Hiya and welcome to MBToolbox. I'll be your host for what the editors call this catch-all blog about freelance writing and useful resources for journalists. My name is Claire Zulkey. I'm Chicago writer whose work has appeared on NPR, at Second City and in places like the Chicago Tribune, Modern Bride and ElleGirl. I also run a personal site, Zulkey.com, and I'm also pursuing my Masters Degree at Northwestern University. I also have a day job that's not terribly interesting, but I like to think that it means I can be more 'selective' about what freelance work I take on. Whatever that means.

I started writing online after college for sites like Flak Magazine and the New York Morning News after doing some freelance work and writing a column for my college paper.

I still have a lot to learn as a freelancer, and what I've found so far is that the best information comes through experience: mine and other people's. I would be nowhere if I never talked to other writers who gave me advice and reassured me that everyone goes through the same garbage I do.

I plan to work hard to share with you tips and resources and news that can further your freelancing career, but what I'm most counting on is that you share as well. Many writers are competitive people, but that doesn't mean that it hurts them in any way to trade stories and advice. The experience you might have had with one editor could help out another writer who might have a tip that can be of use to you as well. Plus, in the end, you write alone, so we might as well all get together or else we're just sitting behind our computers, lonely and wondering how we agreed to take a nickel a word to write about ten cool ways to beat the heat or that profile on the guy who collects those funny colored paper clips.

So share the wealth! And please let me know if you ever have any ideas or feedback, because none of us know everything, but together we're a lot closer to it. Aaw.