T.R. Bennett
Biography
The Short Version
• B.A., cum laude, English, Harding (College) University, Searcy, AR 72143
• Wrote feature stories for small newspaper – approx. 1 year
• Wrote in-house materials for small optometric practice – 4 1/2 years (patient brochures and newsletters, staff policy manual)
• Wrote occasional articles for Christian women’s magazine – 2 1/2 years
• Created print advertising materials for small businesses – 25 years
• Designed – and still function as webmaster for husband’s website: http://www.bennettcelticart.com – 11 years and counting
• Wrote – and still writing – blog for husband's website
The Long, Wordy, Fanciful Version
Mercenaries have been around forever and been called some not-so-nice names. Thank heavens for Sir Walter Scott, who gave us “freelance” in 1820 referring, of course, to a medieval mercenary warrior. Hired guns, always quick-thinkers, quickly glommed onto that rather high-sounding name and have used it ever since. But at the end of the day, we know we’re still mercenaries — and we’re okay with that. Well, some of us are. Others prefer to think of it as “outsourcing.” Whatever.
When I first started writing in earnest, having recently quit a job in which copywriting was only one component of it, I called myself "a freelance writer" when soliciting small business clients. When I added graphic design to my arsenal of lances, I gave myself a real-deal business name and came to think of myself as much a graphic designer as a copywriter. For most of my writing career, I’ve operated under the business name of Copy & Art, Etc.
Call me a freelance writer, copywriter, hired gun, mercenary, whatever you like. I don’t care what you call me, as long as you call me – and just as long as you know that I charge into the fray, get the job done, collect my gold coins (preferably by EFT), and leave. (No hanging about the castle, slurping your porridge, sloshing down your ale, and generally chewing up scarce resources as a hanger-on.)
Think you might need a freelance writer repeatedly? I’ll be right here — a freelance writer hanging out in cyberspace, ready to charge with a .doc or .rtf lance whenever called upon to do so.