Caitlin | July 30, 2010
As a fairly new homeowner (it’s been about three years), I’m fairly obsessed with our house. I watch home shows (namely Divine Design and Love It or List It) and read home mags like they’re going out of style. We don’t have a huge budget for renos and interior design, but we’ve done some fun stuff over the last couple of years, including repainting most of the walls and trim, replacing the baseboards, building a kitchen for a rental suite (thanks to my Dad), and creating a great patio area in the backyard.
Because of my growing obsession with homes, I was delighted to contribute to the latest issue of Alberta Home, which is on newsstands now:
I penned a feature about Edmonton’s Riverdale Net Zero House (page 28) which creates as much energy and heat as it utilizes. It’s one of several in the city now, but it was the first to be completed.
I’ve also been hired to write the magazine’s ‘People and Places’ column. Here’s my first stab at it:
To read the entire issue, click here.
Caitlin | July 23, 2010
While I was away, I had a couple features printed.
The July issue of Avenue Edmonton includes a Style Q & A of Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Ricky Ray who is one of the friendliest and most down-to-earth human beings I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with lately. A real treat to interview.
My other feature appears in this month’s issue of Alberta Venture and examines the evolution of Alberta’s aerospace industry.
While the industry has suffered some setbacks in the last few years, it’s starting to recover and quite a few people think we can expect big things in the years to come. I was surprised to learn that Alberta is home to some prominent aerospace researchers (like Dr. Ian Mann) and cutting-edge institutions (like the Canadian Centre for Unmanned Vehicle Systems in Medicine Hat, Alta.).
In a few weeks I’ll have stories coming out in Alberta Home, the Globe and Mail and a number of custom publications.
It’s been a busy spring and summer, and all signs point to a busy fall, as well.
Caitlin | July 20, 2010
Just got back from Vancouver, B.C., where I completed my first summer residency for the my creative writing MFA program at the University of British Columbia.
The program offers both residential and optional-residency streams; since I live in Edmonton, I’m doing the latter. Most of my classes are done online but, each summer, I can head to UBC to take a class on campus and meet the instructors and other students.
The residency brought together writers from across Canada, the U.S. and beyond (like England and Singapore!) and included plenty of panel discussions as well as coursework. I chose to take the screenwriting “boot camp” offered by Vancouver screenwriter Sara Graefe.
It was great fun. Going into it, I had absolutely no knowledge of screenwriting or the film industry, and hadn’t considered the genre at all. I took the class simply because it was the most intimidating option. It may sound odd, but I take Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous quotation seriously. Gotta do the things that scare you!
While it may not be a genre I’ll pursue professionally, I’ve registered in another screenwriting course for the fall and plan to explore it a little bit more. Also taking a short fiction class with Canadian writer Charlotte Gill which is exciting.
P.S. As a part-time student, I’ll continue to work 30-40 hours a week so, if you’re a current or prospective client, have no fear — I’ll be available to take on plenty of assignments as I’m completing my degree! :)
Caitlin | June 7, 2010
In this issue of Maclean’s, on p.46, you will find my first story for Maclean’s.
The article examines complaints made by participants of a local self-help group called Personal Best Seminars. For fear of spoiling the story, I won’t reveal too much here. Best to pick up a hard copy and see for yourself!
While the Maclean’s story is a major milestone for me, it’s not my first national story.
In late May, I wrote my first story for the Globe and Mail.
Also, in the last year I’ve had stories printed in Beer Magazine, Dog Fancy, and Dogs in Canada. I’ll be posting electronic versions of all of these stories in the portfolio section of this site very soon.
Other magazine stories published in the last few months include:
- A series of interior design stories for Avenue magazine
- A story on acroyoga for Avenue magazine
Caitlin | April 16, 2009
Just found out that I’m a finalist in the magazine category!
The article, “Go the Distance,” ran in Unlimited in 2008. You can find it in my portfolio or online.
