Meet Y!CN Contributor Gayle Crabtree

A few months ago, I joined with a number of other Associated Content Sources in nominating Gayle Crabtree for the May of 2009 Best of Associated Content Award for the Local Coverage Category. Apparently, Associated Content agreed with our assessment, because Gayle Crabtree was announced as the winner of this award.

I am pleased that Gayle Crabtree has agreed to answer some questions that I have posed to her. I hope you enjoy this interview.

1. Have you always enjoyed writing?

Writing has always been a joy.

2. Who have been your biggest influences in fueling your desire to write and in developing your skills as a writer?

My mother was pretty influential. She would write poetry and hide it. I found some of her writings when I was a kid and got scolded. As an adult I asked her about the writings and was told that she threw them away years earlier. It made me sad to think of her efforts being wasted.

Skill development has come from learning to build a website. There wasn't a lot of help available back in 1996 when Hope for Healing.Org was being built. I was recovering from a physical assault and needed an outlet. Developing the website proved to be the cure for the problem. SEO wasn't thought about then. Google and Yahoo were new and Geocities ruled! Web building was a tedious frustrating process.

The many website visitors deserve the best I could do and that definitely fueled the writing flames.

3. How did you discover Associated Content?

Completely by accident. Last year I was researching craft projects and Associated Content kept popping up. An article made me think "Hey! I can do that!" The rest is history.

4. Do you publish articles for other online sites or in print?

Oh yes. Where are the meetings for Writer's Anonymous? You can find me on two blogs. Look for www.thehopeblog.org and my personal blog of www.youvebeenreviewed.net. My two books are Does God Still Love Me and Secondhand Hope which are available on Lulu.Com. Then there is technical writing for work and the occasional ghostwriting opportunity.

5. As you approach your first anniversary with Associated Content, how would you describe your overall experience as an Associated Content Source?

Plainly put, Associated Content rocks!

6. How has your writing evolved over the course of just about one year of writing and publishing with Associated Content?

Writing here has been a blast! I encourage a lot of my clients to try it. Most everyone is encouraging and patient. Other sources won't hesitate to send you a message if your writing isn't clear or if you need a kick in the pants. That helps me develop as a writer. My articles are much better now. That wouldn't have happened without everyone's help.

7. Where do see yourself on your first and fifth anniversaries with Associated Content?

Oh wow. This is tough. Writing has given me a new outlook on life and I see it improving. On my first anniversary I am very much still learning and growing.

I'm not sure where I'll be by the fifth anniversary. I'm a travel freak and have seen parts of most of the United States but not all of them. Hopefully, by my fifth anniversary I will have visited and written about the remaining states and will have seen more of Canada.

8. Which of your published articles on Associated Content are your personal favorites?

My favorites are probably How to Vacation With a Disability and Confessions of a Pizza Delivery Driver. The article Top 10 Protest Songs for War, Poverty, Sexual & Domestic Violence was fun too.

9. As your May of 2009 Best of Associated Content Award for the Local Coverage Category testifies, you write a lot of reviews and guides of establishments and events. How do you decide what you are going to review? Is it spontaneous or do you visit certain places with the intention of writing a review?

Thank you for mentioning it. I still can't get over that award and everyone's kind generosity who helped by nominating me.

When my daughters were young we would go to festivals and events because it was cheap family entertainment. People would always ask about the events later. Because of that, writing local content and reviews comes naturally for me.

My reviews now are usually planned. I approach most places with an eye toward writing. I have a huge backlog of notes from my last trip. Plus I'm being requested to visit local spots and write reviews. I'm trying to get to them but there are so many places and so little time...

10. Before, during or after you write your review; do you let the people of the place or event that you are reviewing know that you are conducting a review?

I leave a business card behind with my blog url on it and I've been known to phone or email.

11. As a reviewer, do you ever feel as though were given special treatment?

So far this has happened twice. Both times, management wanted to be sure that I would give a positive review. That's not something I can guarantee.

12. Have you ever written a negative review? If so was there any backlash towards you?

Sometimes the reviews are less than glowing. This rating system helps me to be objective. A restaurant hits the mark or it doesn't. I try to be consistent when evaluating and report accurately.

13. Is there any type of establishment or event that you would not feel comfortable reviewing?

Because of medical reasons I cannot drink alcohol. Events that revolve around alcohol are off my list. This holds true for everything from clubs to wine tasting. Otherwise, pretty much anything goes.

14. I see that you have a written a series of reviews of state parks. How did you come up with this idea? How has this project played out for you? Are you intending on reviewing additional state parks?

The state park series was fun. Now that all fifty states have been done it's on to national parks.

My family has always had to travel on a shoestring. For us, parks have consistently provided great experiences without adding much in the way of additional costs.

When the economic downturn started many of my clients wrote off being able to go anywhere. Soon I realized that many people forgot about state parks as vacation destinations. It was nice to use some of my knowledge to help others take a vacation. We all need a break now and then!

15. How long does it typically take you to write an article for Associated Content?

It takes as little as thirty minutes to a few days. It depends on how much research has to be done and how easy it is to find sources.

16. Do feel as though you have bonded with anyone within the Associated Content Community?

Yes, I do. That's been one of the neatest things about writing for Associated Content.

17. What do you like best about writing for Associated Content?

Meeting others and reading the work done by other people. It's so cool!

18. What do you like least about writing for Associated Content?

Taking time to sleep, eat and go to work.

19. What are your greatest frustrations or challenges in writing for Associated Content?

Heaven knows that I would love to upload photos faster! Associated Content isn't perfect but it's a chance to develop skills, make money and become marketable to a wider audience.

It frustrates me when I see sources leaving unfriendly or hurtful comments on articles or in the forums. We'll all be better writers if we provide honest feedback nicely. When I see some of us being unsupportive or arguing publicly it makes me sad. With all the ugliness in the world do we really need to bring it here? That's my frustration.

20. Do you ever get writers block and if so what do you do to overcome it?

If you write you can expect to have writer's block sometime. That's when it's time for me to take a walk, go outside, pray, meditate, or just do something else. Usually that's enough to break through the wall. Then I'll come back in, look through my notes and get back to work.

21. What are some of your interests outside of Associated Content?

Hubby and my terrific (single) college age daughters keep me busy.

Hope for Healing.Org keeps me hopping. You'll find me on Blog Talk Radio on Mondays and Tuesdays for Voices of Hope. I also speak to other victims of sexual and domestic violence to encourage them whenever possible.

Crafting is big for me. I love turning junk into usable items and sharing that knowledge with the kids at work.

22. What are your favorite memories outside of Associated Content?

My mother was a southern belle from the north Georgia area. Dad was an Italian from New York. They met while working the Saturn IV but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why their relationship didn't work.

As kids, my brother and I got to fly to New York to go to my Aunts' homes there. We always got to go see my Grandmother in Queens. Even through the language barrier visiting her was like seeing a glimpse of heaven on earth! Later in the trip we would go to the beach. My first view of the ocean was on Long Island. The first play I saw outside of school was there at Jones Beach. Those are magical childhood memories that you never forget.

23. Is there anything else that you would like to add to this interview?

Only that I appreciate your patience with me on this interview. I was more than a little surprised that you asked and am thankful that you did. Also, I appreciate anyone who's stuck around and read this far. You must be bored to tears by now.

Thanks for hanging in there and happy writing. I'll see you online!