Category Archive Statistics

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Latest Bylines and a 2017 Recap

words

Photo by Gratisography.com

In December I barely posted on the blog at all because I was working on the move to self-hosting. Even opting for the easy peasy “Let WordPress handle the details” version, it turned out to be a pretty big job. Every single thing you read about how to be a successful blogger says it’s better to self-host. But to be honest, I’m not sure it was the right decision. Anyway, on the paying-work front, November and December were quiet but I did have a few things published. Read More

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New Releases

gorillatypes

I didn’t have any government work in October, so it felt like a slow month. But when it comes to content marketing and features writing, I’ve been working like a beast.

Here are my published stories from the last month. I hope you find something you enjoy.

 

I spilled my cheap travel secrets in How I became an airfare ninja for ParentMap. If I missed any tricks, I’d love for you to let me know so I can afford to travel more.

I blog about opera fairly often, so I was thrilled when ParentMap let me review Hansel and Gretel this fall and make the case for Why you should take your kids to the opera.

And of course, I used my obsessive love of research to bone up on a bunch of everyday legal issues for AvvoStories (formerly more colorfully known as NakedLaw).

How to help a teen get emancipated

The right to protest our national anthem

What police need to learn about mental illness

Do immigrants really have an easy time getting into the U.S.?

What’s so bad about a starter marriage?

Reefer Madness

I don’t look at my page stats much anymore. I’m just too busy with paying work and can barely justify the little amount of time I still spend blogging, without noticing how much traffic has dropped since I wrote long, wordy posts on the regular. But I took a peek and thought I’d share what activity I did find.

In October, besides my home page and the About Me page, the most popular posts were:

Graveyards Well, of course if you post about graveyards on Halloween weekend, someone is going to look.

Opportunity  How positive. I will try not to imagine that people were actually looking for inspirational office posters.

Desiree’s Dolls One of the first posts I ever wrote on the blog. When I first started, I thought that I might make an I Heart Reykjavik sort of blog about Seattle. I know I don’t have the time to do it right, but the perennial popularity of this post about a local artisan who makes rag dolls by hand is proof that it’s a good idea.

Referrals to the blog have shifted. Once it was mostly Facebook and Google searches. Now it’s Twitter and AvvoStories. Perhaps that is evidence that I should start focusing more on my professional side?

Finally, the search terms that led people here. I might not be writing much on this blog, but I think searches like these prove I’m doing something interesting.

eistnaflug nearest airport

Skalmold Airwaves

brakarsund iceland

himalayan yogi cave

 

 

 

 

 

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Recent Work

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Photo from Gratisography.com

It’s not the most professional image to accompany a list of recent publications, but it beautifully illustrates the haphazard nature of late summer freelance work. You’ve got the tools, you’re getting the work done, but there’s a certain … something … that’s missing. After an intense spring, I backed way off this summer. I did a lot of camping, made it to a couple music festivals, caught up with some friends (and my kids!) who wondered where I’d been all spring. I made deadlines and maintained connections with key clients, but I didn’t pursue new work.”Taking it easy” doesn’t mean “taking time off,” though. Here’s what I published in late summer.

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April Word Count Showers

UmbrellaGratisography

I managed to keep up a deluge of freelance output in April despite a big deadline at my county gig. If you’re interested in what I wrote last month, grab an umbrella and prepare for the wordfall. Read More

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Rearview Mirror: Recent Writing

Gratisography http://gratisography.com/

Gratisography http://gratisography.com/

It’s been a busy couple of months on the Crooked Road. As it often does, change came suddenly, and I went from barely working half time to working a little more than full time in a matter of days. The gig that made the difference won’t result in much publicly viewable work, but it is oiling some mental hinges that were starting to get rusty, and it pays well – or it will, when I start getting paid. I’m going to do my best to keep up the production of regular work. Here is a summary of what I’ve been up to lately.

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