Rebecca De Ornelas

Check out how I approach editing human-written content vs AI-generated content. (Secret: There's always a human in the loop!)

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Language in the Press Forward "Closing Local Coverage Gaps" program FAQ warms my heart: Using LION: Local Independent Online News Publishers' definition of sustainability as a framework, we will prioritize outlets that are intentional about their editorial impact, operational resilience, and/or financial health. We will support organizations that have a clear plan for how they will use this investment as a foundational step toward developing and maintaining a long-term business model. https://lnkd.in/eGKFYhGz #impact #localnews #sustainability

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Ever heard of Parkinson’s Law? Many writers haven’t. Parkinson’s Law simply states that “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” If you’re a writer, you need to leverage this principle, so you aren’t spending more time than you need to on any of your writing projects. Here are some strategies to try: https://lnkd.in/eXvHZFB3

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We often hear at High Point Discovered, "I didn't know you all were a nonprofit!" Oftentimes, folks experience our content and assume we can do what we do thanks to savvy ad sales or hefty feature entry fees. But from the very inception, our founder, Christi Barbour, was ADAMANT that this model of community storytelling would be no-pay-to-play. Our mission -- to communicate the stories of our community to connect citizens and catalyze economic growth -- only works when we tell the stories of EVERY outstanding business, nonprofit, educator, student, and artist in our city... not just the ones with significant marketing budgets. In fact, that's WHY we see our work as so crucial. Recent studies by Forbes have shown that 54% of small businesses cite marketing as a challenge for growing their business (with finding new customers as the top challenge at 60%). Yet of the surveyed businesses and nonprofits High Point Discovered has featured, 100% of those organizations saw an increase in inquiries, and 54% reported a <10% increase in sales. What we do works. High Point is my hometown, the place that has made me just as much as the people in my life. I truly believe High Point Discovered is part of the transformation taking place in this city -- from economic growth, downtown revitalization, sustainable attractions, increased tourism opportunities, equitable maker spaces, environmental action, increased opportunity for innovation in business, and more. But we need the support of other believers in our work (and in High Point!) to continue doing this. As part of our Giving Discovered campaign, we are asking our community to consider donating to help us reach our goal of $5,000. It's bold, but that's only fitting for a city growing with such boldness as High Point. Will you join us? Will you help us tell the stories that transform a city? Give back: https://lnkd.in/eNiHj8aN Learn more about what we do: https://lnkd.in/e5maNJTQ

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Fellow writers, can we talk about ways to stimulate ideas for pitches when you're feeling sort of creatively barren? I don't know if it's the state of the industry right now that has me at a loss (kind of like, what's the point??), or if it's something else, but what are your strategies for getting the creative juices flowing? #freelancing #freelancewriting #writers

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Deadline looming. Document nearly [finally!!] done. Just waiting on one more author. Would you ask the copyeditor to go ahead and get started? To save some time? Not so fast. Great copyediting uses the WHOLE document. Without the missing piece, it's impossible to eliminate repetition, build seamless idea flow, or define acronyms on the first mention only. Not to mention -- merging two versions of a document with tiny changes sprinkled throughout is extremely fraught and very time-consuming. Read: low-level work with a hefty price tag. Want great work? Give your copyeditor all the elements she needs to produce it. Don't send her your document until the final draft is truly, truly DONE.

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I'm thinking about the middle school novel I'm writing. I wonder if songwriters are having a similar experience: you've got a nugget of an idea, then you add the next layer, some texture, rethink the structure, add another character, and so on. It's a funny story with ridiculous and interesting characters. There's an ensemble cast, exciting locations, and plenty of action and wit. I'll be looking forward to finding an agent for this one. If you're out there, let me know you exist. Tonight I figured out who my bad guys are. They're five of the worst criminals on the planet, with an army of lackeys. I learned more about my secondary protagonist. Now I know his favorite car, drink, and got a better sense of his personality. It's a strange thing to create and observe at the same time. Meanwhile, I've got a list of problems to still fix. How do they capture my initial bad guy and convert him to being a good guy? That's a big problem. It can't be cheesy or cliche. I've got some ideas that I need to toy with. #WritingProcess #MiddleGrade #ChildrensLiterature #AuthorLife #CreativeWriting #Storytelling #CharacterDevelopment #PlotDevelopment #Publishing #Agents

