Today we have an interview with Gayle J. McCarthy who has had an interesting career as a journalist. I met Gayle while attending a Regional Conference. Gail had assisted the IFWTWA Board Member and Regional Membership Director, Leigh Cort, in getting everything set up and running.

Maralyn: Please introduce yourself and provide some background.

Gayle: I started writing in college and began my professional career right after graduation as a stringer for The Princeton Packet, covering local political board meetings and writing features (back in the day when people actually read newspapers). I lived and worked in Ecuador as a journalism teacher shortly thereafter, where I had the opportunity to travel and backpack throughout South America during my time off. (To give you an idea of what it was like living there, imagine the hottest Florida summer day, double the humidity, and take away the air conditioning.) But I wouldn’t have traded the experience for the world. After that, I came back to the States and entered the graduate program at the University of South Carolina’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications, where I earned my master’s degree in journalism. Professionally, I have also worked as managing editor for a lifestyle publication and as an editorial program manager for Forbes in Manhattan.

Maralyn: What type of writing do you focus on, food, wine or travel or all three?

Gayle: Travel, primarily soft adventure stories.

Maralyn: What can you share with others as to important tips or suggestions for other writers on writing and finding outlets for articles?

Gayle: Things have changed so much since I first began writing, and it seems to be changing even faster now. I have found that you need to keep up with the technology and adapt to the new media market by staying connected via networking, Facebook, Twitter and other social media venues.

Maralyn: How did you get started writing and blogging?

Gayle: I have always been a writer since I was in grade school. I have always loved the creative aspect of writing and the challenge of creating a compelling story.

Maralyn: Did you have something specific that inspired you to write in this genre?

Gayle: I’ve always loved writing and have a passion for travel, so I combined the two. My experience in Ecuador fueled the travel fire.
Maralyn: How often do you blog?

Gayle: I am just starting.

Maralyn: What has been the most effective means of gaining traffic/followers?

Gayle: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, our website (hipstertravelguide.com), networking, IFWTWA.

Maralyn: If you also write articles, do you query for assignments before you write or after the article is done?

Gayle: I typically query for assignments.

Maralyn: Do you go to food, wine or tavel writers or blog conferences?

Gayle: I recently attended and helped collaborate an IFWTWA Regional Membership Media Conference in Jacksonville Beach with Leigh Cort. It was my first IFWTWA event, and definitely not my last. I also attended the U.S. Travel Association’s Pow Wow media event this past May in Orlando which was an incredible networking forum.

Maralyn: What’s the most difficult part of your job?

Gayle: Staying relevant amidst the rapid change in technology; also standing out amidst the overload of info on blogs, websites, and social networks.
Maralyn: What is your approach to research?

Gayle: Thorough, complete and accurate. No exceptions. I learned the discipline of research (and it is a discipline) in writing and completing my master’s thesis.

Maralyn: Have you learned any inside tips along the way you could recommend to writers/bloggers starting out?

Gayle: Start small, even if that means writing for your kid’s school newsletter. Get in the habit of writing each and every day, even when you have nothing to write and can’t think of one word. If that happens, write, I can’t think of anything to write. Eventually something will come. (A useful tool in this situation is using a writing prompt. Check out creativewritingprompts.com) Don’t wait for inspiration to hit; that is the certain bane of any writer.

Maralyn: Do you use social networking to promote your blog? If so, which ones work best for you?

Gayle: Hipster uses Twitter, Facebook, Digg, LinkedIn and YouTube. Facebook seems to work the best as it’s more interactive with our readers.

Maralyn: Have you considered writing a book? If so, could you tell us about the subject and any titles you may have already?

Gayle: Yes. I am in the process of writing a collection of humorous short stories/personal essays.

Maralyn: What has been your biggest Aha moment/s as a writer.

Gayle: Not an Aha! Moment per se, but I get the greatest sense of accomplishment and gratitude as a writer knowing I have made someone laugh by reading one of my stories. And if they don’t laugh, I try and not take it personally. Sometimes rejection is the greatest form of flattery.

Maralyn: Where can readers learn more about you?

www.hipstertravelguide.com

www.gaylemccarthy.com (in the process of being revamped; will be live in Dec. 2010).

I hope you enjoyed learning a little about Gayle. For me personally, I learn a little from each person I interview.

If you would like to be interviewed, please send me an email at MDHill@NoraLyn.com.

Maralyn D. Hill, President
International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association
Books By Hills Success With Writing Where & What in the World
Member: Society of Professional Journalists

Finalist in the Writing and Publishing category of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, “$uccess, Your Path to a Successful Book,”