Marisa Wikramanayake

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

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  • Blog
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  • Journalism work
  • Editorial work
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  • Free resources
    • Perth & WA Literary Calendar
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  • art coffee business money
    Freelancing,  Journalism,  Productivity

    Three important stories I wrote in 2021 as a freelance journalist

    February 15, 2022 / No Comments

    Three stories I wrote in 2021 as a freelance journalist and why they were important.

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    My year in writing: 2016 and the freelance writer life

    December 16, 2016

    14 easy rules to simplify your workflow and life as a freelancer

    June 4, 2013
    green typewriter on brown wooden table

    My goals for 2022: making my freelancing work better for me

    January 18, 2022
  • Marisa Wikramanayake works on a story as a journalist and in this post showing you how to write a freelance pitch
    Freelancing,  Journalism

    How to write a freelance pitch to an editor

    September 17, 2021 / No Comments

    Learn how to write a freelance pitch in this post.

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    How to get started in journalism

    November 29, 2013

    Surviving university as a journalism student

    February 13, 2015

    Freelancing Friday: A day in the life

    April 23, 2010
  • Blog,  Journalism

    What is a typical day for a journalist?

    October 16, 2019 / No Comments

    The typical day for a journalist always varies depending on what your working circumstances are. But here are some ideas.

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    Where you will find me in October 2018

    October 11, 2018
    City of Lights by Sammu on Flickr.

    Sri Lanka, December 2015 – February 2016

    December 5, 2015

    Gin & Tonic update #2: I was so wrong! AKA #maricantmath

    February 7, 2019
  • Journalism

    How I use bullet journaling as a freelance journalist

    April 9, 2019 / No Comments

    Marisa Wikramanayake posts about how to use bullet journaling as a freelance journalist to organise your work flow and processes.

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    Untitled by Hamed Saber via Flickr

    My latest journalism work for Curtin

    September 1, 2013

    Alison Morton's Inceptio

    May 24, 2013
    Annuncia Il Suicidio In Chat, Lo Incitano e Si Impicca In Diretta Su Skype via Hot Gossip Italia on Flickr

    Protected: How to interview people via Skype video

    April 2, 2015
  • Katherine Susannah Pritchard and her typewriter (c) Marisa Wikramanayake
    Blog,  Writing

    Day 4: Freedom to write, freedom for writers

    June 1, 2018 / No Comments

    Day 4 already. Well, nothing was going to happen on Day 1 given how tired and jetlagged I was. Today, most of the day was pretty boring. I had not slept well the night before. So the day was full of waking, sleeping, doing things I needed to do like eat and so on. I thought about the book a lot. And then I did my makeup, changed, called an Uber and went to see my friend Vicki Laurie interview Peter Greste at the WA State Library. So three things happened today on Day 4: Peter Greste pleasantly surprised me. I was very happy about that. Thank you Peter Greste.…

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    Workers in black t-shirts outside a Fairfax building with flags protesting job cuts and the takeover by channel nine as part of the union MEAA's campaign.

    January 2019 MEAA Monthly Update

    January 31, 2019
    A phone with messags on its screen sits on a desk in front of a lit up keyboard

    My 10 Compelling Reasons For Running Youtube Livestreams Right Now

    January 22, 2021

    MEAA news for February 2019

    February 28, 2019
  • My desk in Phillips cabin at the KSP Writers Centre (c) Marisa Wikramanayake
    Blog,  Writing

    Day 3: So many emotions

    May 31, 2018 / No Comments

    Day 3 and I am just grateful. I didn’t get to sleep until five am because I was just so thrilled that I had met my goal. You get a high after you write and type everything in. But I did sleep in bursts till about noon. I would wake up, do some work related things, sleep a bit, write a bit and so on. I woke up at noon and went over to the main house and the office to meet Shannon who is the director here at KSP Writers Centre. I gave her some things from Sri Lanka and she offered to do a pharmacy run for me.…

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    The NYWF-ty List

    October 11, 2018

    How to deal with late payments as a freelancer

    January 26, 2019
    KSP cat by Ashleigh Hardcastle via KSP Writers Centre

    I hit 10,000 words!

    June 4, 2018
  • Plan B by Sebastien Wiertz via Flickr
    Updates

    The writing plan for June

    June 3, 2016 / No Comments

    It’s June today. A June day, today, let’s say since June began the day before yesterday. On this June day my TBR is neither pile nor stack, it is a scatter instead, in bags, on shelves, across the floor, under laptops and beds. It’s also not To Be Read but rather like quantum, a mix between the two, some To Be Read but some also read already so To Be Reviewed. I need a plan. 

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    Thank you to my 500th fan!

    January 2, 2016
    Norwich Street Art Warning by MarkHeyBo on Flickr

    Why I am resurrecting my Patreon account

    January 14, 2019
    Cat asleep on a wall - Photo by Iván C. Fajardo on Unsplash

    Why I really need to take a week off for rest right now

    February 17, 2021
  • Investigative journalism,  Journalism,  Science journalism

    Watch “How statistics can be misleading – Mark Liddell” on YouTube

    May 9, 2016 / No Comments

    Numeracy can be a stumbling block for journalists. For people used to working with words, it can be a struggle to figure out what statistics are saying and if they actually are hiding anything or misleading anyone. This TED Ed lesson is a good place to start with an explanation of Simpson’s Paradox.

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    A picture of Khodayar Amini at the vigil for the one year anniversary of his death

    Khodayar Amini, Australia and asylum seekers, one year on

    October 19, 2016
    Perth Anonymous protesting against Scientology in 2008 (c) Perth Anonymous

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

    April 27, 2012
  • 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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    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
    Top down shot of two people sitting across from each other a table having coffee with just their arms and cups in view

    10 Important Things You Need To Know About Finding A Mentor

    January 14, 2021

    25+ ways I automate my workflow, or how I am trying to become a cyborg

    May 23, 2013
  • 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?”  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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    6 May 2013: MediaPass Student Industry Day

    April 16, 2013
    A mug full of coffee on an open planner

    How I am planning for the next financial year as a freelancer – despite Covid-19

    June 26, 2020

    Mentoring: the why and the how of doing it

    December 6, 2013
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