I started my journalism career as a writer, and, like Martha Gellhorn bemoaned, always felt as if the “bloody words would not walk straight.” I constantly have to read my writing out loud and even then Serena has some serious editing to do if I want a nice flow and rhythm to my piece. My tendency to write awkwardly, however, is not enough to stop me from trying to make my words walk straight.
I subscribe to the NYCWriters mailing list and while it’s mainly garbage and self promotion, occasionally there are leads. The editor from City Scoops, a small magazine published in NYC, e-mailed the listserv asking for pitches for their June/July issue. The magazine is free with a circulation of 600,000 and with writing that I match on my good days. So, with my fingers cross and pitch edited again and again, I sent this to the editor:
Hi Larry,
Madonna’s recent injury inspired me to look into horseback riding options in the city. There are actually quite a few of choices and I think a story breaking down the differen

A few weeks ago, I pitched my very first freelance article idea. Well, not my first idea, but the first idea I actually thought had a shot at getting published. It centers on an orphanage in Tijuana that Jackie and I were introduced to over a year ago. Picture a huge, colorful two-story hostel, with 100 children filling the rooms instead of international travelers. The kids are well dressed and happy; you would never guess that most were born to prostitutes and drug addicts who left them to fend for themselves in broken homes or on the streets. The orphanage directors, Connie and Tyler Youngkin, seek kids from the worst backgrounds to live at Los Ninos de la Promesa, aka “The Purple Palace,” which provides food, shelter and paid education. Jackie and I were intrigued by the place from day one, and the more the Tijuana drug war took the spotlight in the news, the more relevant the story became.

A one-day Mediabistro.com course titled “Breaking into Freelancing” was helpful in teaching me