Writing a short essay or letter to the editor can open doors to regular writing. When I first began my writing and editing career, it was in line with my hobby, wheel-thrown pottery. I started reading letters to the editor of Ceramics Monthly in detail. When I found that what readers were asking for dovetailed with my own interest in a community pottery studio where I worked in clay, I pitched a story on our studio renovation to the editor. They liked the idea, and told me to go ahead. I wrote the piece, accompanied by my own photos.
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| Assateague Beach, Chincoteague Island, VA Photo by Gail Molnar Pfeifer |
I also had an interest in hand-built Native American pottery. When I learned that an expert potter was exhibiting in New Jersey, I queried Clay Times about an article on his work, and the editor gave the assignment to me. It turned out to be the July/August 1997 cover story, “The Spiritual Pottery of Al Qoyawayma.” I was offered more work.
Although pottery and nursing may not seem all that connected, writing about what you know and what you love are connected. As a nurse, do not dismiss how much you know, and what you would like to see in the literature. Then begin.
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