Tips & Inspo

I first connected with Mary Garner, the publisher, when we worked together on a different project where I wrote an article featuring businesswomen. Mary promoted ad space. When she tapped me to work on this series of articles, I was elated. The Ivy Hill Golf Community is a fascinating place in Central Virginia. For this interview, I met Nan Perdue in her home, discussed her journey, and snapped photos for the spread. Each of these Ivy Hill profiles that I’ve put together has unearthed amusing local anecdotes. Meet Your Neighbor: Nan Perdue Originally published at Life in the Ivy Nan [...]

I looked very pregnant when I asked my interviewee to take me up on the roof. I had just finished talking to the team at Central Virginia Community College where I had been sitting in the conference room. For the whole interview, my short frame was wedged underneath the table where the receptionist had sat me before my subjects arrived. They offered to take me on the roof to see the solar panels they were using for the class. I said yes and stood up, revealing my bulging belly. I laughed at the awkwardness and told them I was still [...]

Whenever I write an article, I have a concept for the angle before I even pitch the story. Most of the time, the angle is the reason an editor accepts the piece. Profiles, whether business or an individual, tend to work the opposite way. I try to find a theme to pull out after conducting the interview. Feature Article for Life in the Ivy Magazine I accepted an assignment from Mary Garner with Life in the Ivy, a small publication focused on the Ivy Hill community in Central Virginia. I scheduled an interview with Nan Perdue, knowing a few details about her — mother, [...]