My brain is getting a workout, and it's only Tuesday.

The creative work I did for Lowcountry Living is the same kind of brainstorming I'm now trying to do for many magazines, and in order to write a good pitch that will get an editor's notice, you have to understand the audience, a specific magazine's departments, and do some research about the subject. All of that keeps the creative field wide open, but it does eat time, so you have to make it worthwhile, pitching to magazines that might truly have an interest in your work.

Here's the deal: I already have two stories due the first part of September, and both are resume-driven rather than a direct pitch. However, they were in response to needs for freelance writers, and they still expect an occasional pitch in the future. 

Pitching ideas might seem to sound like "too much" to many people, but there are a few upsides:

1. You get to spend a lot of time reading magazines very thoroughly. It's work, really. Yes, I might be tearing out the occasional basted chicken recipe, but I assure you, it's work.

2. Even if an editor rejects the pitch, they might keep you in mind for the future.

And the most important part of all for me:

3. It keeps the creativity going, and so writing the fiction seems to be coming more naturally on a daily basis. (I didn't say necessarily better, but we're ignoring that pesky internal editor for now.)

So, ladies and gentlemen, that's what I've learned so far in the process. That, and well, that I have ripped out more recipes than I will ever cook in my lifetime.