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Freelance writer & novelist

Job Title and Job Description

Freelance writer & novelist

I write books, articles, short stories, poetry, and a blog called "Sketch People" at http://www.tjbanks927.blogspot.com. I also have done some pro bono work for Animal Friends of CT over the years. I like being my own boss and working on a wide variety of projects.

What are some related career opportunities and job titles in your company or in your career area?

My work has won a number of awards from the Cat Writers? Association, including the 2007 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award. I am a Contributing Editor to LAJOIE, a quarterly journal with decidedly Thoreauvian tendencies. I had the great and good opportunity to work with the late Phyllis Hobe on several of the series that she edited for Guideposts. And I?ve done columns for a number of different publications, one of them a two-time award winner.

What education or training did you have to prepare for this career?

I studied journalism for a year at Lehigh University, then transferred to Trinity College, where I majored in English. But the major part of my training was on the job, writing features and doing reviews for local papers. Some of my initial jobs were with small publications, so I got to do more than I probably would?ve at larger ones.

What education or training do you recommend for students today who want to enter this field?

Good questions. College coruses help, of course -- they give you a background to draw upon. But I still think you learn by doing.

When you were in high school, did you know that you would enter this field?

Yes. I have always, always known that I wanted to write.

Skills Profile

Skills UsedRating (5=Most Important thru
1=Not Important)		Comments
Artistic 5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important 
Athletic / Physical 1-Not Important 
Bilingual 3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important 
Computer Technology 3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important 
Coordination / Using Hands, Tools, and Equipment 3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important 
Creative Thinking 5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important 
Interpersonal 5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important 
Investigative / Fact Finding 5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important 
leadership and Supervising 3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important 
Logical Thinking 4-Very Important4-Very Important4-Very Important4-Very Important 
Math 1-Not Important 
Mechanical Understanding 3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important 
Sales and Negotiation 3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important 
Scientific and Experimental 1-Not Important 
Social Service / Helping Skills 3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important 
Teaching / Instructing 3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important3-Somewhat Important 
Verbal Communication 5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important 
Understanding Nature, Plants, Animals 5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important 
Understanding Yourself 5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important 
Writing 5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important5-Most Important 
 

Interview By: T. J. Banks, Freelance writer