Welcome!

September 30, 2011 by diannaobrien

I’m a freelance writer who loves to write about business, homes and issues, ranging from arthritis to hair salon business models. Recently I’ve written about firms doing business in China, community gardens, diabetes prevention efforts, the historic economic impact of movie theatres and travel to Russia.

I’m not glitzy or high maintenance; I’m a writer with 20 years of experience as a journalist, including time as a daily newspaper reporter. I also like to go above and beyond by including little known facts. For example, when I wrote about tattoo studios, I found a poll that showed that Democrats are more likely to have a tattoo than a Republican. (It makes for good coffee shop chit-chat, too.)

I also love giving editors more than they expect, such as reader service boxes, time lines, graphics, lists and anything else that will make an article more fun for the reader. Tips, warnings, do’s and don’ts, you name it and I’ve created it to go with an article.

Here’s what Katrina Tauchen, former managing editor of the Columbia Business Times, said about me:

Dianna is an experienced writer who delivers quality work in a timely manner, time and time again. Her enthusiasm for her subject matter and obvious zeal for writing consistently translate into engaging and well-sourced stories, and she carries with her the kind of natural curiosity that’s not only essential for pursuing assignments but also for generating new story ideas. She’s inquisitive and proactive: two qualities any editor can appreciate.

I also make sure I get it right, double-checking quotes and context with sources to make sure readers are never misled or misinformed.

Oh, yeah, I also hit my deadlines. If I can’t, I won’t take the assignment.

If I sound like the kind of freelancer you want, enthusiastic, enterprising and accurate and on time, give me a call or email me.

Posted in Articles, Charles W. Gehrke, Columbia and Boone County Historic Homes, Columbia Historic Homes, Freelance writer, Journalism practices | Leave a Comment »

Writer’s Digest, a magazine for freelance writers

August 29, 2011 by diannaobrien

I always say that what I love about being a freelance writer is I get to learn all the time. And some of that learning is about the craft of freelance writing. That’s why I subscribe to Writer’s Digest.

I’m sure every freelance writer has his or her favorite magazine; Writer’s Digest is one of three magazines I subscribe to.

The magazine has a website, http://www.writersdigest.com/, in addition to the magazine, which is published eight times a year.

Each issue includes articles and features for freelancers, although the bulk of the magazine is devoted to writers of books, poetry and short stories. Yet even the features devoted to these areas, such as author profiles give freelancers like me insight and something to learn. For example, the profile of Julia Cameron, the author of The Artist’s Way, notes she began by writing feature articles and freelancing.

Here are just a few of the departments and articles I’ve found especially helpful:

Standout Markets – a list of various markets, it always includes markets for freelance work.

Conference Scene by Linda Formichelli offers a view of places where writers can gather for networking and learning. Each installation of Conference Scene has a theme, such as Writing Without Borders, writing conference throughout the world, or Finding Your Niche, which listed conferences for screenwriters and pet writers.

“The Wired Writer,” in the July/August 2011 edition of the magazine outlined various apps writers would find useful.

Write a How-To Article in Six Easy Steps, by Christina Katz, also in the July/August 2011 broke down a formula article into six easy steps.

The Not-So-Fantastic Four. This article in the July/August 2011 issue outlined four freelancers’ biggest problems, with tips on how to solve them. The examples in the article included an AWOL editor, vague assignments, late-paying clients. The article was by Kelly James-Enger, author of Six-Figure Freelancing. I enjoyed reading this article because it told me that I’m not the only freelance for face these obstacles.

The fact-check checklist, May/June 2011

101 Best Website for Writers, May/June 2011

Getting Started in Ghostwriting by Kelly James-Enger, with a box on markets, March/April 2011.

Best Online Markets by Vanessa Wieland & Jennifer Benner, Nov/Dec 2010.

Posted in Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Pure Audio and email interviewing

August 22, 2011 by diannaobrien

One of the things Jim Fisher, a writing teacher at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, taught me is to arrive at an interview at least five minutes early. The person being interviewed is probably nervous and there’s no need to make him or her more nervous by arriving just on time or late.

And so I do make sure I’m there early. But sometimes there’s no way to make someone trust me as a journalist. They may have been burned or misquoted and despite my assurances that I accuracy check all my articles, i.e. let a source review for accuracy the entire article before submitting to my editor, some people still are nervous.

That was the case with Travis Huff of Pure Audio when I interviewed him for this article, Creating sounds of something great, published in the Columbia Business Times on August 19, 2011, reprinted from Columbia Home’s August/September 2011 issue.

After the initial interview and then a change in focus from the editor, Travis asked if I could interview him by email. No problem, I thought, except for follow-up questions. Journalists know that the follow-up question can be the most important one of an interview. There’s no way to know everything we need to know before we arrive, so when a source says something interesting, it is crucial to follow up with a question.

What followed were several days of emails. But then I learned another downside of email interviews. Travis’s answers were great. But they were very formal. We all write in a more formal tone than we talk.

