Marisa Wikramanayake

writer, journalist & editor ~ I help you tell stories.

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  • Home
  • Blog
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  • Journalism work
  • Editorial work
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  • Free resources
    • Perth & WA Literary Calendar
    • Women who review
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  • Freelancing,  Journalism

    The Unconvential Guide to Freelance Journalism: Part 2 – setting up the business

    December 8, 2015 / No Comments

    So in Part 1 I explained why I wanted to answer the question of becoming a freelance journalist but also clarify exactly how difficult it can be to work as a freelance journalist. In this part I am going to tell you what, in Australia at least, you need in order to become a freelance journalist and to set up a business. Business type And the first thing you need to know is that yes, you are starting a business. And that you can be all by yourself as a sole trader, work with a couple of others in a partnership arrangement or set up a company with yourself working…

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    Fallon Michael's photo of eyeglasses on book beside macbook for Marisa Wikramanayake's blog post about their 2021 year in review

    My 2021 year in review – amazing goals success or failure?

    January 4, 2022
    A mug full of coffee on an open planner

    Setting goals as a freelance journalist

    October 11, 2019

    Freelance writing plans for 2017

    January 6, 2017
  • Freelancing,  Journalism

    The Unconvential Guide to Freelance Journalism: Part 1- demystifying the entire thing

    December 7, 2015 / 2 Comments

    A couple of weeks ago, a former university friend of mine (she was doing her BA, I was doing my MA) got in touch with me and asked me to meet her for coffee. I said “Sure!” And we did and she asked me a question: “How do I get into freelancing?”Ā  This was someone who has a job at a pretty top end publication but for whom it is a bit too stressful and not quite working out to be what she wants to write about. So I understand why she was asking me the question. I understand why she was considering the freelancing option. But I had to…

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    Freelancing Friday: A day in the life

    April 23, 2010

    The NYWF-ty List

    October 11, 2018
    An image of two hands writing in front of a computer screen with a phone on top of papers on a desk

    How to easily track pitches in Google Sheets as a freelance journalist

    January 7, 2021
  • How to write a book,  Projects,  Writing

    How to write a book: Part 1: Introduction

    September 25, 2013 / 4 Comments

    Three years is a long time. Three years ago, I was asked to run an online group on how to write books. The posts ended up here. A lot has changed in three years. It’s time to re-issue the posts with updated information. So for the next few weeks, every Wednesday (or for some of you, Tuesday night) there will be a post to do with writing a book, answering a specific question in your email and posted on this blog. What’s your part in this? Well, you are welcome to sit back and read the posts but you can also participate. You don’t need to be writing a book,…

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    How do I get started?

    April 20, 2011

    Inspiration (or is there a muse?)

    April 6, 2011

    The writing process, step by step

    April 27, 2011
  • Projects,  Writing

    How to tell if you are a writer

    September 11, 2013 / 4 Comments

      You have at least three library memberships and at least three different piles of books that are overdue and need to be returned. You get excited at the idea of getting a higher borrowing limit at the library than usual. You have a thing bordering on an obsession bordering on a fetish for pens. And your-kind-of-pretty notebooks. You may or may not have amassed a collection of these without quite knowing what you will fill them with it. You are a member of an online fandom. At least one. You write fanfiction for it. And delight in the response of others along the lines of how good you are…

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    Photographing the Perth Royal Show 2012 and failing miserably…

    October 4, 2012

    16 rules for writing

    September 4, 2013

    International Women's Day: "Woman"

    March 9, 2011
  • Projects

    How to have an adventure

    September 9, 2013 / No Comments

    Because I had this conversation with my ex-college dormmate from the US: ECD:Ā So what’s happening with you? Me:Ā Nothing much – I am in the middle of packing because I am moving. ECD: Moving? Where to? Which country? Are you done with Australia? Me:Ā *very sheepishly* Um, no, I am going from the city centre to the next door suburb. Fremantle to East Fremantle. ECD:Ā That is still an adventure. You are travelling across the world! I haven’t done that yet. Which brings me to my next point. An adventure is what you make it. Here is another conversation I had with one of my Australian friends a few years ago: So what…

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    Drive Me To Distraction by Caitlyn Nicholas

    Caitlyn Nicholas' Drive Me To Distraction

    February 21, 2013
    Perth Anonymous protesting against Scientology in 2008 (c) Perth Anonymous

    Scientology, R2-45s & my articles for 3rd Degree

    April 27, 2012

    AWW 2013: Marion Halligan's Murder On The Apricot Coast

    February 7, 2013
  • Australian Women Writers Challenge,  Competitions,  Projects,  Updates

    So who won the Australia Day Book Giveaway?

