Internships at Fear of Writing

FROM TIME TO TIME I take on an intern who feels passionate about Fear of Writing and wants to help. Some of my interns have done amazing things to make an impact on this organization. You can apply to become an intern yourself, should you so desire. At the bottom of this web page you’ll find an application form for internships.

But first, allow me to introduce you to two interns who have made an impact. The first intern was almost solely focused in the realms of Fear of Writing, and her internship was back in the early days of FoW (the first edition of the book was published in 2000). The second intern helps me over at Milliver’s Travels (one of the many aspects of my writing network), and her internship is current as of the building of this webpage, Feb 2014.

Jennifer Turner, Gazette editor, online course designer/presenter & more

Jenny is a prolific writer and has a heart as big as Texas. She has helped, encouraged, and given joy and laughter to many at Fear of Writing in her several leadership roles.

Jenny was editor of the Fear of Writing Gazette (2001 – 2002), the moderator of the fondly remembered Fear of Writing chat room, and the designer of the Fear of Writing Online Course curriculum. She also acted as course presenter until July 2002. Jenny will long be treasured for her contributions.

In 2006 Jenny introduced Milli to her invention, the 10K Day, and that later resulted in 10K Day for Writers, a site where writers can enjoy the support and camaraderie offered by enthusiasts of the 10K Day.

While Jenny was designing the curriculum for the Fear of Writing Online Course, she had the following personal breakthrough working with the book (Fear of Writing by Milli Thornton):

I’d been battling a case of writer’s block ever since the terrorist attack on September 11. Each word needed to be squeezed out of me like lemon juice, and when it hit the page it was just as sour. And then I read “Jack’s House” [a short story in Fear of Writing]. Every obstacle Helen encountered, every fear she had, every thought she had, paralleled my own troubles so completely I was stunned. I had been terrified that my fiction was trivial, meaningless, and without purpose, but when I finished reading “Jack’s House I understood what I needed to do. This was the miracle I’d been searching for. Thank you!

— J. R. Turner, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

After Jenny retired from her various positions in 2002, she went on to become the author of eight published novels. Click on the image of her book covers to visit her on Amazon.com.

Estrella Azul, photo editor at MilliversTravels.com

Staff writer Estrella Azul of Cluj-Napoca, Romania has been a regular contributor to Milliver’s Travels since May 2011, when she started as a guest blogger with a wonderful story about Taormina in Sicily. Estrella’s story index shows that, to date (2/25/14), she has written 15 stories for MT, all of them based in Europe.

Estrella has been very loyal to Milliver’s Travels, and she had offered to help me if I needed help. Knowing that she was usually dealing with a demanding job situation, I never took her up on it. The last time she offered, she was between jobs. I didn’t hesitate too long! Photo editing is one of Estrella’s skills (and she enjoys it) so she was a perfect fit.

Luckily for me, even though she recently got a new job Estrella has decided to stay on as photo editor to see if it will work out for her in the long run. I’m addicted to the pleasure of doing travel stories with such skillful and willing help, so I’m secretly hoping she will stay forever. 🙂

Estrella kicked off as photo editor with Part 2 of staff writer Lisa White’s Rural Irish Wandering and Music, and she continues to do fine work for Milliver’s Travels each week.

Sound like fun? Like to apply for an internship?

Please use the application form below and be as honest as possible in your responses. The more I understand you and your skills and preferences, the easier it will be to match you to some work you can enjoy.