Quirky or cause for concern?

Reader's Digest Canada has just launched Best Health, a smart-looking health mag aimed at women.

I have a small story in the current issue (adapted from a US RD piece). The print edition calls it Just a Quirk, while online edition titles it How Weird Is That?


The story looks at compulsive counting, hair-twirling, clutter, and other common -- but sometimes worrisome -- habits. Give it a read if you want to learn how hair-twirling can help you concentrate, or what the evolutionary benefits of worrying are.

Joe Bishara: Reader's Digest education hero 2007

My profile of Joe Bishara, selected by Reader's Digest Canada as their education hero for 2007, is online here.

In order to write the article, I spent a day with Joe, and it's hard to imagine a nicer guy. What he says in the story about the kid throwing a poppy in the mud in 1984 resonated with me. I could imagine myself having done that at the kid's age, in that era.

Joe personalizes the struggles kids face and gives them some perspective. And it's truly amazing to see a teacher who seems completely committed and enthusiastic, even after almost 30 years.

Word count

A writer I know once told me the best lesson he'd ever learned about making a career as a freelancer: you don't have to be an exceptionally good writer. All you have to do is deliver clean copy, to the word count, on time.

It's a good lesson. I was reminded of it again yesterday. I filed a story for a national magazine earlier in the week. The assignment said "1,000 words, max." When they specify max, I figure you have to take it pretty seriously. Then again, there's always the 10% wiggle-room rule.

I filed 1,070 words.

The editor called two days later. My story is one of a series, all the same length. The editor thanked me for sticking to the word count -- which is basically being thanked for doing your job properly. The next shortest piece came in at 1,200 words. The longest was about 1,800.

Clean copy, to the word count, on time.

Allow me to diagnose you

Pick up the new Reader's Digest and you'll find my feature "Are You Normal or Nuts?" -- adapted from a story by William Speed Weed that ran in the US version of the magazine last year. It's a pretty fun piece on people's quirks, and when it makes sense to worry about them. Can't point you to an online version because there is none to be had. Sorry.

Query letters: How not to do it

Because I'm still listed online in a number of places as the editor of Canadian Screenwriter magazine, I occasionally get query letters for the magazine.

I also get all kinds of junk, quite a bit of it ridiculous: media releases from York University about relevant topics like subway expansion, lots of releases and announcements about events in Toronto and LA, and -- more and more -- links to YouTube videos and releases from companies offering their services in producing YouTube videos (including one in Russia).

Today, I got a query letter (my name misspelled) about whiteboy r&b singer Jon B.

The query is for an already-written article -- usually a no-no, especially for a 3,000-word feature that would take up a lot of real estate in any magazine. There's no slant, no angle targeted specifically at the magazine. (How could there be? It's Canadian Screenwriter, remember? Either that, or this person is emailing random people with her story pitch.)

And what about the writer? She's been a reporter for "several publications" including "a national, weekly financial trade magazine." This month, she will be interviewing "the director of an independent film."

Anyway, if you're interested in publishing a feature called "Father-to-be R&B Crooner Jon B preps Back to Love CD" let me know and I can put you in touch with the writer.

Now watch this thing wind up on the cover of some mag and make me look dumb.

Looking for a primer on how to write good query letters? Paul Lima's got a good one here.