TAKE YOUR HEARTBREAK TO THE BANK!
(RELATIONSHIP WRITING IS BIG BUSINESS)
BY
JENNIFER BROWN BANKS
“I am woman hear me roar.”----Helen Reddy
Nobody ever told me that being dumped could be empowering!
That the lessons learned from loving and losing could not only bring pain, but profit. In fact, whoever said that you should never mix love and business, definitely wasn't a writer.
My epiphany began over a decade ago, when as an aspiring writer; I was struggling to discover my niche, my voice. Every “how-to” book I had read said it was a must! For me it was a daunting task, considering the fact that I had no formal training in writing, nor any real idea as to how to begin my journey.
It never dawned on me that as an incurable romantic, who had survived several love wars, and had earned a “purple heart” in dating, I had already been sufficiently prepared.
I discovered this reality one day when I was at home watching the Sally Jesse Raphael show. The topic of the show was men who were commitment phobic and the women who loved them. For some reason I connected to one of the women on the show, who was very emotional and expressive about her relationship with a guy she had been dating for seven years, who professed to loving her, but refused to get married. I had been there, done that.
Because I thought my “2 cents” was important, I wrote an editorial piece about the show, and shot it off to a local publication in my area devoted to singles. About 2 months later, the editor called me at home and told me I had “serious talent as a writer”, and that she wanted to run my piece in her next issue!
That acceptance began a beautiful relationship. I have now been a feature writer for that publication for 12 years, and have written hundreds of articles on the dynamics of dating!
In fact, my current experience as an online relationship columnist is also a testament to the fact that love pays! Here's how.
I had been dating a guy who had formerly been my friend for about 10 years, and whom I thought might be the knight in shining armor we as women dream of! When much to my surprise, about 6 weeks into dating, he broke it off with me, with no warning, no rational reason, by E-mail, no less!
I was so heartbroken and so embarrassed, that I needed therapy! Well, not the traditional kind, I mean writing.
To keep my sanity and sort things out, I began to write. At first I wrote journal entries, then passionate poetry, then articles.
Through my grief, I figured I could help other women with what I had learned, and provide some coping strategies. So I started submitting my work for publication. And you know what happened? A pitch to an online magazine with these writing samples landed me a weekly column!
An article from my romantic “horror stories” ended up in an anthology.
And the man who initially brought such hurt ended up bringing me thousands of dollars in the process. And I've been laughing my way to the bank ever since!
Perhaps one of the greatest lessons I learned amidst this journey, is that it's not what happens to you in life that matters, but what you do with it!
Don't be bitter. Be better.
As writers, there are endless opportunities to make a buck on a subject that most of us are almost authorities on! Think about it. Whether you've been married 20 years, are a man magnet, have been looking for love in all the wrong places, or you're a bitter babe, you have experience and a unique perspective on love.
It's the stuff magazines are made of, lyrics are laden with, and Hollywood screens glorify. Here's how to get in on the action!
• KEEP YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE IN MIND.
• DON'T BE AFRAID OF WEARING YOUR HEART ON YOUR SLEEVES.
• NEVER USE REAL NAMES OR REVEALING DETAILS WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THOSE INCLUDED.
• When appropriate, add expert quotes to support your particular position or observation.
• Another nice touch is to use quizzes and surveys to engage the reader and provoke thought.
Remember to recycle…never let a broken heart go to waste!
Jennifer Brown Banks Bio:
For more than a decade, her words have “wowed” audiences worldwide, with over 400 articles, columns, commentary pieces, and poems in online and print publications—regionally and nationally.
She is a contributing author to Simon and Schuster's “CHOCOLATE FOR A WOMAN'S SOUL” series.
Banks is listed in Who's Who in America. She serves on the Steering Committee of Chicago Writers Association.
© 2007 WOW! Women On Writing
e-mail: editors@wow-womenonwriting.com
March 2007, Issue 8: The Freelance Union