I’m extraordinarily grateful to the magazine’s editor at the time, Dan Rubinstein, whose guidance and editing skills helped this story be the best it could be. Dan has won all kinds of awards for his writing and editing abilities and I’m glad to have had the chance to work with him.
Dan has actually provided a great deal of support to me over the years. As the editor of Vue Weekly, he helped me with my very first freelance story, about the death of cobblery (I was a cobbler’s assistant at the time). That experience really sold me on narrative journalism and freelancing in general, in fact.
Caitlin | February 9, 2009
Check out this month’s Alberta Venture for my feature on leadership education (”The new shepherds,” p.62).
Read the article online.
Caitlin | January 19, 2009
Dog ownership is inspiring a whole new niche for my writing — pet magazines! It’s a far cry from much of my other work, which tends to fall in the realm of science/technology, business and travel.
Today, my very first dog-related article appears in the Bark online. I hope you’ll take a read — or even post a comment, if you’ve got a strong opinion on the subject of my rant.
Caitlin | December 4, 2008
As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve had a busy fall and at long last, some of my favourite projects are in print.
This month, I have two profiles in Avenue Magazine, as part of a package about inspiring Edmontonians. I profiled a woman named Corry Frost, a former drug user who’s doing great work to keep kids from becoming addicts, and Kris Wells, an advocate for the rights of gay youth and creator of Camp fYrefly.
In Alberta Venture magazine, you’ll find my article about Brent Moore, a former bar owner who’s now at the forefront for a new fleet management system designed to increase efficiencies for both profit and the environment.
Caitlin | October 14, 2008
After a busy summer, things have slowed to a saner pace. I was fortunate enough to gain several new clients over the course of the summer months and took on some neat projects for a few of my existing clients. This Thanksgiving weekend, I took time to reflect on both my personal and work lives, and I realize I am very blessed in both spheres. So, I must thank you all for your continued support. I look forward to continuing these collaborations this fall.
There’s been a great deal of change at Ink Slinger Media recently. I now work in a new neighbourhood, which I adore. The laughter of children from the school nearby punctuates my work day and I’ve been able to adopt a dog named Truman who forces me to leave the office several times a day for walks. It’s been a tremendous lifestyle change and I’ve found that I’m calmer and more productive because of it.
I’m well into Ryerson University’s publishing certificate program and am currently taking a children’s publishing class. At the same time, I’m taking magazine writing class through Media Bistro (mediabistro.com) which is proving to be very helpful. As a self-employed person, I feel it’s important to focus on professional development. It’s both a matter of personal growth and a way to add value to the work I do for clients.
This fall has also been defined by travel. In the second week of September, I was invited to attend a badlands press trip on behalf of a Canadian magazine and in the third week, I took a holiday to San Francisco with my spouse and sister.
Tomorrow, I’ll celebrate my birthday and when I blow out the candles — I won’t say how many! — I’ll be wishing only that my luck continues.
Caitlin | February 27, 2008
For nearly a year now, I’ve been addressing work and career troubles of all kinds through my advice column, Career 911 (Wednesdays at www.edmontonjournal.com/ed).
There are many columnists out there, most with many more years of experience than myself. What I bring to the game is perspective. My readers are new (or fairly new) to their careers and most, like me, are ambitious Gen-Y’ers with a penchant for asking questions and seeking out the best methods for getting the job done. I offer advice that appeals to their take-no-prisoners sensibility.
Secondly, having addressed a wide array of career topics for my weekly career feature ‘You’re Hired,’ (also at www.edmontonjournal.com/ed each Wednesday) I’ve researched and written about everything from negotiating a raise to the surviving job loss to the challenges of starting a new business. In fact, my articles have been frequently reprinted in more than a dozen Canadian newspapers, including the National Post, Montreal Gazette and the Ottawa Citizen.
If you’ve got a work related issue, I’d love to help. E-mail me at caitlin [at] inkslingermedia.com, and I’ll happily address your work-related pickle anonymously in an upcoming installment of Career 911.
I look forward to hearing from you!
~ Cait
