Freelance Writing — Blog

Profile of Nat Gillis: Pilot, Poet, Photographer

It’s with a heavy heart I post this piece today, in remembrance of Nat Gillis — a friend, fellow creative soul and shining light who died Monday June 17, 2024, when her aircraft crashed in Albany, NY. I had the fortune of writing a profile about Nat for Kootenay Mountain Culture for their Summer 2023 issue. I wanted to share more about Nat so I’m posting a excerpt below with a link to the full article so that you can learn more about Nat’s journey and see some of her gorgeous photographs.

Freelance WritingMeghan WardJune 19, 2024profiles, publishing, mountain culture, mountain womenComment

Weighing the Truth in Memoir: Literary Hub

When my book, Lights to Guide Me Home, morphed into a full-length memoir, I discovered myself in the throes of a process I didn’t expect — one in which I needed to consider the impact of telling my story. Telling my truth. Upon the book’s publication, I had the opportunity to write a piece for Literary Hub in which I explored the topic of memoir and the fine art of weighing our truth.

Freelance Writing, Writing CraftMeghan WardNovember 13, 2022writing, memoir, writing process, processComment

8 Things I Learned from 52 Weeks of Feedback

Just over a decade ago, I set off on a project to give feedback to other writers for 52 weeks straight.

I recently stumbled across the blog content I wrote about that experience and decided to pull it from the archives for you. As outdated as some of it is (my personal career has come a long way in those ten years), it was a cool project and one I think we can all learn from!

Freelance Writing, TipsMeghan WardApril 25, 2022feedback, writing Comments

Farewell to Abbot Pass Hut

For anyone who has been there in its 100-year history, Abbot Pass Hut is a remarkable place. For anyone who hasn’t been, a quick glimpse of its location might make one double-take. Perched upon an inhospitable heap of stone piles between Mts. Lefroy and Victoria on the border of Banff and Yoho national parks, Abbot Pass Hut has been keeping mountaineers warm and safe since its construction in 1922.

But that heap of stones proved to be unstable.

New Cover Story for Outdoor Photographer Magazine

Paul Zizka and I get to collaborate from time to time, and this is one of our favourite pieces. We’d pitched a story about methane bubbles that appear in frozen lakes nearly nine months before Outdoor Photographer came knocking with a last-minute request… They wanted the idea for a cover story but there was a caveat. They needed it in a week’s time.

Freelance Writing, MagazinesMeghan WardJanuary 20, 2021publishing, cover story, Outdoor PhotographerComment

10 Tips for Getting Published in Magazines

Many writers dream of getting published in a magazine. It is a favourite amongst writers because of the interactive qualities of the final product and the supporting visuals and illustrations. It’s also seen as prestigious. So, how do you get your work and ideas published? Here are some of my best tips for increasing your chances of getting the gig.

Magazines, Freelance WritingMeghan WardOctober 7, 2020magazine, publishing, tips, writing Comment

How to Write a Query Letter

Some writers get their work commissioned by magazine editors and art directors or even get commissioned to do work specifically for an upcoming issue, especially once a relationship has been established. But, how do you introduce yourself and get your work published when you don't already have the "in"?

Freelance Writing, MagazinesMeghan WardOctober 7, 2020how-to, query letter, magazine, articleComment

15 Tips for Getting Started in Freelance Writing

How do you train for a marathon or big climb? You start running, you start climbing. I want to say “just start.” But, I know it isn’t that straightforward. There are definitely some pointers I wish I had known when I started out – things I had to discover on my own in a fairly long, drawn-out process that continues to this day. Here are my best tips.

Freelance Writing, TipsMeghan WardOctober 7, 2020writing, freelance, how-to Comments