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Music Maker Scores! This Oscar Winner Has Worked on Lots of Blockbusters The Incredibles , Cars 2 , Coco , Incredibles 2 , Inside Out , Ratatouille , Jurassic World , Zootopia — these are some of the blockbuster movies for which composer Michael Giacchino has written music. He's also worked on a number of Marvel soundtracks. And then there's the score that won him an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a Critics' Choice Award and two Grammy Awards: Pixar's Up . ► Read More — Scout Life Magazine | Mar 2026

— Writer's Digest Magazine | 2026

— Cryptology Magazine | 2026

Sidebar: Leveraging Social Media at Writing Conferences Social media includes the word “social” for a reason. When used effectively, being active on social media during an event can help with personal branding, expanding your network, and getting more out of a conference in general. The people you meet can often provide the real value of attending, so consider these dos and don’ts when you want to stand out for the right reasons.   ·   DO follow the event hashtag—this is a great way to discover influencers! Check the schedule for networking events that might facilitate more intimate and personal conversations.   ·   DO engage with presenters and/or attendees found online beforehand. Use the event hashtag to search for attendees on Twitter, or share content on LinkedIn. Prior engagement can make it easier to nail down a face-to-face conversation at the event. Everyone is there to learn and meet new people, so don’t be shy.   ·   DON’T abuse hashtags. Added appropriately, they connect your posts to others on that topic and categorize searchable content, increasing your online visibility. In excess, however, they look spammy.   ·   DO follow all of the event’s (or event sponsor’s) social channels. You need to be active in these spaces in order to get noticed and make connections. Introduce yourself!   ·   DO follow Twitter lists of speakers, or create one of your own (be sure to make it public to maximize visibility). Smartly crafted feeds can be a great tool for social listening.   ·   DON’T  be disappointed if you can’t strike up an online friendship/follow immediately after a session. Speakers can be mobbed with feedback after a presentation—especially at large events—and it may take them some time to get back to people. A connection through LinkedIn, with context, is an appropriate request.   ·   DON’T sell, self-promote, or overshare. Post only things that are shareworthy that will add value.   ·   DON’T post things with poor grammar or spelling errors. This hurts your credibility (especially at a writer’s conference!). Try reading your post aloud before sharing to catch any potential glitches.   ·   DO be socially active at the event. The simplest way to do this is by engaging with influencer content while they’re speaking, mentioning them in your tweets, and asking them questions. Use the event hashtag, tag other attendees in your posts, retweet or reshare the content of others, and join conversations.   ·   DON’T get so caught up in social media that you forget to be present. The rule of thumb is: one Instagram image per session and two to five tweets. If you’re in a small setting, put your phone away; you can post to social afterward.   ·   DON’T write in all caps. This communicates alarm and is hard to read.   ·   DO  create visual content, including photos and live video (using apps like Facebook Live and Instagram). Remember to tag people you meet.   ·   DON’T broadcast presentations live unless you have prior permission. ► Read More — Writer's Digest | May/Jun 2020

Medicare members get comfortable with online appointments — Blue Cross NC | 2024

Sidebar: Preparing for the New Normal As we contemplate what the “new normal” might look like more than two years after the start of the pandemic, many long for the comfort of old routines. We’ve grown weary of pivoting, missed in-person, social interaction, and the feeling of community a writing conference can bring. Naturally, attendees are concerned about health and safety, expecting assurances that the right measures are in place. It’s likely that everyone will have higher expectations for face-to-face events post-COVID—from hygiene to hybrid.    Attendee registration and check-in may require the most modification, especially if the event requires proof of vaccination for attendance. Remember to pay attention to conference communications leading up to the event. Conference leaders are investing in safe experiences; by creating breakout groups or workshop sessions that foster discussion and welcome remote contributors, some encourage a more retreat like environment that’s less intimidating than a big hall.   I expect that hybrid meetings, with both virtual and in-person attendance, will be the standard as opposed to the exception going forward. Balancing the external needs of participants with the internal needs of a team can be a juggling act. But hybrid conferences offer a healthy mix of enthusiasm, giving those who long for camaraderie the opportunity to gather again. And for those who cannot afford to travel or are more comfortable continuing to use the creative platforms that were born from our need to shelter in place, virtual options level the playing field and open attendance— and speaker options —to a wider audience.   Top tips:   ·  Plan ahead! Research meals, mask requirements, safety updates, and hours of operation for everything. ·  Be open to change. As CDC guidelines and those of the conference venue may still be in a state of flux, be ready and, more importantly, be understanding. ·  Whether you are attending in-person or remotely, always make the most of the experience, gleaning nuggets of information and style that you can incorporate into your own writing. ► Read More — Writer's Digest | Jul/Aug 2022

