Clips: In the News

I was given the opportunity of a lifetime by Melissa Gibson to be a stringer for the Hendricks County Flyer Newspaper/The Flyer Group in Avon Indiana. Melissa, a reporter for The Flyer Group, had come to my place of employment (my day job) to capture a story of a resident who would be celebrating her 100th birthday during the upcoming weekend. I approached Melissa after she completed her assignment, and told her I was a freelance writer, interested in writing for a newspaper.

I gave Melissa my business card, but what she did, was awesome! Melissa went above-and-beyond, and gave me the names of her boss, the editor, her boss' boss, and their e-mail addresses, as well as her own. She suggested I send her boss an introductory e-mail with clips and links to my writing portfolio, and to copy her and the others.

One week passed...nothing. Two weeks passed...still nothing. The third week, Melissa came to my job to deliver the newspaper with the article in which the centenaurian's story was published. We chatted for a moment, and she asked if I had heard from her boss? Obviously had to tell her "no."

A couple of weeks later, Melissa contacted me to inform me of the good news that she was given the "okay" to bring me on as a stringer. I was elated! She gave me the option of several assignments from which to accept. I took two: The Avon Town Hall Tree Lighting and Cookies and Cocoa at the Natural Valley Ranch in Brownsburg.

I've always wanted to report for a newspaper to experience another type of writing. Upon covering my first two stories, the editor decided to bring me on as a stringer for future assignments...a passion I've always wanted to live.

Actual clips from the assignments I covered are attached. 

Enjoy!