Hannah Comerford ~ Freelance Writer and Editor

When do we start to feel grown up? I can think of a few times when I felt like I had become an adult--when I first got my own car insurance, when I first had a full-time job, when I flew to another country on my own, when I got engaged . . .

But there's something different about graduating from college. When you actually have a degree, and you realize that you could become a professional. You could do the things you actually wanted to do. There's nobody looking over your shoulder giving you a grade--this is the real thing!

I'm feeling it.

I have my own business license now. My name, Hannah Comerford, is now a business. Weird, huh? It means that I have my own business, I am a freelance writer and editor, and the IRS can now take all my income. Seriously, though, it means that I AM a writer and editor.

Is this scary? Heck yes. Is it exciting? Definitely. Did I think I would actually get to do this right out of college? Nope!

It still feels strange. I had a panic moment the other day when I realized that I was actually doing this. It feels a bit like the first time you drive a car by yourself. "Really, Mom? You actually trust me with your vehicle? And this is legal? What?!" Good thing I really enjoy driving, and I am a very competent driver.

I don't plan on trying to make my business full time, or even investing in advertising any time soon. After all the work we've been doing for Jason Comerford Photography, I don't want to get heavily involved in the administrative and marketing sides of small business. That said, my first choice is to contract for The Scribe Source. I love my "boss," I love the work I get to do, I love the organization, I love not having to deal with the logistics. However, I would certainly not deny someone the pleasure of hiring me to edit or write for them.

If you would like some language help yourself, or know someone who might be interested in hiring an editor or writer, email me at hannah@jasoncomerford.com.

The Purpose of Grammar

In the past month or two Jason has started watching the Vlog Brothers' years of video blogs. I usually am at my computer listening, and I've come to highly appreciate them and their wonderfully nerdy topics. This is probably my favorite one so far, though. It's very funny and makes a great point about the purpose of grammar and correcting it. It's a great reminder. So watch!

How to Correct

My gracious husband can attest to the fact that I can't always turn off my editor's eye. Maybe that's why I need to proofread, so I can let off some of my steam. This is also why occasional conversations with fellow grammarians about little style issues is essential for my well-being. (Did you know it's now considered standard practice to leave out the hyphen in email?)

One of the things I learned in my Publishing Procedures class was how to edit tactfully. We were given practice assignments where we had to, as gracefully as possible, point out to a pretend writer the atrocious errors in his manuscript. I think I could still use work on this, but I'm very glad Professor Solveig Robinson drilled into me the importance of tactfulness.

Because tactfulness is so important, I wanted to share this blog post I found today. It's written by a business writing expert whom I admire and concerns the right way to correct someone's typos. It's short, so please take the time to read it and let me know what you think. Are there any other tips you can think of for being tactful? Should someone respond to correction emails? If so, what's the most graceful way to thank the reader?

http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2012/04/correcting-with-kindness.html#comments

Value (and a Cute Dog)

This isn't our dog. We don't have a dog, unfortunately. This dog, Roxy, belongs to our friends the Menas. Now that I hooked you with a photo of a super cute dog, I'm going to talk about what I really wanted to talk about. Gotcha! But seriously, please read. 

Most people who know me know that I love finding a good deal. Whenever I come home from Target or a particularly good grocery store trip, I make Jason patiently listen to me explain all the sales and clearance items I found and the grand total of savings. He's a good sport.

But being on this side of the business now, I'm getting a different perspective. When Jason is hired to shoot a wedding, they're paying for his education, his camera and computer equipment, hours of not just shooting but also processing work, his experience, and more. And he's trying to support a family, just like any other professional photographer. In the long run, it's not as expensive as it seemed. His work has a high value.

