Many children who frequented their school libraries while growing up have at one point pondered what sorts of stories they would tell if they put pen to paper. Between flipping through books on their to-read lists, bibliophiles often venture into creative writing in one form or another. Some even aspire to become professional authors themselves.
The path to publication, however, is not an easy one. Taylor McKay Hathorn, our calendar editor, received multiple rejection emails before literary magazines finally began accepting her short stories. To better her odds, she listened to feedback from her editors and honed her craft. Now, she has more than a dozen officially published creative works.
Writing improves with practice. As an editor with the Mississippi Free Press, I have trained a handful of student freelancers who joined our ranks with little to no prior experience in journalistic writing. Those who stuck with it, by absorbing advice given during the editorial process, grew into strong writers I could consistently rely upon.
The secret sauce that keeps the MFP’s journalism from being a batch of nothing-burgers is the human element. In short, we tell other people’s stories. By humanizing the people we interview in our articles, readers are more likely to care about their circumstances and accomplishments, we find. In our Person of the Day series, for example, everyone has the potential to be the hero in their own stories. Sometimes, folks we spotlight question whether they’re interesting enough to be featured, but we reassure them that anyone’s story can be intriguing if told in an effective way.
For this reason, the MFP focuses on narrative nonfiction as a storytelling tool. We often begin articles by presenting the experiences of those we interview in prose, like one would see in a novel. This method creates momentum, carrying the reader through the opening scenes and helping them form attachments to the characters (real people, mind you) explored in our articles.
By learning to tell others’ stories using such engaging techniques, MFP writers develop skills that translate to both journalistic and creative writing. So, whether your goal is to become an award-winning reporter or to write a series of romantasy novels, freelancing could be an opportunity to practice and ultimately improve your writing abilities.
Age or educational background does not matter; if you are willing to learn, you can write, too. I invite anyone who wants to sharpen their writing skills to email me at nate@mississippifreepress.org to express their interest in freelancing with the MFP. For students, this would be a great way to build your portfolios—all while getting paid for your published works. We even offer internships for those who would like to earn college credit while learning on the job.
If interviewing sounds intimidating, you can always get your feet wet by writing opinion columns for our MFP Voices section. Our regular columnists are incredible, but we would also love to hear some fresh perspectives on topics affecting Mississippians at both local and state levels. Feel free to direct questions about the column-writing process to voices@mississippifreepress.org.
Of course, as the editor who oversees the MFP’s culture and features section, I biasedly believe that uplifting Mississippian artists, annual events, community resources and locally owned businesses is fun and rewarding. So I hope the budding writers reading this editor’s note give freelancing a chance and email me. I’m looking forward to e-meeting you!
This MFP Voices opinion essay reflects the personal opinion of its author(s). The column does not necessarily represent the views of the Mississippi Free Press, its staff or board members. To submit an opinion for the MFP Voices section, send up to 1,200 words and sources fact-checking the included information to voices@mississippifreepress.org. We welcome a wide variety of viewpoints.