Meet a Journalist

A journalist's profile, stories and career in the field of journalism. Know a journalist who should be profiled here? Send an e-mail to Janet E. Bardon

August 20, 2007

Lorette C. Luzajic
www.thegirlcanwrite.net

416.879.3090

Words matter- they tell important news, and the telling depends on accuracy, research, investigation, and human reaction. Words convey more than information, however- they reflect emotions and journeys, and they conjure new ideas and spark controversies. I was born with a pen in one hand and a QWERTY in the other. Indeed, I feigned a cough quite frequently in kindergarten so that I could stay at home and type out short stories on my sister’s Fisher Price typewriter. I didn’t miss much at school- I could already read, and I was already learning about cultures, ciphers, and secret rooms through the adventures of Nancy Drew.

Though I am passionately interested in psychology and in nutritional medicine, among other things, I never entertained formal education in anything but journalism school.  Less formally, I’m a lifelong voracious reader with a library spanning every topic on the planet. Dabbling in night courses, travel, and constant conversation with interesting people keeps me up to date on themes and ideas of every type. During Ryerson’s School of Journalism, I longed for nights with Wordsworth and Whitman instead of days in news radio and newspaper workshops. Still, I finish what I start, and later realized how valuable the discipline and practice was for me. A journalist has special skills- she is used to strict deadlines, she is able to verify and double check sources,   she has excellent listening skills. A creative writer is an innovative thinker on top of these things. The news beat was not what I wanted, though I can write news. Where do you apply for a job as a creative journalist?

 Easy. You work for yourself. I became my own brand. I’m a wonderfully imaginative person. I can’t limit my diverse interests. I can’t put boundaries on the kinds of work I’m willing to try out. How does  a girl go about writing “everything” for a living?

 The Girl Can Write – that’s me- set up shop with www.thegirlcanwrite.net. While many success coaches urge people to focus, and rightfully so, my personality had never been very focused on one direction. I wanted to write poetry, magazine articles, artist profiles, recipes, sermons, short stories, news, essays, critical reviews, and more. Instead of waiting for a company or service to need this type of creative journalist, I put myself out there freelance as the girl who can write anything. Now every assignment is a new adventure- I edit manuscripts, write essays, produce clever content for the web, contribute magazine articles to online and print mags, edit an online arts magazine, write a literary column and a restaurant review column weekly, meet, interview and profile interesting artists, musicians and writers, tutor ESL students, and more. I have a book of poetry called The Astronaut’s Wife: Poems of Eros and Thanatos (available through my site or through indigo.ca). I am currently working on a collection of irreverent essays and the book should be out by the end of this year.

 I couldn’t be happier. Every day is a challenge with new terrain to explore. I learn about so many different topics and themes and help my clients send the messages they need to. I cover a wide range of material for varied publications. Best of all, I work from the field, and from my own office with my three cats. I’m constantly inspired to new heights. The influx of new ideas for projects never ends.