For 20 years I’ve lived with my family in a Victorian property within sight of Worcester cathedral. I type on my laptop at a small white table; my wooden pig, Peregrine, watching over me. Our dachshund, Digby, lies at my feet gently snoring. No distractions – I’m just focussed on research and my current writing assignment.

Turtles gave me my first big break into freelance writing. Horrified to learn that they mistake upturned, discarded plastic bags in the ocean for jellyfish and choke to death, I emailed a pitch to My Weekly. Focussed on the environmental hazards of these bags and suggesting alternatives, ‘Kick that bag Habit’ became my first published feature.   

I wrote a further 15 commissioned articles and even compiled a quiz for them.  The subjects I covered – junk food, organic food, food labelling, plastic bags – are still being discussed and debated today. 

This pitch even appeared in Moira Allen’s book ‘The Writer’s Guide to Queries, Pitches & Proposals’ as an example of a short – but successful – query.

I often write from life experience. My personal stories about meeting Hollywood great, David Niven, and how my dad toiled the soil to create a successful, organic allotment, appeared in The Guardian. When I climbed Ben Nevis, my story was published in Scottish Home & Country and Yours Yearbook. My young life growing up in Aden featured in Yours magazine.  My piece on markets for fillers was printed in Writing Magazine (‘A Bit on the Side’).

I’m a chatterbox! But also, I’m an active listener – learnt while volunteering with various charities. This ability has been invaluable for interviewing. Everyone has a story to tell but it’s a skill to get the right information to make a successful and interesting feature.

After a devastating brain haemorrhage and a long rehabilitation, my neighbour got a second chance at life – she retrained to become a florist. I told her story in Woman’s Weekly.

I got into advertorial writing from cold calling my local county magazine. The editor just happened to be looking for a writer! I collaborated closely with her for many years, writing 20 advertorials and 10 beauty pages.

Online, I’ve written SEO content and contributed ‘Success Stories’ to WritersWeekly.com, one of the “oldest and most respected sites on freelance writing.” Web-based magazine You&Me published my personal story on curing rosacea.

In a rapidly changing world, I embrace modern technology and the varied ways in which we can now get the message across. The key to successful freelance writing today is versatility.