Image via Flickr/Creative Commons

When I was 15 years old I declared, "When I grow up I'm going to start my own magazine." And for the next few years I would talk to anyone who'd listen about my magazine dreams and even carried around a red binder with plans for my future publication.

Then came adulthood and the decline of journalism and my dreams started to seem more and more impossible. Eventually, I decided it would be best to just abandon this goal.

But no matter how hard I tried to let go of this dream, it refused to let go of me. So today I am declaring that:
God willing, I will one day start my own magazine.

After deciding to make this declaration once again I started thinking about how we all can keep our dreams alive and here's what I've come up with:

Remember to let your dreams evolve. As a teen when I imagined myself as a magazine editor/publisher I imagined myself producing a print publication in chic office in New York. But things change. I changed. Today my dream looks a lot different. My publication will most likely be online and the office I now daydream about is a cozy one in the Innovation Depot here in Birmingham.  But still the dream lives on.

Remember to choose your friends wisely. I have a few close girlfriends that I've been chatting with recently about renewing my commitment to my dream and they have been so encouraging. They've been getting me fired up about going after my goals. If you have friends that are notoriously negative, keep your dreams to yourself (until you find some new friends).

Remember it's not all about you. A woman I know once said that it's important for her to pursue her passions not just for her own sake but for her daughter's as well. It's important for her child to see her be brave enough to go after her goals. Though I'm not a mother I completely understand what she means. Because I don't have kids I'm able to devote a lot of my time to empowering other women -- which is what I think is my life's purpose. So I'm not striving to achieve my dreams simply for my own sake, but to show other women out there that they can do the same.

What dream are you fighting to keep alive?

Photo Credit: Joe Shlabotnik (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Eighth-grader Julia Bluhm made history and headlines last week when her petition and protests led to Seventeen magazine pledging to not ever alter the face and body shapes of young women featured in its editorial pages. 

After hearing too many girls in her ballet class complain about their weight, Bluhm launched a petition on Change.org in April calling for the magazine to print one unaltered photo spread each month. Later she held a demonstration at the corporate offices of Hearst, the company that owns Seventeen. The petition garnered over 84,000 signatures. 

Last week the New York Times reported that. Ann Shoket, the magazine’s editor in chief, wrote in the editor’s letter in the August issue that the magazine had drafted a "Body Peace Treaty," promising not to change girls' body or face shapes (something Shoket insists the magazine has never done, anyway) and to include only images of real girls and healthy models. This is no doubt a response to Bluhm's campaign. 

As a feminist, this story makes me rejoice with the hope that perhaps we will see more and more magazines  start to feature realistic images and celebrate all types of beauty. As a writer, I can't help but think about the fact that Bluhm's crusade would not have been a success without new media. 

Not only did the Internet allow Bluhm to collect more than 80,000 signatures, but the Web also offers plenty of competition for magazines like Seventeen, as Melissa Harris-Perry pointed out on her show Saturday. With a host of blogs and online publications out there offering girls the tailored beauty, fitness, and fashion advice they could once only find in Seventeen, even this iconic magazine knows that despite its status readers are precious and their complaints need to be taken seriously. 

Many writers are afraid of what new media means for our future. Does it mean the death of newspapers, magazines and print books? I don't know. I hope not, but it could. But that doesn't mean our voices will be silenced. Julia Bluhm's story shows us that new media is a great opportunity for all of us -- whether we're activists or artists -- to make our voices heard like never before. 


Maybe you're a rebel with a cause who starts a petition like Bluhm did, or writer who publishes an e-book that inspires legions of people, or a blogger who creates an online publication that's an alternative to the magazines out there that don't seem to tell the stories of your community. 


I live in a city where many of the local newspaper reporters were recently laid off. And the newspaper at which I worked before I moved here no longer exists. So, I have good reasons to have a woeful attitude about new media, but stories like Julia Bluhm's reminds me I have a good reason to have a hopeful attitude instead. 

Last night my organization See Jane Write Birmingham hosted its third educational event, Freelancing 101. This panel discussion featured writers and editors of top local publications and drew about 50 attendees. Complete with free refreshments and time to network with other local writers, it was a great way to spend a Tuesday night. (But I might be a bit biased.)

