I went to a wedding on Friday, and because I’m no longer in my twenties, it takes me two to three days to recover from a hangover—so I didn’t really write anything of substance this week. But two people said I looked like Anne Hathaway, so I think it was worth it. Congrats to the newlyweds, and cheers to me for still checking “single” and “no dependents” on my tax return.
I’ve also embarked on writing a book (insane, I know) so it’s taking up a lot of brain space. Maybe I’ll share some excerpts here soon…
I’ve also realized I’m pretty great at starting projects with gusto…and then leaving them unfinished, so that’s definitely something I want to work on. I can’t fathom writing an entire novel (HUNDREDS of pages and all) but when I get there someday, I will be truly elated.
Making art in a capitalist culture is not for the faint of heart. We spend eight hours a day working for a paycheck, chasing down invoices, grocery shopping, doing laundry, paying bills, attending family functions, tending to relationships, and trying to have some semblance of a social life. You want to write, but your dog is sick and that’s going to cost $400. You want to write, but your car blew a tire and that’s another $300. You want to write, but… life never quits. It’s exhausting. But we must forge on. We must.
No wonder I daydream about living a peaceful life on a Greek island like Leonard Cohen :)
What’s helping me most though is this idea: just make the thing. Put it down on paper, then worry about making it good later. A friend once told me (probably quoting someone else) that writing is like building a sandcastle: first, you dump all the sand, then you shape it.
That’s probably how people finish large works of art—bit by bit, page by page, scene by scene. As a recovering perfectionist, this is difficult for me, but it’s a great place to begin. Don’t look at the whole project, or even your whole life, for that matter, just focus on a small chunk. Take it day by day, step by step. Eventually, you’ll finish something you’re proud of.
Or something like that.
There weren’t many jobs this week, but here are a few still open:
Late Checkout still needs pitches
→ Pitch guidelines: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dariarosesmith_lc-pitching-guidelines-activity-7331019928910651392-qcTaBusiness Insider still wants your travel pitches
→ Pitch call: https://x.com/lydiaetc/status/1927830197337780705Cruise industry features
→ Opportunity details: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nicola-wood-1974b565_freelancer-opportunity-part-ii-activity-7333829729277407233-LVesIntrepid Travel (hiring for various roles)
Intrepid Travel—a leader in small-group adventure tours—is hiring for multiple positions, from content creation to marketing and trip planning.
→ All roles: https://careers.intrepidtravel.com/go/All-Jobs/7853510/Fodor’s (Hawaii-based guidebook writers)
Fodor’s is looking for writers who live on Oahu or Maui to help update their print guidebook coverage.
→ To apply (email your resume and a brief cover letter to): dstallings@fodors.com
Also, things are going to change around here a bit. I recently lost a retainer client (womp, womp, but honestly, I didn’t love them) so I need to make a bit more income.
Starting next week, I’m going to charge for my newsletter (just the job listings!). I’ll still post a free travel story every Sunday, but all the job opportunities will be behind a paywall and posted several times a week. I think that’s fair since it takes me hours to find them.
For the price of a coffee a month, you could land an amazing opportunity to jumpstart your remote writing career and live your travel dreams. Sounds like a win-win.
K, love you, bye.
Love this Taylor! Thank you for sharing as always. :)