Jason
Motz Interview Chow March 14, 2017
Jason Motz is a freelance writer and editor for Positive
Living BC. After not wanting to be in retail anymore, Motz went back to school
and continued his studies. He graduated from University of Victoria and while
he studied there he wrote for the university’s newspaper called the Martlet. His
first cover story for the Martlet was about the Egyptian spring. For him, this was
the first important story that he wrote.
In a phone
call interview, he shares some tips about freelance writing and journalism. As
a freelance writer, we need to learn how to hustle and juggle with writing
deadlines, our health, school, and our regular day jobs. There isn’t going to
be someone there to tell us to get to work or remind us to take a break. Freelance
writing will never be boring because of the different stories that will be assigned
to you and also working with different companies will give you the chance to
meet many new people. Reading is a very important activity to do as Motz has
mentioned this a couple of times. Reading books specifically about the field
you want to go into will help you discover a ton of information you haven’t known
before.
The important skills a writer should have are meeting the deadlines for
assignments, being prepared of what’s ahead, don’t have self-doubt, and be curious.
Motz has provided many useful information about being a writer and it can help encourage
young writers to set foot into the field.
I really like you incorporated the Egyptian Spring story into your piece - it's an effective opening.
ReplyDeleteHi Fiona,
ReplyDeleteThank you for mentioning my employer. They will be thrilled for the plug. And, to echo what Andy already mentioned, mentioning the personal importance of that Egyptian Spring story that I wrote is a good way to lure readers in. (The kind of detail a longer you would maybe focus on more in a longer piece.)
I also like that you mention the phone aspect; helps towards painting a picture, you know?
As for constructive criticism, the grammar slipped a bit in your final paragraph. I know it was a quick turnaround for this assignment, but that's the kind of detail you need to iron out. Pro Tip: read your copy aloud or to yourself, scrutinize every syllable. The flaws which sometimes hide in the cracks between words will suddenly scream out.
Cheers!