennifer Hudson added to the mix,. Loved looking upon the streets of New York… But in my opinion, the lackluster performances of all involved were nothing to write home about. It seemed that the actors were just going through the motions this time around. Even Mr. Big buying Carrie lots of closet space didn’t go over well as Carrie showed her love & appreciation …too detached.

There was no connectiveness…Nothing & no one jelled. There wasn’t any ‘oomph’ to the storylines and I for one was happy I’d not joined the circus of folks rushing out to see the movie. I wrote an indepth reason for why It took me so long to watch Sex & The City-The Movie at http://ezinearticles.com but, for whatever reason I’m writing about it at clara54 perhaps in hopes that the rumored next Sex Movie in the works will have the ole flavor of the television series.

Maybe it’s just me, but, even Mr. Big served to disappoint…just sayin’