If you’re looking to break into the freelance writing arena but are unsure of where to start, consider pitching to publications found in your own community. Whether you are a beginning freelancer or interested in branching out from your day job, regional publications offer opportunities to get your foot in the door, build confidence, gather reputable contacts, and create solid portfolio clips you can use to build a platform toward work with other magazines. Most states and large municipalities are served by magazines covering everything from lifestyle and fashion to parenting, healthcare, music, travel, and foodie articles. This means there is an ongoing editorial need for stories in a writer’s own backyard, and local editors are often receptive to freelance ideas. Regional markets are generally less competitive, and they open the door to covering story ideas where you live, with ideas and sources you may already have at your fingertips. ► Read More — Writer's Digest | Apr 2020

How to market yourself — regardless of your employment status — Carolina Parent, Charlotte Parent & Piedmont Parent | Sep 2011

Hiring CSRs in the wake of Hurricane Helene — Blue Cross NC | 2024

Fuse Literary | Boston, Mass. GENRES: Fantasy, science fiction, and horror in the adult, young adult (YA), and middle-grade age categories, as well as YA contemporary CLIENTS INCLUDE: Katharine J. Adams, Cassandra Newbould, Aman J. Bedi, Meredith Mooring Ernie Chiara started with Fuse in 2017 — as a writer and client. He recalls wanting to learn as much as he could about what was happening behind the scenes with publishers, editors, their likes and dislikes, what books they were acquiring, etc. And the more he absorbed, the more his interest in the agenting side of the business grew. ► Read More — Writer's Digest | Jul/Aug 2023

— Oxford Public Ledger | Jul 2007

You’ve seen them in grocery chains — flipping through their 3-ring binders, shuffling through an accordion file, or sifting through an envelope for bits of paper that will save them cold hard cash. With a list in one hand and often a calculator in the other, these are the couponers, and they’re on a mission. You can learn a lot from these thrifty consumers; they know that to effectively save money you must first learn to effectively spend it. A recent press release from Inmar, the nation’s leading promotion transaction settlement provider, states that annual coupon use is on the rise for the first time since 1992 and coupon distribution hit the highest level recorded since 1988. For the first time in seventeen years, consumers used more coupons than they did the year before, with 3.3 billion consumer packaged goods coupons redeemed — that’s a whopping 27% increase over the previous year. This means that two-thirds of American shoppers are cutting coupons more frequently, seeking out low price over convenience, and emphasizing saving over spending. Did you know that you can cut your grocery bill in half simply by making the system work for you? (1) Buy what you need when it’s on sale, (2) Capitalize on techniques of doubling or even tripling coupons, and (3) Stockpile items so that you don’t have to make emergency runs when things are not on sale. This involves a little prep work on your part, but the biggest commodity involved is time. According to the  The   Wall Street Journal , an hour spent clipping coupons can yield $100 in savings. That’s a pretty decent return on a job you can do in your pajamas while watching TV. And although individual amounts may seem small, someone who saves just $25 per week will pocket that extra $100 per month, or $1200 per year. ► Read More — Cary Living | Jul/Aug 2010