Here is a taste of the writing wisdom the panelists shared with us.

Carla Jean Whitley is managing editor of Birmingham Magazine and she loves coffee. I mean, she really loves coffee, and that’s actually good news for you. One of the pearls of wisdom Carla Jean shared at Tuesday’s panel discussion is the value of building relationships with editors, and you can start simply by inviting them out for coffee. Over a cup of jo you can pick their brains about their publications and their freelancing needs.

This is not to take the place of doing your homework, first. Before attempting to freelance for a publication it’s important that you be familiar it. “Read more than one issue,” Carla Jean suggests. All panelists agreed that you must get to know a publication’s style and have a sense of its audience to successfully pitch story ideas.

And speaking of story ideas, Carla Jean says that one of the best ways to come up with stories to pitch is to simply follow your curiosity. “If you’re interested someone else may be too,” she said. “Keep your eyes open.”

Glenny Brock is editor-in-chief of Weld, a newsweekly that she and three partners founded last year. Even though Glenny couldn’t “give a hoot about hunting and fishing," some of the best writing advice she ever received was from a man who specialized in this very topic. (Fun fact: Glenny’s first freelance piece was published in a magazine called Varmint Masters.) From this writer/editor, Glenny learned how important it is for a writer to see stories everywhere. “He never did an interview for just one story,” she said. Glenny believes that by asking the right questions, a good reporter can retrieve information and details for five stories in one interview. “Use every part of the animal,” she said, no pun intended. So if you’re doing a profile on a fisherman also find out some of his favorite fishing spots, the best places to buy fishing gear, etc. These can be the starts of more stories.

As for pitching your ideas Glenny said it’s important to be as specific as possible. So don’t email her saying you want to write a story about running. Instead consider pitching a story about a running group or new marathon in town. Your pitch will also be more appealing, she said, if you already have a few sources in mind for the story.  

When Chianti Cleggett talks about writing her face lights up and she sounds as joyful as a girl with a new crush. But this isn’t puppy love. Chianti has had a long-time love affair with the written word.  Chianti has been featured in various publications including The Birmingham Times, Birmingham Magazine, and Essence.com. Many of her writing opportunities have come from others being award of her love of writing. All her friends and family know it’s her passion so they’re constantly sending her leads.

Panelist Kate Agliata said Tuesday night that, “Good writers are constantly reading,” and Chianti is a prime example of that. You’ll often find her in a book store delving into magazines. This is a great way to generate story ideas. Chianit and Glenny recommend looking for ways to localize national stories or taking a local story and finding a national angle.

Afraid of pitching to national publications? Don’t be. Chianti says it never hurts to just go for it. “Take a stab in the dark,” she said. “What do you have to lose?”

One of the best pieces of advice Kate Agliata ever received was: “Write what you know.” Kate has been doing just that working as a writer and editor for MyGreenBirmingham.com, Birmingham’s online green living resource. Her work has also been published by several nationally recognized websites including HGTVPro, HGTVRemodels, and Got2begreen, one of Time magazine’s 2009 best rated websites.

If you’re thinking, “Well, I don’t feel like a know much,” you need to change that ASAP, sister. Kate recommends really focusing on a few of your interests and developing an expertise in those areas. That doesn’t mean you know everything. In fact, you need to stay thirsty for more knowledge. If you read something and you have questions, seek out the answers, Kate said. Chances are you’ll stumble upon a story idea in the process.

All of this may be a lot to take in, but if you remember nothing else, take this to heart: keep writing. All four panelists agreed that the best way to see your byline in your favorite publications and the only way to realize that dream of being a successful full-time freelancer (successful meaning you can pay your bills without eating Ramen noodles for dinner every night) is to write as much as you can. Get your name out there even if it means writing for a tiny community paper or even a newsletter for a local organization. And, yes, even if it means occasionally writing for free.

But in the midst of the hustle don’t lose your love for language. Chianti, for example, sets aside time once a week to simply write for pleasure.

And Kate’s advice is this: “Write every day, even if only for 5 minutes.”