The desert writing retreat I desperately needed
Sun, rocks, and company: A recap of my week in Joshua Tree with two writing buddies
There’s no music, no TV, only the sound of the heater breathing hot air and three of us typing on our keyboards. I’m sitting in the living room of an Airbnb in Yucca Valley with my two writing buddies,
and . Each of us has a seat on a couch and is leaning back, legs up, with our laptops propped open. It’s still light out but not for long. We’re here for six days to hike and relax and mostly to work in company. I needed this desperately. We all did.The three of us met in October 2023 on a press trip to the Canadian Rockies. It’s strange to think that there was a time we didn’t know each other, had only maybe seen each others’ bylines. I knew I liked them the moment I met them. On the trail and in the lodge and during car rides, we talked about writing and pitching and freelancing. We talked about frustrating situations and the different ways we structure emails and the stories we wished we could write instead of our commerce work. I could sense that I was in the company of two strong and intelligent women who I wanted to surround myself with for longer than the trip. By the end, we already had a group text going so we could stay in touch.
And unlike so many other promises to stay connected, we actually did. One time I went into a meeting and came out to 80 texts between the two of them, hashing out something related to freelancing. They are the first ones I text when I need help wording an email, have something to vent about, or want to celebrate a work win. We’re like coworkers, only thousands of miles apart. Except this past week, we were all in the same room. Hannah is the intimidating hot girl on social media but is a real life angel. Maggie comes off as surly (and is) but is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. And I’m the people pleaser but have a secret dark side. So they tell me. We contrast and we complement each other.
For the last six days, we commiserated over the hopeless state of media. Shrinking budgets. Departed editors. Algorithmic upheavals. Irrelevant emails. And we prepped for the new year. Organized our systems. Workshopped pitches. Researched new publications. Drafted letters of introduction. Encouraged one another. Freelancing is such a lonely path, but they make me feel less alone.
On our last full day, Hannah led us on an off trail adventure through the desert. There were times we weren’t sure where we needed to go. Over that boulder or over that one? One of us always found the way, a perfect metaphor for how we work together in real life, not just on the trail. Seven miles and four hours later, we made it back to the car. We’re all not sure where we’re headed with freelancing, and yet I trust that, by sticking together, we will help each other figure it out.
Recommendations around Joshua Tree: Hey There Projects. Sun of the Desert. Industry of All Nations. Mojave Flea Trading Post. Desert Christ Park. Transmission Sculpture. Miracle Manor Boutique Hotel & Spa. Field Station Joshua Tree. World Famous Crochet Museum. Tiny Pony Tavern. Joshua Tree Rivian Outpost. Joshua Tree Farmers Market. Chaparossa Spring Loop.
XO
P.S. Maggie writes the newsletter
, and Hannah writes the newsletter Spin Cycle.Freelance Digest
This year I’ll be sending a freelance digest once a month to paid subscribers. Each digest will have stats about pitches and finances, and list of ups/downs from the month. I had been sending a weekly digest but the monthly cadence will give me space to write longer debriefs on different topics, like the one above, an ode to my writing gals. Next month I’m finally going to share about how I approach press trips as a journalist. Also on my list is a guide to crafting a pitch. Let me know if there are other topics you’d like to see!
Pitch Stats
5 different story ideas
8 different publications (I double pitched 3 story ideas)
2 responses requesting more information; not a yes but not a no. TBD.
$4,500 in assigned work, which is lower than my goal of $7,000.
Ups
Three years in the making, my longreads feature on small brands manufacturing in the USA was finally published by Outside Magazine. It follows the story of Mallory Ottariano, the founder of women’s activewear brand Youer, and all the obstacles she’s had to navigate just to make things close to home. This story is a huge deal for me because I’ve been working on it for so long and wasn’t sure it’d ever see the light of day. But here it is!!!
I finally placed my sheep semen story! LAINE, a Finland-based knitting magazine that I’ve worked with once before, assigned me a feature for their summer edition. I’ll be writing about an Oregon farmer who is growing and diversifying a Scandinavian sheep breed in the U.S. If you’ve been following along, I sent the pitch to numerous publications to no avail. Once it’s published, I’ll share the accepted pitch in the Behind the Story series.
During our writing retreat, I finally updated my website with my latest clips, now organized by reporting, profiles, essays, and travel.
Downs
For two years, I’ve worked as a contract copywriter for Outdoorsy, the Airbnb of RVs. I wrote newsletters, social copy, blogs, SMS and push notifications, and more. But over the holidays, they hired a full-time, in-person copywriter, which was a great move on their part. That meant my position was no longer needed. They were a great client, and it’s going to be hard to find a replacement that’s as good as them. But I’m looking! And I’m using the opportunity to recalibrate. If you hear of anything, kindly pass it my way.
A little thing but stinky nonetheless: I sent what I thought was a really strong pitch to High Country News and didn’t get a response. I’ll keep trying! I know this is part of the job. Editors don’t have enough time to respond to every email they receive. Neither do I. But I’m including this in my list out of transparency. Rejection is a reality and doesn’t necessarily get easier!
You forgot an exciting Up!!! (We won’t spoil it) big wins for you this weeeek! It revives me to have you two in my corner
YAY, you placed your sheep semen story - way to go!