The Secret of My Success - An Interview With JJ Murphy
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Meet J. J. Murphy, Naturalist and Professional Writer.
Recently I caught up with JJ and requested an interview.
Here’s what she had to say:
Tell me about your work. What exactly is it you do? Where did the idea for www.writerbynature.com come from? Are you satisfied with the progress you’ve made?
I write articles, copy for brochures and sales letters, nature curriculum activities to help clients communicate their message of sustainable technology, wilderness survival or interactive nature experiences. I also write essays, fiction and ghost write/edit work in other areas that interest me, including history, food, house-sitting, and animal care.
www.WriterByNature.com originated when a colleague (and marketing maven) asked me what I would do if time and money were limitless. I answered “live in the woods and write.” The name WriterByNature.com came out of a brainstorming session.
My inner child balances my inner control freak and my inner nature lover. I’m never satisfied with my progress until I look back at where I started. Then I’m amazed at how far I’ve come in the fourteen months since I launched this website.
What is the secret of your success? Can you describe your typical writing day? Do you have one?
To borrow a metaphor from Dr. Phil, I know my currency. It’s time. Writing goes hand in hand with hiking or practicing wilderness survival skills. I cannot deliver the best written work to my clients or my readers unless I spend some time in nature every day, (barring blizzards, downpours or gale force winds). That’s where I typically solve writing challenges.
My greatest hope is to that someone will build a durable laptop with a solar battery able to withstand, dampness, campfire smoke, pollen and extremes of heat and cold. Add a cell phone with a strong signal range and a high speed Bluetooth connection - I’d have the best of both worlds.
Typical day? I’m an early riser and spend 3 hours on client writing, before daybreak. In the summer, that means I’m out at first light, hiking as night gives way to day.
During the heat of the day I’m back in my office working on my laptop, answering phone and email messages. I can easily log four or five hours of productive work while it’s sweltering outside. On a good day, I’m back out at dusk hiking until day turns back to night. Then I can return to my office and write a bit more.
In the winter, I’m out mid-morning and only in the woods overnight if I’ve completed my client projects and I have access to appropriate shelter.
Can you share anything about your most recent publication? What are you presently working on?
My latest article, Survival Skill: How to Find Potable Water, is on ezinearticles at:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Survival-Skill:-How-to-Find-Potable-Water&id=414052
I have several projects in the works. I’m rereading in Robert Bly’s, The Copywriter’s Handbook for the third time, researching American history prior to European contact as an idea for a historical novel, and researching the humor writing genre - and reading every marketing article published by Suzanne and Yvonne. The pages of my notebooks rotate among a list of jokes that I find funny interrupted by a note about defining my market, followed by graphic details of a battle between Algonquian and Huron tribes in 1534.
Do you believe in writer’s block? If so, how or what do you do to overcome it?
Writer’s block an occupational hazard; any creative person, including a writer, can get stuck from time to time. Here’s a link to my article about dealing with writer’s block:
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Writing-Life:-How-You-Can-Overcome-Writers-Block&id=413690
You mention that you lived in Guilford, CT. How has that influenced your writing?
I was raised on a family farm with acres of woods, meadows, creeks and swamps. My happiest memories are wandering in the woods pretending I lived in the 16th Century. I organized the first Earth Day program at Guilford High School. The West Woods trails (land Guilford dedicated as open space) still offer great hiking.
Guilford’s history is fascinating; it was an incorporated political entity 137 years before the United States was a country. My classmates were descendants of Guilford’s founding families; a typical history lesson in grade school often included field trips to founders’ houses turned museums. My first grade teacher and her family lived in a house that was built in the 1700’s; her grandson now lives in that house.
What 5 tips can you offer a writer to turn an idea into a written work?
1. I have to care about what I am writing. If it doesn’t resonate with me, it won’t resonate with readers.
2. I allow myself to freewrite, write garbage or follow tangents. The more words I put down on the page, the better my revisions will be. I can always cut out words, but if I don’t write them down, I’ll forget them.
3. Once I’ve edited and revised my writing, reading it out loud gives me a sense of how the language flows. It’s also a great way to catch typos, tongue-twisters and get rid of unnecessary words.
4. When stuck, I play word games or do research. Right now I’m reading novels and biographies of people who lived in 1500 America, studying jokes and analyzing examples of well written copy. Here are some fun word game sites:
http://www.writerbynature.com/article.php?story=2006110808275999
5. I’ve learned to budget time so I can take a break for a couple of days once I’ve written a reasonable draft. I can then look at the draft and see opportunities to improve what I’ve written. I no longer take on rush assignments. To ensure quality work, I need at least a day between writing and proofreading.
Do you have a favorite writing tip? What is it?
The BEST writing tip ever is the one my favorite authors abide by - put your butt in your chair and write.
I address this issue in my article on dealing with procrastination:
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Writing-Life:-Tips-for-Dealing-with-Procrastination&id=362820
Experience has taught me that it’s much harder to get started after a writing lapse than it is to struggle through the challenge and keep writing. If the resistance is really strong, I know it’s time to examine my goals to ensure I’m on the right path.
Linda Della Donna is a freelance writer who lives 20 miles north from where the World Trade Center used to be with her small dog, Izzy and his little cat, Tux. You can learn more about Della Donna by visiting her web site - www.littleredmailbox.com or reading her blog - www.griefcase.blogspot.com. Della Donna writes profiles, conducts interviews and supports new widows as they go through the grief process. Recent work appears at www.metroparents.com and ezinearticles.com. She’s available for writing assignments and can be reached at linda@littleredmailbox.com. Please stop by her web site and sign up for her free ebook, Treasury of quotations.
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