Good News for Writers, From Pitches to Punchlines to Paychecks
A few of our latest classes focused on helping you thrive as a writer.
Build Your Writing Portfolio
A member of our Story Summit writing community, Sarah Paulk is an accomplished freelance writer who has been published more than 500 times. In our Ten Ways to Present Yourself to the World series, she shared her insights on how to build a strong professional freelance portfolio.
“You're here because you love writing,” she said, “and it’s a part of your DNA. You may have already written short stories or think-pieces that are pitchable, or maybe you’ve already been published.” Build on that foundation, she advised, writing for publications that you may not have considered yet.
What can a freelance writing career do for you?
“It can be a powerful stepping stone,” she says. “It gives you the ability to point a client, agent, editor, or manager to a third party who believed your writing was good enough to include under the umbrella of their brand.” That stamp of approval shows you know how to meet deadlines and be reliable.
It gives you writing practice. “Writing is writing,” she said. “I wake up every morning and write news stories or executive profiles, or whatever random topic an editor has assigned me that day. That’s me showing up to the gym every day to build my writing muscles.”
It gives you valuable experience. “Nothing is ever wasted when it comes to writing.” Remember that smaller publishing moments can still be part of passion projects and long-term goals. Every word matters.
It builds your connections. “Show up for the ten-dollar articles just like you would show up for a thousand-dollar article,” Sarah says. With professionalism, being open to new experiences, and a willingness to network, you’ll find that small assignments almost always lead to bigger opportunities.
It gives you confidence. “Magazines and editors need what you have to offer. Publications only exist if they have high-quality content. When pitching, approach it with the mindset that you provide added value for their magazine or publication.”
To learn more about Sarah, visit:
Sarah’s talk was a part of our 10 Ways to Present Yourself to the World series. To learn more and sign up, visit: https://www.storysummit.us/10-ways-to-present-yourself-to-the-world
Get Started with Substack
During a recent free webinar, Debra Engle and guest instructor Julie Gammack explained three reasons why every writer should have a Substack.
1. Get Published.
Even if your focus is on writing books or screenplays, Substack is a way to not only start building a following but have the satisfaction of getting your voice, message, and writing out to the world as often as you want, and to do it immediately.
Also, some authors now are foregoing the traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing process and serializing their books on Substack. You can write and publish on your own schedule, and in some cases you may make more money.
2. Build a Community.
When people subscribe to your Substack, you get their email address. This means they’ve invited you into their inbox and want to hear from you. It allows you to communicate directly with people who are invested in you. And whatever it is that you’re writing about, you’re going to organically find other people, other subscribers, other community members.
3. Make Money.
When people subscribe to your column, they can do so for free or as a paid subscriber at prices that you determine. Even though most of your subscribers will be free, you can encourage them to upgrade to a paid subscription. For instance, one of the common techniques used by Story Summit guest instructor Michael Jamin is to paywall portions of his Substack column so that paid subscribers get the benefit of additional content.
Thinking about starting or developing an existing Substack column? Join us for Substack Success: A Step-By-Step Guide to Starting, Developing, and Growing a Successful Substack Column. Learn more and sign up at https://www.storysummit.us/substack-success.
Get Inspired by One Funny Mother
Dena Blizzard is a comedian, writer, mother of three, and creator of “One Funny Mother,” a multi-media company creating content, products, and live comedy shows about wine, women, and laughter. She also will be one of the featured faculty members at Story Summit’s Her Spirit writing retreat August 24-28 in Santa Cruz, California.
In this clip, Dena talks about making changes in your life and how important it is to share your voice.
Watch the whole interview to hear more about Dena’s journey in life and comedy.
To learn more about Dena and One Funny Mother, visit: https://www.onefunnymother.com/
To learn more about Her Spirit, visit: https://www.storysummit.us/her-spirit-retreat-2025
What’s Coming Up at Story Summit?
Here are a few of our upcoming classes and events. Check out the complete schedule at www.storysummit.us.
May 18: Openhearts
A free event for writers who seek connection, courage, and community on their creative journey.
May 20: Lunch & Learn with Maggie Dallen
With more than 200 published novels and a produced Hallmark screenplay to her credit, Maggie will share her top secrets for crafting compelling love stories. The one-hour session is just $25, and you’ll receive s a $25 credit for a future Story Summit event.
May 21, May 28 & June 4: The Second Draft Studio—A Screenplay Revision Lab with veteran screenwriter Tom Vaughan
Your step-by-step path to writing a sharper, stronger, and more compelling screenplay. Explore how to find your story’s true spine, ask the right questions of every scene, and navigate notes like a development exec.
May 21: We See You, We Hear You
Just for women, this complimentary two-hour session includes prompts, readings, and guided meditations, encouraging you to write from your heart and share when you’re ready.
Want More Story Summit?
Stay in touch and up to date through these links:
Facebook page. Our Summiteers page is a great place to network, show support, and find out about the latest classes and retreats.
Our weekly newsletter. Sign-up for FREE at www.storysummit.us. It comes to your email inbox every Tuesday with news about upcoming classes and our popular Photo of the Week.
Story Summit was founded by David Kirkpatrick, the former president of Paramount Studios and former chief of production for Disney. From the beginning of Story Summit, his dream has been to help make writers’ dreams come true. It’s happening in big ways, so from time to time we’ll feature Summiteers whose work is being published or produced and let you know how they did it.
We hope that one of those writers will someday be you. Please reach out, leave a comment, and check out our links. And most of all, please join us! We’d love to welcome you to our Story Summit community.