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This Week's Creative Writing Prompts This week we're moving farther into the second half of 2024. This is a great time for some personal reflection, so I have some nonfiction writing prompts to help you do that. But don't worry. If you're looking for prompts that help you start on some new fiction, I have 7 prompts for fiction, too. https://lnkd.in/eScVvGpP

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Don’t work in donor communications without doing these 5 things: 😍 Listen more. Talk less. Your donor’s name isn’t Moneybags. It’s Janet Green, or Sam Smith, or Dr. Basil Johnson, or Mrs. Dora Fabian. They’re real people with real lives and dreams. And they care about your cause. What are their opinions? How are they doing? Have you asked them recently? Send a survey once a year—and just listen. 😍 Thank, thank, and thank again. And really mean it. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating—your donors are doing the most illogical thing in the world by giving away their money. Don’t they deserve some appreciation? 😍 Tell donors ”why,” not just “what.” Chances are they already know what you do. Tell them why it matters. How will their donation make a difference to someone else’s life? Share with them the impact they’re making. 😍 Tell stories. Donors give with their hearts, not with their wallets. 😍 Research your donors. Understand who they are and what they do. What are their jobs and interests? What motivates them to donate? Then you’ll be able to tailor your messages to focus on them. There are plenty more. What would you add? Ready to transform your donor communications? DM me for details on my limited-time six-month donor comms strategy package. #fundraising #nonprofit #nonprofits #goldfinchcopy

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AI curious? Join me online or IRL in NYC on October 17 for a #NonprofitAI panel and mini-workshop to help you get started with artificial intelligence to boost your nonprofit team's communications and productivity efforts. Learn more and RSVP at https://lnkd.in/gzCcbe_k. PS - If you'd like to share your nonprofit's experience with AI during this event, DM me!

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It was a delight and an honor to interview Andrea Firth, the smart and thoughtful co-founder of the Diablo Writers Workshop and editor for the Brevity Blog. During our conversation, we explored most writer's greatest struggle: Aboutness. Not only do we define it and offer some strategies for uncovering it in your essays, but Andrea generously takes us through her own writing process. As an added bonus, she shared tips for writing a Brevity Blog essay that has the best chance of getting published. Here's a sneak peek at this episode's highlights: 4:00 The Difference Between Memoir and Personal Essay 7:00 Exploring the Inciting Incident for Your Essays 14:00 Common Struggles Essayists Have: Aboutness 21:00 The Power of the Braided Essay 25:00 Resilient Editing and Workshopping 34:00 Submitting to the Brevity Blog To listen or read the official transcript, click here: https://buff.ly/4b8Ixh4 #WritingTips #EssayWriting

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How do you turn your idea for a book into an actual finished book? Gotham can help define, demystify, and de-risk-ify the bookwriting process so that ultimately you maximize the payoff from working with a ghostwriter. 

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Writing for clients is fun and often necessary when you’re a freelance writer. But how do you make time for your own voice? 💻✨ In the latest episode of Talk Freelance To Me, I chat with Tony Stubblebine, CEO of Medium, about how they're making the internet a more authentic and refreshing space for writers. Tony shares why Medium could be the perfect platform for freelance writers to focus on meaningful, impactful writing and reach new audiences without feeling like an "internet hustler." If you're ready to learn how to prioritize your writing and grow your personal brand, this episode is for you! Play the episode at https://lnkd.in/e7MdMxHn Or search for The Talk Freelance To Me Podcast on any major podcast app like Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or watch the episode on YouTube on The Talk Freelance To Me channel at: https://lnkd.in/ewdCfRT6 How do you balance writing for clients with making time for your own creative projects? Let me know in the comments! 👇 #writers #writing #freelanceWriting #contentcreation #writingcommunity #freelancecopywriter #freelancemarketing #freelancetips #freelancewriters #freelancerlife #freelancejournalist #womenwriters #talkfreelancetome #freelancewritingpodcast #writingpodcast #podcastforwriters #Medium #TonyStubblebine

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Cross-posting from J.D. Cunegan (hey, I know that guy 👀 ): Your greatest asset as a writer? ✨ Curiosity. ✨ No matter what you write, never lose your curiosity. Read everything you can. Find topics completely unrelated to your day-to-day interests. Study. Poke around. Research. Let yourself fall down the proverbial rabbit hole. You don't have to become an expert in any one thing (unless you want to), but feeding your mind will pay dividends. 📖 "Write what you know" should not limit you to the present. It should spur you on to devour as much knowledge and experience as possible. Even if you never use what you learn in your writing. Maybe the saying should be "Write what interests you." The more engaged your mind, the more productive your writing. ✍️

