The Writing Coach Podcast with Rebecca L. Weber

The way we think about and prepare questions shapes our conversations, our stories, and our own learning. Today I'm teaching a thinking technique that will redirect you back to yourself and your own knowledge. This will allow you to show up with an extra layer or two of understanding whenever you ask a question. I'll show you three different examples of how to Ask Back: Requesting an interview fro...

When an editor posts a call for pitches, freelancers sometimes respond the way they would to the siren's call. The writers retweet them, share them, subscribe to newsletters with them. After weeks of saying they'll get around to pitching, they suddenly snap to attention. Typically, the writer skips over analyzing (or even reading) the publication, and sends out a half-developed idea to join the hu...

Are you telling yourself you're all in and willing to do anything … unless it involves anxiety, doubt, boredom, or frustration? Deciding to do things when you're not in the mood (especially if you're never likely to be in the mood) is the key to growing your freelance career. If you avoid risk, you avoid success as well as failure. Let's look at how and when to take risks. DOWNLOAD MY FREE GUIDE O...

Usually when we talk about mindset work, we're focusing on what you're thinking and how it impacts you. It sort of has to be that way, since the only thoughts you have control over are your own. ;) A lot of freelance writers spend a lot of creative energy thinking about what their editors think … and then let those imaginary thoughts of somebody else stop them. Today I'm going to debunk three of t...

The way I teach writers to set and achieve their goals since I shared my method back in episode 20 has evolved. This is an important update for writers who reach their goals but don't feel as good about them as they thought they might. By definition, when we're striving to reach a goal, we haven't made it yet--and constantly telling ourselves that we aren't there yet can make it hard to fully ackn...

A big area of growth for myself, as well as for many of the writers I coach, is being able to recognize our wins. This means identifying them when they happens. Without a disclaimer about why they don't really count or why they're an anomaly or how it's not enough. When this is very challenging, it often indicates cognitive dissonance. The writer is so used to saying that things aren't working, th...

Some freelancers avoid low-hanging fruit, and always have their eye on a tree in the next orchard over that they can't reach yet. If the fruit is ripe and the right height, picking it now as you learn to climb the tree will sustain you with assignments that are sweet, simple, and easy to attain. But don't pick unripe apples, or ones that are full of worms or rotting on the ground. Don't pretend th...

Melissa Noel is an award-winning, independent multimedia journalist, television host and media entrepreneur. She brings stories to international audiences with a lens on culture, travel, social issues and business. Melissa has covered stories out of the Caribbean region and throughout diaspora communities in the US and Canada for outlets such as One Caribbean Television, CBS News USVI, ABC News US...

After a corona-induced hiatus, Listener Q&A is back. Here are my answers to some of your recent questions: + Should white writers avoid covering stories so that BIPOC voices are heard? + Can I get a media card as a freelancer? + I think my source doesn't like the profile I wrote about her, and I'm not sure what to do. DID YOU ENJOY THE SHOW? Support the Writing Coach Podcast by writing a review on...

Black lives matter, today and every day. This is not always reflected in the media. Today we look at how an anti-racist approach to reporting helps us get closer to the real truth of what is happening in the stories you cover. An anti-racist approach works both in stories that explicitly cover racism, as well as so-called softer stories where you may not have initially identified a racial angle. T...

The way we think about certain events happens so quickly that it can seem like it's the only way to respond. Some of our inner dialogue is so routine, or so convincing, that it feels inevitable—at least at first. Today I'm sharing with you a coaching client who noticed that a thread of thought was distracting her from what she really wanted to focus on. You'll hear how you can redirect in the mome...

This is a followup to last week's episode. Instead of coming up with a sophisticated justification for resisting pitching, this week we're looking at two types of overpitching. Overpitching type 1 is when you are full on pitching. Pitching the socks off of every single story. You become a pitching warrior. If your goal is one assignment, you pitch so hard and so often and so quickly that you likel...

