Happy Saturday all!  I have to say, I’ve been staring at the, “Add New Post” link for weeks now, wondering why my blogging bubble has been recently burst.  But as strange as I feel about letting this blog hang out on a story about my mom scaring neighbors away with musical theatre, I have been up to some great new writing ventures!

As I’ve mentioned in the past, my goal this year is to branch out and build a more versatile artistic/writing career around new things.  Nicely vague but strangely motivating.  It turns out that blogging makes me happy as long as I’m not falling into the trap of writing for websites that only invite angry commenters to analyze my life choices.  But more on that later.  For the good news! (And perhaps some guidance for new writers looking for a starting point):

Wireless Wipes and Budget-Friendly Ways to Clean Your Home

When I began to expand my writing, many friends/fellow bloggers here advised me to write for brands I supported, or explore the use of content marketing in general.  My main concern was how to incorporate my goofy voice in an article for a wider audience, without distracting from the message that the product is awesome and everyone should buy it.  I’ve had several nice experiences tackling this, but this was a particularly lovely one.  Please check out my article on a cheap way to clean your home with Essential Oils (shoutout to Christina for introducing me to EOs).

This connection was made via a site called Clearvoice, which I am happy to elaborate on in the comments or through private message if you’re interested to hear more.

Creative Nonfiction Essay Submissions

On the other side of the spectrum, I’ve been concentrating on essay writing–a longer-form, slightly more structured version of all my craziness on this site.  Whether my pieces are still a hot mess or not is neither here nor there, but writing this way has forced me to spend weeks on one piece–finding a more thorough way to tell stories that deserve greater love and attention than one the comments section on a feminist blog can provide.  I highly recommend Creative Nonfiction, both their book and website, if you haven’t read them already.  They have several contests a year/ongoing submission openings.  Also, they’re based in Pittsburgh.  So go Steelers.

More updates to come soon, but I’m off to carry a tired Ben home from Brooklyn after running the half marathon.  I shall bring him many donuts.  Have a lovely weekend!!!