Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh

Torrential winds didn't deter this group of Suite101 writers from joining us at Suite101's Toronto Meetup. Nine writers met with myself, editor Cindy McGlynn and editor Sarah B. Hood for an evening of rustic Italian fare enjoyed by the fire.

We exchanged anecdotes, laughs, and writing tips throughout the evening. It was delightful to learn more about the members of Suite101's community.

Contributing Writer Rachel West intermittently checked her phone in case she was called in for a television emergency. West is in charge of scheduling television programs for several stations in the Canadian television industry, including scheduling when each commercial airs and for how long. This jobs calls for extreme precision and organization to ensure that TV watchers don't miss a single bit of television action. The live finale of "The Biggest Loser" was set to air that night, and West was on call in case anything went awry. Thankfully, her phone remained silent and she was able to fully enjoy the evening with us.

Dominic von Riedemann (Feature Writer for Animated Films) has been with Suite101 since 2007 and so far can be counted as one of the most prolific Suite101 writers with over 1400 articles. Aside from being a prolific writer, von Riedemann is also responsible for the launch of two other Suite careers, those of his best friend Dominic Messier (Contributing Writer) and Messier's wife, Naomi Szeben (Contributing Writer).

In fact, what started out as an opportunity to engage in their love of film study and film critique, soon turned into a competition of "one up". Von Riedemann served as Messier's mentor in the early days, and as they both became comfortable with their online work, they started to discuss how they might leverage Suite101's reputation as a site with over 14 million unique visitors per month (at the time) to get on the press lists of major motion-picture studios. The two best friends engaged in a friendly rivarly for the attention of press agents, constantly calling one another and reporting their latest successes, "I got Diseny this morning, who did you get?".

"As a matter of course, we'd share our contacts with one another, and so help each other get ahead" says von Riedemann and help each other they did. Not only did the two Doms become sought after critics, with invitations to press screenings with major directors like Disney/Pixar's Andrew Stanton, but Messier's work on Suite101 inevitably landed him a full-time job as a writer for Bell Sympatico's inMovies.ca. How did von Riedemann feel about this? "I realized I had just received the highest compliment a teacher could get: my student had surpassed me ... [I] was glad he was able to make a living doing something he genuinely loved."

The evening was a terrific success with everyone leaving with a head full of ideas and a belly full of pizza and vino. Thank you to all for attending and a special thanks to Contributing Writer Lori Bosworth for supplying some of the photos found on our Flickr page.

Stay tuned for more news on the adventures of Suite Interactive!

Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh

Denise Rudnicki is a veteran journalist and broadcaster. She has worked for CBC radio and TV in newsrooms across Canada as a national reporter, producer and host. She also teaches undergraduate journalism at the University of Victoria and professional writing at Royal Roads University.

It was 30 years ago. I was a young reporter watching the evil editor stride towards me, my copy in his hand.

"I don't understand this," he said.

Exasperated, I explained in detail exactly what it meant.

A long pause followed.

"And are you going to explain to each of your readers in person exactly what you meant?"

Hmmm ... The rewrite began immediately.

How to Write Well

William Zinsser, in his classic guide to writing nonfiction On Writing Well says, "Few people realize how badly they write."

Zinsser says clutter is the culprit. "We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon."

Consider this sentence:

"Marxism was significant to the development of feminist theory, because it showed that its theory needed to be worked on. For example, according to the theory, if women didn't work in jobs that produced profits, they would never be uninhibited by men."

Ouch. This writer may not even know what they meant to say, it's certainly true that readers won't either.

Or how about this classic, from a blackout order of 1942:

"Such preparation shall be made as will completely obscure all Federal buildings and non-Federal buildings occupied by the Federal government during an air raid for any period of time from visibility by reason of internal or external illumination.'

Give it to an editor and it reads, "If you need to work late, cover the windows."

The Editor-Writer Relationship

Writers and editors have a love/hate relationship. But we both serve the same cause. We want readers to understand. We want them to get what they're looking for. We don't want them clicking to another page.

That means writing that is clear, uncluttered, simple and concise.

More specifically, it means using the right words. It means perfect spelling and grammar. It means knowing what you're writing about. Again, if you don't know, how can your readers know?

Editors help writers clear out the clutter. They help writers say what they mean in simple, clear language. A good editor can take 40-50 per cent out of an article and not lose anything valuable.

