Bring a Celebrity to Camp Day

Celebrities affect writers. Whether it's Jane Austen, J.D. Salinger or Gwyneth Paltrow, we naturally look up to people and are inspired by them... for better or worse. But to make Freelance Writing Camp more fun than it already is, who would you bring? A hottie to keep you drooling? A literati to give you advice?

Here are some of my ideas... Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of Suburban Girl as an associate editor trying to make her way to the top. Cute and apparently a stellar editor! What a bargain.

Truman Capote. Alcoholic, narcissistic and usually offensive... but he'll make your blood run cold with his stories.

Anne Hathaway. Classic bone structure and a terrible British accent. Her performance in Becoming Jane will make you throw up and grab your Austen like a lifeboat. Cary Grant-- now we're talking. He's played a writer in his time, but his performance in Indiscreet should give every rom-com writer inspiration. He practically invented the pleasant playboy archetype.
David McCullough. Bit on the older side... and happily married... but John Adams just inspires awe, wonder, laud, honor, praise, glory and a bunch of historical pluses.
Jane. What can I say? You are the definition of hermit celebrity. May you rule forever. Mischa Barton. Um... ?

Observations from Week One

It's Friday morning and my first day off from Freelance Writing Camp in order to spend time with the family (and get free food.) For those who don't know, I've been writing every morning this week in camp-style: at another location, with good food and drink and lots of productivity. My insightful insights and observant observations are below.

The luxury of time. It's amazing to sit down in a cafe and have three hours to write. Normally I have to write an hour before school starts, so I'm stressed and tired. But now I'm relaxed and I get a lot more done.

Need for assignments. I had trouble yesterday because I didn't have enough work, and the book was stalling like a 1983 Volvo. I'm planning on researching some different markets this weekend, so I have enough work for next week.

Best food & drink: Luna bars and Arnold Palmers. The best writing food is usually something like popcorn or trail mix, which can be eaten continously. As far as Best Writing (Non-Alchoholic) Drink, I need something large and low-cal and not totally sweet. Arnolds are working nicely.

To bring music or not. I brought my own music because I had differences of taste and volume with the store's stereo. However, I brought one of my favorite CDs (Relient K's Five Score and Seven Years Ago) and spent too much time listening when I should have been writing. I think I'll go with Disney next time.

Mixing it up. I work on my novel as well as freelance assignments (essays & articles.) Depending on my state of mind, or how early it is, I work on logical pieces (articles, how-tos, advice) and then meandering pieces (essays) and then creative ones (the book.)

Good rhythm. Can I say that I love this schedule? A regular writing time is not a chore (when you get enough sleep), it's a gift. The cafe workers probably think I'm nuts, as I sit down every morning with a huge strawberry tote and look meditative for three hours.

This weekend, look for our regular issue and a round-up of our past Bookshelf interviews. Next week, it's Freelance Writing Camp Gone Crazy with celebrities, pets and weirdest market ever.

Freelance Writing Camp: Day 1

So... remember when I talked about making your own freelance writing camp? I wasn't joking.

I started yesterday morning with about two hours at a local hangout. Not only was I incredibly productive (wrote five pages of novel, finished two articles, some other projects I can't remember) I had a fabulous time. I loved the cheesy music they played, loved the view from the window, loved the frappucino and the cream-filled heart-attack-inducing donut.

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The best part about my writing camp is that there are no distractions. I have no Wi-Fi, so there's no internet to seduce me. There are a few magazines but no books, and I would have to spend money to buy them (broke = no magazines.) So I literally have nothing else to do but write.

Dang. This is fun.

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Tune in the next couple of days for tips on starting & keeping your own freelance writing camp. (Hint: feed all campers well and no, Hilary Swank, you're not a brilliant actress and P.S. I Love You is not a good writing recovery movie. Unless, of course, one is napping.)