Journalist Sarah Finley talks about how she came to write about her love life
Sarah Finley
Sarah Finley is a freelance journalist who writes news, lifestyle, real life and relationship articles. Her writing has appeared in Company, Red, The Daily Mail and many trade magazines. She also writes a popular blog called The Loves and Life of a London Girl, which follows her as she tries to understand men, dating and why we do what we do when we’re in love.
What inspired you to become a journalist?
Other writers - I loved how they could manipulate words to write an entertaining feature or even a novel that millions would be gripped by.
I find writing to be a huge source of comfort when everything else goes wrong. I love letting out what is in my head.
Did you receive any formal training?
I completed a postgraduate in magazine journalism with PMA Media Training a couple of years ago. It was a nine-week intensive course and I learnt everything from news writing to shorthand. It was a great way to learn about the industry and I’m glad I got some training behind me.
How did you find your first job in the media?
By using my initiative and contacting everyone and anyone. It’s a hard slog out there for new journalists. It’s not enough to just apply for jobs these days. It is definitely about who you know and you’ll probably find contacts in the strangest places.
Through a creative writing class I met a former Daily Mail journalist who ended up giving me freelance work, and a friend’s friend just happened to know the editor of a well-known women’s magazine, who gave me some great advice.
My first freelance staff writer job on Growing Business magazine came from being cheeky and emailing the editor about any vacancies - it just happened to work in my favour.
Do you specialise in a particular genre?
I try not to pigeon-hole myself - I have written about everything from HR to mums getting boob jobs.
I write a lot of news and features for trade magazines, but I have also written real life articles, lifestyle pieces and interviewed entrepreneurs and celebrities. However I love writing about relationships - that’s why I started my blog.
How did you create your blog: The Loves and Life of a London girl?
It was always something that I had wanted to do and when I broke up with my ex-boyfriend I found it very therapeutic.
I had lots of unanswered questions and found dating again weird. It was nice to find an outlet where I could share my thoughts with anyone who wanted to read about my experiences.
I love writing about dating and relationships and think there are so many topics to explore that hopefully I will never be stuck for something to write about.
How do you know where to draw the line about how much to reveal about your life?
The guys I date will (hopefully) never read it so I don’t mind being open and honest - I think my readers find that refreshing. I would never write about sex, personally I feel that is too much - you can go to other blogs for that.
I mention friends in my blog but I would never talk about their now boyfriends or dates, not in a negative light anyway, it really wouldn’t be worth the hassle.
Where else are we likely to see your work?
I have written real life and features for Company, Red and the Daily Mail. But I also freelance for trade magazines such as Personnel Today, PR Week and the Publican.
What are the biggest challenges of the job?
The rejection. Even successful writers get rejection now and again but as a new writer I found it hard to accept. When you finally feel as though you’ve got somewhere you come up against a brick wall.
It’s a hard industry - but it definitely keeps me on my toes. I think I can handle the rejection better now than a couple of years ago, if you work hard, the lows are worth it for the highs.
What are the biggest perks?
Seeing your name in print and getting free things sent to you. Also being able to do what you love - so many of my friends hate their jobs. I really do love writing and hopefully that shows in my work.
How do you adapt your style to suit different publications?
It’s really about knowing who your audience is. I switch from writing serious news stories to writing humorous dating articles. If you know the publication well and stick to their style, it’s fine and it gets easier as you write more.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Getting my blog off the ground and getting good feedback. When you put your life out there in the public arena and people tell you they love reading it, it’s great.
Another highlight was spending two days with ‘eligible bachelors’ at a photo shoot for Company magazine - my job was to talk to them and keep them entertained - such a hard life!
What advice would you offer an aspiring writer?
Keep at it. Write everything and anything you can. Come up with your own ideas and be creative. Be cheeky and if you’re a good writer someone will see your potential one day.
What are you working on now?
Lots of dating articles. I am trying to think of weird and wonderful ways of dating so I can feature them in my blog. I’ve joined a new dating agency and even auditioned for a dating show. But I’m open to suggestions about other dating ideas.
I’m also thinking about writing a book about dating - if any publishers out there like my writing style I’d be interested in hearing from them.
Sarah’s blog can be found at http://thelovesandlifeofalondongirl.blogspot.com
For more on Sarah, visit www.sarahannefinley.co.uk
Related posts:
- Tip of the week - Sarah Finley, freelance journalist - “Keep at it. Write everything and anything you can. Come...
- Poet, journalist and novelist Melinda Elmore talks about how she balances her work and life - Melinda Elmore is an American author and poet whose work...
- Comedian Dave Gorman discusses his love of writing, performing and experiencing life - Dave Gorman is an award-winning comedian, writer and the author...
- Adventurer and author Alastair Humphreys talks about his love of challenges - Aged eight, Alastair Humphreys completed the 26-mile Yorkshire 3 Peaks...
- Love Film? Live in Paris? Become a freelance writer for Screen International - Screen International is currently looking for a freelance writerr to...
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment