Meet Ohio Author & Outdoorsman,
Chip Gross
“..outdoors
writing is a vocation, not a vacation.” Chip Gross
It is a pleasure to connect with Chip and announce the release of his new book titled How To Become a Freelance Outdoors & Nature Writer: Getting Paid To Go Fishing, Birding, and Other Myths (Your Guide To Getting Published). I am confident that many of my colleagues will find Chip's book to be insightful, informative, and engaging.
Graduating from Ohio State University in Wildlife
Management, Chip has extensive experience as an outdoorsman, freelance writer,
novelist, photographer, and speaker. He has worked as a Lake Ranger and State
Wildlife Office. In his new book, Chip shares with us what it takes to be a
successful writer.
Welcome, Chip!
GM: What inspired you to write this book and share your journey into freelance outdoor and nature writing?
CG: I’ve been a
professional freelance outdoors writer for more than 40 years, but I didn’t do
it alone. I had the good fortune of having several mentors who helped me get
started. One of those people was my high-school English teacher, Doug Pugh, and
two were professional writers living in Ohio: Allan Eckert and George Laycock. All
three of those people are now deceased, and my thought was to honor them by
“paying forward” to other would-be outdoors writers the knowledge I have
accumulated through the years.
GM: Allan Eckert was your
mentor? Lucky. He's a favorite of mine, and I've read all his books. Can you
share a moment in nature that greatly influenced your writing?
CG: I can remember
having the urge to write about the out-of-doors even as a young kid. I would
take a pad of paper and a pencil into the woods, sit down on a log, and try to
somehow capture all that I was seeing, hearing, and feeling. But I found that
experience frustrating, as I didn’t yet have the writing skills or vocabulary
to accomplish what I wanted to do. As a result, I put writing off until the
urge resurfaced strongly again many years later, about midlife.
GM: Many people think
about getting paid to write about nature, but don’t know how. What are some
common misconceptions about this career path?
CG: As with all types
of professional writing, outdoors writing is a vocation, not a vacation. In
other words, it’s a demanding profession that is certainly not for everyone and
is a difficult career to break into. But if a person has a sincere interest in
the outdoors, and also a sincere interest in learning to write well, then maybe
this career might be for them.
GM: How do you balance
the demands of writing with the need to be present and immersed in nature?
CG: When I have a
magazine story assignment and I’m gathering story material, I don’t write much
while I’m in the field. Instead, I try to immerse myself in the outdoor
experience just as anyone else would. But at the end of the day, I will make
notes of the highlights of the experience, items that I want to be sure to
include in the story. I also wait a day or two before beginning the actual
writing so that the story has time to roll around in my head a bit. That time
between the experience and the writing often gives me a perspective that I
might not have otherwise. It’s also important for me to have an idea for a lead
paragraph in mind before I sit down to write, because the body of the story
will flow out of that first paragraph. But not all writers work alike, I’m just
describing the approach that works for me.
GM: Could you share
some of the most unusual or unexpected challenges you've faced while working as
a freelance outdoor writer?
CG: One of the most
challenging issues any new writer often faces while attempting to turn pro is
how to handle no-pay or slow-pay situations. In other words, you pitched a
solid story idea to an editor, they gave you the go ahead, you knocked yourself
out writing the best story you could, you submitted your story on or before
deadline, the story was published…but the payment check didn’t arrive when
promised. That sometimes happens, especially in lower-paying magazine markets
with tight budgets. But how do you get your hard-earned money? My new book
addresses that specific question, as well as many others, and offers several
solutions.
GM: What role does
creativity play in your writing, and how do you keep your content fresh and
engaging?
CG: For a prospective
outdoors writer, I’d suggest simply spending time in nature pursuing your
outdoor interests. If a certain activity is interesting to you (hiking,
camping, birding, fishing, nature photography, etc.) it likely will be
interesting to others, as well. And in addition, always have your story
“antenna” working so that you know what a saleable story looks like when it
appears.
GM: What advice would
you give aspiring writers who are passionate about the outdoors but unsure
where to start?
CG: This suggestion has
been around a long time, but it’s sound advice: begin by writing about what you
know and love. Because if you have a passion for what you write about, that
enthusiasm will come through in your writing.
GM: In your opinion,
how has the field of outdoor and nature writing evolved over the years,
especially with the rise of digital media?
CG: Yes, the field of
outdoors and nature writing has changed considerably during the decades I’ve
been involved in the business. And yes, it is a business. For instance, essays
and humor stories were once staples in most magazines, but those types of
stories have now largely disappeared. Most magazines today want a more
practical approach to their stories: how-to, where-to, personality profile,
etc. In my opinion that’s unfortunate, because I enjoyed both writing and
reading humor and essays.
During the decades, I
also adapted from using a manual typewriter to writing on a computer, and from
using film cameras to digital cameras. Those changes were difficult to make at
the time (both financially and technically) but were beneficial in the long
run, as they allowed me to become more productive. Today, we’re now in the
blog, podcast, social-media era, and those changes have brought their own
unique challenges.
GM: Through the years,
have you had a memorable encounter with wildlife that found its way into one of
your pieces?
CG: I enjoy wild turkey
hunting and have been doing so each spring for more than 40 years, about the
same length of time that I’ve been writing professionally. In 1986, I was
involved in a hunting accident where I was unintentionally shot by another
hunter, permanently losing the sight in my left eye as a result. I was able to
take that unfortunate event and make it part of a novel I wrote titled Home, At Last, Is the Hunter. I self-published that book more than 30 years ago,
and it is still selling well yet today.
GM: What tools or
resources do you consider essential for a freelance outdoor writer?
CG: One of the
attractions of outdoors writing—any type of freelance writing, for that
matter—is the low cost of getting started. If you own a computer (with internet
access), a printer, desk, chair, and a cell phone, you’re in business! I also
do my own photography to illustrate my magazine stories and books, so if you
choose to do the same, a digital camera or two is essential, as well.
GM: How do you handle
writer’s block when you're expected to create compelling content regularly?
CG: If possible, write
every day, and do so at the same time each day. Keeping a writing schedule
trains your brain to know that when you sit down at your desk it’s time to
write. One of the best quotes I ever read about the benefit of maintaining a
rigid writing schedule came from the famous British author Somerset Maugham
(1874-1965). He was once asked if he wrote on a regular schedule or only when
inspiration moved him. “I write only when inspiration strikes,” he said. “Fortunately,
it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.”
GM: What’s one piece of
advice you wish you had received when you first started out?
CG: It’s not
necessarily the best writers and photographers who regularly get their stories
and photographs published. Rather, it’s the best writers and photographers who
are also the best marketers that regularly get their stories and photographs
published. My new book will show you how it’s done.
GM: Do you have any
rituals or routines that help you get into the right mindset for writing?
CG: Many writers,
including me, are great procrastinators. I’ll do anything to avoid beginning a
new writing project, particularly a large project such as a book. I’ll
straighten up the items on my desk, return emails, sort through snail-mail,
anything to avoid starting. There is certainly nothing wrong with taking a
well-deserved break after completing a successful writing project. That down
time allows the creative juices to once again fill your writing tank. But you
will know when that tank is full and it’s time once again to begin the next
project. And when that time comes, jump right in, don’t hesitate. Inertia
becomes more difficult to overcome the longer you wait. Been there, done that.
GM: Your new book cover
is intriguing. Tell us about the artist, concept, and who is portrayed on the
cover?
CG: The cover artist is
Cyndi Bishop, a professional artist (now retired) and friend who worked for the
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, when I worked there
years ago. I asked her to create a cover including two people (male and female)
enjoying the outdoors, the man fishing and the woman birding, but to do so in a
humorous way. That’s why there is a bird perched atop the woman’s hat and the
man has hooked his shirt with a fishing lure. The idea was to illustrate the
middle part of my book’s three-part title: Getting Paid to Go Fishing,
Birding, and Other Myths.
GM: What are you
currently reading?
CG: I enjoy reading
history, particularly Ohio history, and my favorite time period to read about
is pre-settlement, that era when Ohio was a wilderness, indigenous Indian
tribes lived here and Anglo settlers were moving in. I read in the evenings for
pleasure, but while doing so I often come across stories that I can turn into
magazine articles. Again, as a writer, if you find something interesting,
others likely will, too; and that includes magazine editors.
Connect with Chip…
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