That's hard for the writer to take. But think of it this way: now you have 50 per cent more space to write something new!

Getting to Know the Online Reader

Readers don't go to the internet to read. Online readers "use" the internet. For the most part, they're looking for information, not a pleasurable reading experience.

Jakob Nielson studies how people read online. Our eyes jump all over the page. We read 25 per cent slower. He says online users are "selfish, lazy and ruthless." Kind of like people at the midnight buffet on a cruise ship.

As Michael Agger, senior editor at Slate put it, "You, my dear user, pluck the low-hanging fruit. When you arrive on a page, you don't actually deign to read it. You scan. If you don't see what you need, you're gone."

The online reader isn't going to change. It's the writer who needs to change. And it's the editor who is going to help.

Next week, I'll be offering tips on how to improve your online writing from an editor's point of view.

To learn more about Suite101's professional editorial staff, please see our Section Editors page.

Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh

Kelby Carr is a freelance writing veteran who is approaching her 3-year anniversary with Suite101. As Suite101's Feature Writer for Family Travel and the operator of numerous other sites, Carr epitomizes the freelance writer who diversifies her career opportunities, all while maintaining a busy household and taking care of three children.

Suite101: You’re a self professed “Mom 2.0 empire builder” with your own sites like Type-A Mom, Foodie Mama, and momShare; a social bookmarking site for moms, as well as being a full time mother of three, what’s your advice to other mom writers who are trying to strike a balance between family life and work life?

Kelby Carr: Striking a balance has been one of my biggest challenges. I have managed that best by learning when to walk away from jobs, gigs and sites when my time becomes too dominated. Sometimes it is hard. I have walked away from things I enjoy, things that pay well, and things I have done for years. Sometimes you have to prioritize. The other thing I have done is work time with the family, time away from the computer (OK, I do have an iPhone...). Get out and have some fun as often as possible. You will be more effective with your work when you return anyway.

You’ve got over 21,000 followers on Twitter - What role has social media played in your success as a freelance writer and website operator?

Social media has played a tremendous role. I do not have any sort of marketing budget for my sites or to promote myself. To be able to engage with so many people so easily has been the key to my success. I can interact with people who are fellow writers and bloggers so we can share advice and promote one another, I can find readers and writers for my sites, and I can connect with clients, all much more easily than in the pre-Twitter days. The most important thing is to use these tools to engage and to help others, not simply to broadcast links to your content or your services.

The first Type-A Mom Conference was held in September with much success. What is the value of hosting conferences and face-to-face meet-ups for online communities?

The face-to-face interactions solidify the relationships I have built online. I think for many years people have argued that the web and computers depersonalized us. I would argue the opposite. Online, we can connect with people who have so much more in common with us than we would randomly meeting people where we live (for example, on Suite101 I have met many fellow writers). When we take those online connections to the next level and meet in person; that is powerful.

You’re clearly very savvy about everything web related, from social media to SEO. What led you to write for Suite101?

I have always enjoyed writing for the web, and I also like the Suite101 pay model (in fact, I use a similar one on some of my sites) of sharing the revenue. For writers, it means that you can get paid forever for one article you write instead of getting paid once. I also was attracted to the idea of writing on a specific topic where I have so much interest and experience (family travel in my case). The timing of my starting at Suite101 was when I was on bed rest with my twins, and I wasn't able to do my day job as a newspaper reporter. It was wonderful to be able to continue to write, even lying in my bed with a laptop.

What’s your favourite article (that you’ve written) for Suite101?

Family Sabbatical Vacation

This is my favorite because I think this is one of the most amazing and bonding experiences you can have. I would call it the ultimate family vacation. My husband and I did a family vacation sabbatical when our first child was one and we lived in Nice, France for a year. I also want people to understand it may not be as hard as they think.

Follow Kelby Carr on Twitter : @typeamom

Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh

This week we feature a stand-out blog post from Quips And Tips For Successful Writers. Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen shows how writing evergreen articles can help a writer gain more readers over time and win bids for articles based on the timeless nature of their subject. This is an essential skill for successful freelance writers and an essential blog post to read.

Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh

Here's another nugget of knowledge to ponder from Anne Wayman's About Freelance Writing blog, "Do You Expect More Or Better Writing Work Next Year?"

As more companies favor outsourcing over hiring full-time workers, will your freelance pockets be jingling?

Let us know what you think!