Writing professionally For Money
 | Author:
Eileen Clarke
Author: Rifles and Recipes |
Writing professionally For Money Eileen Clarke One of the best things about this winter is that Old Baldy Adult Education has started up again—and it started up in full bloom. Everything from CPR training to book club, alternatives for gardening beds, preserving garden produce and wood and metal shop classes and much more, there’s something for everyone.
One class that will return in the spring term is Writing Professionally—For Money. The writing class started at least 15 years ago, and the folks who joined that original class have become a very close-knit group. As Old Baldy started up, Terey Artz, program coordinator, has gotten requests to start a new version. Same old teachers, but open to new writers looking to hone their craft.
What would you get out of it? Here’s what our original group says:
“It forces me to use my brain in a way I don’t any other time. Once a month—no escape. I’m being creative. Most days in winter, I’m ice fishing [on Canyon Ferry]. Sitting on an ice bucket isn’t very creative.”
“I look at my writing development since the beginning. It’s night and day. Because of the feedback. And I actually published a book!”
“It’s good to talk to people with the same interests. Intelligent people. I like that. And the social aspect. The class led to a small, close-knit group that trusts the feedback, trusts what we’re told.”
“No grades. We grade ourselves, with honest, non-threatening feedback from the members.”
As one of the instructors, I’m hoping that’s what will happen with the next group of people who sign up. Together the ‘old’ group has published 9 books, with one more coming, and we’re now talking a lot about marketing and selling those books. A lot.
The new class will be offered once a month on the third Wednesday, from 6-8 pm in the Library Classroom. This class will be totally separate from the last one, a new learning curve starting, with facilitators to create a safe place to share and improve.
The instructors are my husband John Barsness and I. John just retired from Rifle and Handloader magazines after 30 years of being a contributing editor; is still rifle columnist and feature writer for Sports Afield magazine. I had a game cooking column with Field & Stream and Successful Hunter for years, and have written about hunting and optics for the NRA magazines, Gray’s Sporting Journal and others.
For the last decade, I have written wild game cook books, while John wrote hunting and firearms books, each of which I have edited, set up in a publishing program and sold on our website, https://www.riflesandrecipes.com.
The spring Old Baldy Adult Education catalog will be out toward the end of March. Check out all the classes. https://www.townsend.k12.mt.us (at the website, click on the magnifying glass and enter Old Baldy to see the latest.)
Eileen Clarke https://www.riflesandrecipes.com 406-521-0273
