Are You a Wild Writer?

What to expect from this little corner of internet moving forward

Hi writer friend,

In today’s issue of Wild Writing, we have:

• An update on what to expect from Wild Writing moving forward

• Introduce yourself! And learn more about fellow writers in the comments.

• Upcoming deadlines for fellowships and grants

• Events and education opportunities for writers

• In the Weeds: The words I’m tangled in this week

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A quick intro and update!

There are suddenly many more of you reading this newsletter, which is very exciting! Also, a little intimidating—and a good reason to step back and make sure I’m honoring your time and your inboxes.

So who am I and who are you and why are we even here???

I’m Britany! I write about the environment and travel. Right now, I’m working on the Southern and Eastern Oregon chapters for a forthcoming Lonely Planet guidebook and pitching stories about regenerative aquaculture and seafood tourism. I recently moved to Connecticut with my husband and toddler after a decade in Portland, Oregon.

On the road to the Alvord Desert in Southeastern Oregon

And who are you? Well, I can’t know for sure. But judging from the information available (and also just ~*vibes*~), you’re probably a freelance writer who covers travel, nature, the environment, or maybe other things, but you’re interested in how place and people interact through compelling narratives. You’re curious about the world, and you love that writing gives us a reason to go places and meet people and try to make connections among the chaos.

You also probably love to read about travel! And writing!

Wild Writing is a place to think about the places and the writing and how they influence each other. It’s where I use travel and places I love to dig into practice, craft, and the sustainability of storytelling. It’s a place where I look for and share inspiration that keeps me coming back to the page and getting out into the world and then coming back to the page again.

Moving forward, you can expect a mix of craft writing and travel essays from me and other writers, as I’ve recently started commissioning! I’m very excited to open this space up to more voices, to expand on what I can offer by sharing the perspectives and experiences of my peers.

Just me in a park on a 2,000-mile road trip, taking notes and thinking about stories.

There aren’t enough places for great travel and place-based writing these days. Right?? It is my goal to make Wild Writing just that.

So, are you a Wild Writer? If you’re committed to reading and writing great stories about our big wild world, then yes! And welcome! And whether you’ve been here for days or years, thank you!!

Starting next week, Wild Writing will go out once a week, on Wednesdays, with alternating essays and Q&As with other writers, along with the usual updates on upcoming deadlines, events, education opportunities, and more good stuff that could be helpful in your writing work.

Starting in May, those weekly posts will include essays from other writers. Maybe even you! (If you’ve pitched me recently, thank you for your patience. I plan on getting back to everyone by the end of next week.)

I’m so excited to move forward with more stories about travel and writing and to continue exploring our world and our craft with all of you.

Introduce yourself! Let’s all connect!

I’d love to learn more about who’s here and why. Please use this issue to introduce yourself in the comments! Tell us what you’re working on, share a link to what you’ve published recently, share a goal for your writing this month—or whatever you feel like sharing! (If you’d like it to be more private, you can also just hit reply to this email and tell me about yourself and your work. I really love hearing from you!)

Upcoming Deadlines

• USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism National Fellowship | Apply by 4/9

• The Kerouac Project Writing Residency | Apply by 4/14

• Fourth Genre Steinberg Memorial Essay Prize | Submit by 4/15

• The Florida Review Editor’s Prizes | Submit by 4/15

• New! Narratively x Emma Roberts: The True Romance Writing Prize | Submit by May 1

  Narratively x Emma Roberts: The True Romance Writing Prize 💋💔✍️🏆

Events and Education

• The Write to Pitch Conference is being held in NYC, June 5-8. According to the website: “The goal of this conference, and all its companion editorial and development programs, is to set you on a realistic path not only to publication, but to becoming a career author.” Registration is now open.

• Narratively is hosting this event today, so it might be too late for the live version! But if you sign up, you’ll receive the recording for free: How to Write About Politics Without Losing Your Mind

• The Lakefly Writers Conference offers over a dozen workshops on the craft and business of writing designed to inspire and guide your creative journey. It’s taking place May 2-3. Registration now open.

• The Nonfiction Writer’s Conference is an annual, online event that includes interactive webinars on the craft and business of nonfiction writing, pitching opportunities, and online networking. Taking place May 7-9.

In the Weeds

Words I’m tangled in this week…

Life Finds a Way by Kristen Arnett for Orion

With every reread, I find myself more entranced by things I’d initially feared. As a child, I was scared of dinosaurs, yes, but as an adult, I can see that I was more afraid of the humans’ power to act. Nothing stops these scientists—or, more correctly, these billionaires—from doing whatever they want. These people know nothing about the consequences of their actions because they’ve never stopped to consider the greater good. There is only the moment of creation, their name on a check. What would it be like, I wonder, to make those kinds of choices?

One more thing…

Did you catch last week’s essay about that time I saw my old camper van in the wild? If you’ve ever felt nostalgic for a past version of your life, I think you’ll relate.

OK that’s all for today!

Stay inspired,

Britany