Now, how does value work in my everyday life? I don't like spending $12 or more to see a movie. I just don't. However, I'd probably be upset if I saw a movie and it had horrible acting, poor writing, and cheesy special effects, even if I only paid $4 to see it. Yet if I'm going to ask filmmakers to produce high quality films, I'm going to have to pay them what it's worth. So, if a director is spending millions of dollars to make a great movie, maybe I shouldn't complain about spending $12 to see it on a huge screen with surround sound while sitting in plush chairs with friends.

I'm trying to not complain about prices anymore. I still love sales, and I still am a bit of a cheapskate (I blame my Scottish genes), but I am beginning to understand value better. Also, in the end, I know that God is going to supply all my needs. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, so I think He can handle my finances. I don't need to worry about what I'll eat or wear, because He will take care of me.

Kyle & Emily

I have to share this!

Jason and I had a blast shooting engagement photos for some friends of mine. I've known them for several years, and am so excited that they're going to be getting married! Kyle and Emily are one of those couples you see together and can't help but smile because they are so comfortable with each other that they naturally bring out some of the best sides of each other. They're a great match.

Okay, here's the link to Jason's blog so you can see the photos:

http://jcomerfordphoto.blogspot.com/2012/03/kyle-emily.html

Green, Green, Green!

I love holidays. Since we don't exactly have the extra cash to do anything big, I've been using holidays as excuses to make special food. For Valentine's Day we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast. For Purim (the Jewish celebration of Esther) I made challah bread. And for St. Patrick's Day, I made corned beef and veggies.

But that wasn't all I did for St. Patrick's Day. The night before, our Bible study had a green-themed party, so I decided that I'd have to make something special. Pinterest to the rescue! I found a recipe for green velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Yes, green velvet, not red. I had to make an emergency Wal-Mart run to get more green dye, since it took an entire 1-ounce bottle. I'm still finding green in unexpected places.

Here's the recipe, in case you're curious: http://www.lovefromtheoven.com/2011/03/03/green-velvet-cake-st-pattys-day-baking/

By the way, VeggieTales does a fantastic job of teaching us about St. Patrick. I highly recommend this video:  

Doing What I Love and the Saxon Math Beast

I was homeschooled until college. Because I didn't have a set schedule and was largely responsible for my graduation, I needed to be self-motivated from a young age. There's a particular type of independence you acquire from taking tests by yourself and deciding whether you want to finish your evil Saxon Algebra or put it off longer to finish the gigantic novel you're reading for your book report. I bet God used homeschooling to prepare me for working at home and starting a business with my husband.

Some aspects of this adventure aren't entirely fun.

• You always take work home with you. You inevitably find something else to do, even when you really want to go to bed before 2 AM.
• Then there's the boredom while you're waiting for more work. It's hard to wait for clients and business opportunities when you absolutely love what you do! 
• But on the other hand, there's always going to be parts of your job that feel like that awful Saxon beast that you dread slaying. No matter how much I love editing, there's always something that I just don't want to do, and I need to break out my old friend self-discipline. (By the way, Saxon is one of the leading homeschool math textbooks, and it has a loyal following of haters.)
• Well, let's just say you aren't going to be a millionaire when you first start doing your business full time.

Yet, despite these issues, I am so happy that God has placed us here. It's challenging, and I'm struggling to not worry constantly, but it's where He wants us. And when God wants you somewhere, that's the safest place to be.

So here are some of the perks of working at home:

• No commutes, except for fun things like photoshoots and meetings with people who pay you and other glorious tax-writable events. No more spending thousands of dollars on gas!!!
• Being able to eat meals together as a couple all the time. I like it.
• Being woken up by my husband every day, instead of groggily giving him a goodbye kiss and then going back to bed.
• The ability to schedule things like trips to take engagement photos in the middle of the week and coffee dates with friends at hours Jason would usually be at work with the car.
• The fact that we both love what we do. I am so blessed.

Eventually I might have more of a focus to these blog posts. But I'll leave you with this for now, and hopefully it'll remind you to pray for me and Jason as a newlywed couple and to pray for our business. Thanks for your support!