    January 30, 2013 / 4 Comments

    Who won the haul? That’s what you want to know right? What haul? This haul! Which I have to say is a pretty amazing haul. But what I found amazing were your comments. Thank you guys. It was really interesting to see what your favourite poems were and the reasons why as well. So while my cat ponders which one of you is lucky enough to win (or is distasteful enough that she doesn’t swallow the piece of paper your name is written on), let’s see some of your poetry favourites. KathArine (who does spell her name like that) kicks us off with Robert Frost: ā€œNature’s first green is gold,…

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    A few right thinking men by Sulari Gentill

    Sulari Gentill’s A Few Right Thinking Men

    June 6, 2016

    Jane Rawson's A Wrong Turn At The Office Of Unmade Lists

    January 16, 2014

    Kerry Greenwood's Unnatural Habits

    January 3, 2013
  • Freelancing,  IPEd Con 2013,  Projects

    How to network at an editors' conference

    January 14, 2013 / 3 Comments

    Or any other conference really. And by network, I mean meet, chatter, gossip with, not just pop up, deliver your 15 word elevator speech, exchange cards and dash off again. And for those who are still a bit behind, this is the 6th National IPEd Editors’ Conference we are discussing which will be held in Perth in Fremantle in April 2013. In about three months’ time in other words. Before the conference (one is assuming you have already registered for it): Find the program – I have made it easy for you, it’s here. Check out the list of who will be there as speakers and presenters for each session.…

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    art coffee business money

    Three important stories I wrote in 2021 as a freelance journalist

    February 15, 2022

    The NYWF-ty List

    October 11, 2018

    6 May 2013: MediaPass Student Industry Day

    April 16, 2013
  • Freelancing,  Science journalism

    How to cover a conference as a journalist

    October 20, 2012 / 3 Comments

    Since I am both organising a conference and attending a few for work purposes, I thought I’d write something to help journalists on how to cover a conference. This is the latest one I got invited to recently. The invite and the pitch Two days ago, I got an email in my inbox from a PR/conference organising company I had never heard of before, inviting me to the National Carbon Capture and Storage Conference that will be held on the coming Monday and Tuesday. The first thing to do with such invites if they are potentially interesting is to handball them to your editor. In this case, this meant contacting…

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    An image of two hands writing in front of a computer screen with a phone on top of papers on a desk

    How to easily track pitches in Google Sheets as a freelance journalist

    January 7, 2021
    Marisa Wikramanayake works on a story as a journalist and in this post showing you how to write a freelance pitch

    How to write a freelance pitch to an editor

    September 17, 2021

    The NYWF-ty List

    October 11, 2018
  • Projects,  Science journalism

    False balance: A science journalism pitfall

    October 2, 2012 / 8 Comments

    Earlier tonight (1 Oct 2012), the program MediaWatch (a program that critiques the media in Australia), aired the fact that WIN TV in covering a story on the measles vaccine had stated that the vaccine was still thought to be linked to the occurrence of autism and that the scientific community was in debate over it and had quotes from the Australian Vaccination Network stating as such. Transcript, video & documents from the MediaWatch program are hereĀ for those playing along at home. Quick background info: Most of the scientific community is NOT debating over this and so far the medical advice is to give your children the MMR (measles, mumps,…

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    You May Also Like

    AWW 2013: Interview with author Marj McRae

    January 17, 2013

    How do I get started?

    April 20, 2011

    iPhone app replaces doctors' logbooks

    October 28, 2010
  • Writing

    Why you shouldn't let your muse get drunk on champagne/how to braintrain your muse

    May 4, 2011 / 1 Comment

    Muses and alcohol… when you need control, that’s not a healthy mix.   So this came about because someone I know who requests writing advice on a regular basis, said she had a muse problem. The person she had based her muse on was going through a change of circumstances and that meant that she felt uninspired to continue writing – the change didn’t fit the story.   So I thought I’d clear up some things about muses.

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    Time & expectation management

    July 2, 2011

    My year in writing: 2016 and the freelance writer life

    December 16, 2016

    Freelance writing plans for 2017

    January 6, 2017
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