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One Day More - you won't want to miss this important virtual event with great presenters, hosted by GBH tomorrow - Thursday, June 27th at 7 pm ET: DISABILITY REFRAMED: IN MEDIA - Nothing About Us Without Us -- Disability ReFramed: In Media considers the opportunities, strategies, and challenges facing journalists and filmmakers on both sides of the camera, and imagines what the future could be. In this inaugural event, Producer, Director and cinematographer Dan Habib, creator of award-winning, nationally broadcast documentary films Including Samuel, Who Cares About Kelsey?, Mr. Connolly Has ALS, and Intelligent Lives, will join panelists Cara Reedy, Founder and Director of the Disabled Journalists Association; Liz Pritchard, creator and CEO of PaperBag Comic, flash mentor for Lights! Camera! Access! and Post-Production Supervisor for ADA Lead On Productions; and @Meghan Smith, Senior Producer at GBH News. They will discuss how disability is covered in film and in newsrooms, and speak candidly about how "Nothing About Us Without Us" applies to work behind the camera, on film sets and in newsrooms, and organizations more broadly. Disability ReFramed is a new annual event at GBH designed to consider the opportunities, strategies, and challenges we face as a community and to imagine what the future could be. Join us to meet and network prior to the event and learn more from organizations presenting in the GBH Atrium. Some of the questions we hope to address: What are the common pitfalls in news and film coverage; the impacts on public perception and community self-image; as well as strategies to overcome them? Award-winning filmmaker Dan Habib leads an important conversation with media makers for this inaugural event at GBH designed to address topics related to disability, access, and inclusivity. An expert panel will consider: Are people with disabilities considered, consulted, and represented accurately as both subjects and producers? How are journalists considering disability and the impact on disabled people when covering major news stories ranging from employment, climate change, healthcare, education and more? Is your newsroom, film set, or workplace ready to support disabled employees and makers? How can organizations meaningfully implement “Nothing about us without us” to benefit storytelling in news and film? Registration Link: https://lnkd.in/g7sdK2C9 Livestream on Facebook: https://lnkd.in/g4FuezNz

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"My Government Means to Kill Me" by Rasheed Newson is one of those books that I think will stay with me forever. It's won a place in my heart and in my annual Pride Month reading list - You should totally check it out. Full of humor, history, facts, and enough heavy topics that will make you stop and think for a moment, this novel is one I couldn't recommend more. #Books #BookReview #Reading #Blog #Copywriting

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Writing tip of the day: a great example makes the piece. Case in point: Deborah Ann Woll was recently a guest on Real Ones with Jon Bernthal, and taught him Dungeons & Dragons - and sold him on it - in about five minutes. You may already have seen it. If you haven't, watch below. It's incredible. Here's why it works: In this clip, she starts with a super basic explanation... then quickly dispenses with it. Because infodumping is necessary, but also boring. Instead, she invites him along for the journey, and expertly draws out a scenario. In seconds, he's asking the right questions, and intuiting his way through the game mechanics. More importantly, he's connected with the game - and her love of it - on an emotional level. Now, I'm not going to sit here and pretend all the content we write everyday is as immersive as D&D. Or that we all have the benefit of an engaged podcast host sitting directly across from us. But we can still dispense with the boring explanations, and instead ask our readers to play along. https://lnkd.in/eNuPr_i5

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🚀 Episode 43 of Local News Matters Podcast with Allison Taylor Levine, MPA of Local Journalism Initiative Delaware is out. The founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization, home of Spotlight Delaware talks with host Tim Regan-Porter about building a nonprofit collaborative newsroom and the importance of local news to democracy. She discusses the challenges of launching the initiative in Delaware, from creating internship programs to fostering collaboration among local newsrooms. Levine highlights how Spotlight Delaware, LJI’s flagship project, focuses on policy coverage and public engagement to fill critical gaps in the local news ecosystem. Levine also explores the role of community foundations in supporting journalism, explaining how these institutions can serve as partners, not just funders. She offers practical advice for newsrooms looking to collaborate with community foundations, outlining the importance of understanding their unique funding models and leveraging their strengths as conveners. In addition to discussing the financial sustainability of nonprofit journalism, Levine dives into innovative revenue models like mission-aligned sponsored content. With her background in journalism, marketing, and philanthropy, she explains how storytelling and community engagement are central to the success of local news organizations. (Link in comments) #localnewsmatters #businessofnews #journalism #nonprofitnews #democracy

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