So how to bring a business story to life? Ask the people who are affected — Pure Audio’s customers.

The result is an article that highlights what Pure Audio really does. Sure, Huff explained that the company installs digital sound and video systems for homes and offices. But John Schuppan and others explained what Pure Audio really does — help people enjoy the digital sound and video systems in their homes.

Now that’s something worth writing about.

Here’s a summary of the article:

August 19, 2011, Creating sounds of something great, Columbia Business Times. Columbia firm Pure Audio & Video Specialty installs digital media systems in new and older homes, simplifying the music/video system. Yes, you can have just one remote for the whole house, and no the television does not have to be the focus of a room. A reprint from Columbia Home, August/September 2011 issue.

Posted in Articles, Journalism practices | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Journalists’ Toolbox from Society of Professional Journalists

August 10, 2011 by diannaobrien

Like Kermit the Frog said about being green, being a journalist isn’t easy. That’s why the Society of Professional Journalists provides resources to help journalists in their pursuit of excellence.

Below is a link to the SPJ’s online journaliststoolbox.

The SPJ, founded in 1909, is dedicated to “the perpetuation of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty,” according to its website.

For more information on the SPJ, see its website at http://www.spj.org/index.asp

Posted in Journalism practices | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Centro Latino: Why is this important

June 14, 2011 by diannaobrien

One of the core missions of journalism, I believe, is to explain why something is important.

This article does exactly that, in concrete and subtle ways. First, it outlines the expansion of the Centro Latino and the role of Eduardo Crespi.

Under Crespi’s direction, the Centro has been serving the growing Hispanic community of Columbia for 11 years. Now, he’s expanding its educational offerings in an effort to stem the tide of obesity in this population and the community as a whole.

The article outlines the obesity rates and the results of the problem. But it also highlights the results of one man’s efforts, multiplied through networking and community effort.

You can read the article at the link below:

June 10, 2011, Centro Latino: Relocating, Expanding Mission, Columbia Business Times. The 11-year-old Centro Latino, is moving to a new location and starting a new operation, Comedor Popular. Guided by Eduardo Crespi, the center, which provides assistance to Columbia’s growing Hispanic population, will now offer meals and education to stem the tide of obesity and related illnesses.

Posted in Articles, Journalism practices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Freddy Spencer: A story too good to be true, but it is

May 4, 2011 by diannaobrien

As a journalist, I can become jaded. A story too good to be true often is just that.

But not in this case. When I first spoke to Freddy Spencer, it seemed hard to believe that despite being out of the office nearly more than he was in it during 2009, his fledgling real estate office increased sales and number of agents. He credited his positive attitude.

As a journalist, that seemed like a flimsy thing to peg his success on. But when I spoke to his agents, friends and family members, that’s what they kept talking about, along with his faith and support of them. I still checked with the corporate office, to check his numbers. I checked with other sources as well. That’s journalism, double checking and triple checking.

In addition, I spoke to many people, several of whom I didn’t quote in the article. I was looking for the “real” reason Spencer’s company thrived despite his absence. In the end, it seemed that a story too good to be true really was.

You can read all about it in this article about Freddy Spencer, his family and his business via the Columbia Business Times website.

Below is a blurb about the article and a link to it.

April 29, 2011, A Realtor’s Ordeal Birth becomes blessing, business gains perspective, Columbia Business Times. In the last couple of years, Freddy Spencer of Century 21 Advantage, has faced a trifecta of trauma: he launched his real estate office just as the housing market crashed, his mother died suddenly in 2008 and in 2009, his son was born with a rare heart defect. Despite these odds, his company thrived. Spencer — and his agents — credit his positive attitude, faith and his support of his agents.

Posted in Articles, Journalism practices | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

North Tenth Street Parker building getting the Atkins touch

April 2, 2011 by diannaobrien

I’ve walked by this building countless times, but never knew it was a link to one of Columbia’s oldest businesses, the Parker Funeral Service.

Before Parker’s moved to 22 N. Tenth Street, it occupied 16 N. Tenth Street — as Parker Furniture Store. As was often the case when Parker built the circa 1907 building, furniture stores often made cabinets and caskets.

This building is now in the hands of Atkins Investments, which is planning renovate the building. This article published on April 1, 2011 in the Columbia Business Times, includes information on the four other historic buildings Atkins has renovated in Columbia and the importance of the company’s first project. That project involved the renovation – transformation really – of the Virginia Building, which was then called the Strollway Center. As one source put it, that renovation led the charge in downtown historic renovations.

What I love about journalism is getting to know about things I might never have known. Who knew the former Gold’s Gym was the former Parker Furniture Store? Who knew it would one day face renovation by the same company that renovated the downtown Virginia Building, where the forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce used to meet? As well as the same company that renovated Columbia’s first attempt at luring business to the city, the Hamilton-Brown Shoe Company.

All that and more is in this article.

Posted in Articles | Leave a Comment »

Older Posts »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.