You probably won't believe that I have a bachelor's degree in Biology, and that I had originally wanted to be a marine biologist. Well, I also wanted to be a doctor. Fate has her way of messing up even the best plans, so, here I am, sitting in front of a computer, writing articles about plants and animals.
The biggest writing gig I got involved in concerning animals was the former Petopia.com project through WriteEdge.com. As one of their feature writers, I wrote new pieces and re-wrote, re-formatted, or copyedited those of others.
We basically worked in teams, work-for-hire, which meant that none of us showed up in the bylines. I can claim, though, that I wrote and/or edited more than 500 of the core articles (plus a few monthly feature pieces) published in the Petopia site.
I had the opportunity to write about how to choose and care for cats, dogs, birds, ferrets, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, tropical fish, reptiles and amphibians. It was a truly unique experience, to say the least.
And I must say, the WriteEdge folks are among the most professional managers and editors I have ever worked with (Thank you, Martina Boone, Lynie Arden, and Richard Blackmon!)!
Other venues I wrote animal articles for are an SAT project (I wrote about bats, and sold all rights) and the EcoFlorida Magazine, where these were published:
* The Florida Manatee
Only with the help of responsible tourists, residents, fishermen and boaters will the coming generations have the chance to appreciate these gentle giants of the waterways.
* The Florida Scrub Jay
The Florida scrub is one of the most endangered ecosystems in all of North America, leaving the Florida Scrub Jay in a precarious situation.
Phyllis Hobe, editor of the Listening to the Animals book anthologies (released by Guideposts), published two of my pet-related stories, "The Aquarium In Our Living Room" and "His Reason For Visiting" in her collection entitled "Their Mysterious Ways."
Two other stories will be published in another Phyllis Hobe anthology, "Be Not Afraid," coming out soon.