How would your writing life be different if you felt more confident? You're invited to join me for a free, live masterclass on Wednesday, March 20, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern / 6:00 p.m. BST. Click here to register: www.rebeccalweber.com/masterclass In this class we'll look at how you can increase your confidence NOW, without relying on external factors. What would you do if you felt more confident righ...

Are your emails annoying your editor? Are you sending too many followups? Too many story ideas? Are all your messages getting on their nerves? If your pitches are half baked, poorly written, and an overall bad fit for the publication, it really doesn't matter how many you send. You can't send lousy pitches and expect assignments as a reward for not sending them more often. Assuming your pitches ar...

Guilt is a useful emotion when it's alerting to an ethical mistake we've made. But quite often guilt stems from beliefs that aren't true or helpful. Simply telling yourself "Don't feel guilty!" is more likely to make you avoid the feeling rather than deal with it. Today we unpack what to do if you've got a freelance assignment and you're feeling guilty about it. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Please s...

Do you plan your week from Monday morning forward, or from Friday afternoon backwards? When you send out a pitch, are you focused on who you want to write for this week, or who you want to write for in 3 months from now? I find it's often much easier and more successful when I start from the future and work backwards to the present. Today we're tapping into how to plan from the future. Would your...

Do you want to read something that will make you feel good? So does pretty much everyone else. One outcome of coronafatigue has been an increase of interest in solutions journalism as well as non-pandemic articles, as evidenced in the most popular lists and newsletters of many websites. These are a rich data source for freelancers trying to understand what editors are keen to assign right now. SMA...

Your ideal clients a few months ago may no longer be a good fit for you … and some clients who weren't on your radar then may be perfect for you now. In simple terms, your ideal clients are assigning stories now, are able to meet or exceed your desired rates, and have potential for ongoing work. You likely have some other criteria that's important to you as well. If you're not clear about who you'...

Some writers rely on the energy of excitement to write pitches and articles. Sometimes excitement can be very useful for getting things done, but it's not the most reliable or effective of emotions when it comes to marketing. Our editors and readers often don't feel the way we felt while we were writing, and excitement can cause us to skip over essentials. Today we look at the power of excitement,...

Janna Brancolini is an American journalist based in Milan, Italy. She covers environmental and tax policy in Southern Europe for Bloomberg Law, and her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Columbia Journalism Review and Business Insider.  When coronavirus hit Northern Italy in February, Janna's freelance work dried up. There wasn't much to cover in her normal beats, and the travel story she...

Hearing another writer being coached gives you the chance to recognize your own thought patterns and behaviors—and make changes accordingly. Listen to how a shift in perspective opens things up for the following freelance challenges: + A food writer struggles to develop a story angles that staff writers don't see + A journalist questions where to pitch stories that will be relevant for print magaz...

Reporting by video calls, like Skype and Zoom, often gets a bad rap. Freelancers don't want to brush their hair and get on camera, sources don't have the software installed on their device, and the whole experience can seem impersonal compared to meeting in real life. With social distancing and travel restrictions, this is the perfect time to reconsider both your attitude toward the technology and...

As freelance writers, coronavirus hits us both professionally and personally. We're looking at these issues and how mindset management will help you handle: + Freelance workflow with rapidly changing editorial needs + Feeling criticized or blamed for how "the media" is handling coverage + Self-isolation, medical concerns, and information overload MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Let's work together. App...

Join me for this free, live masterclass on Wednesday, March 11, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Click here to register: www.rebeccalweber.com/freeclass In this class we'll look at how you can increase your confidence NOW, without relying on external factors. What would you do if you felt more confident right now? Maybe you would … Make powerful freelance decisions quickly and see them through. Be willing to...

Some freelancers are having stories postponed, killed, or ignored due to the spread of coronavirus. Let's look at how to protect yourself from shifting editorial plans, as well as look at stories that can be assigned now. Feature opportunities abound in how COVID-19 is impacting different segments of the population in your geographic area as well as virtually any niche you normally cover. This is...