Writers Tricks of the Trade ISSUE 1, VOLUME 9 | Page 26

supplement for readers. We produced
about ten a year.”
WTT: What did you do after leaving the
newspaper business?
HM: All of my experience in multiple de-
partments helped in later years. I became a
freelancer, writing mainly for business pub-
lications, including those in which I was
West Coast editor or California editor.
WTT: As I understand it, we are not done
yet. You even had a radio show.
HM: Well, along with this, I spent four years
producing a live weekly radio show on a
top Los Angeles station. I interviewed al-
most every major name in the entertain-
ment business of that era, from Gregory
Peck to 20th Century Fox producers.
WTT: With everything you’ve told me, how
many articles do you think you wrote as a
freelancer:
HM: I can say with confidence that over the
years, I wrote more than 1,000 articles for
various publications ranging from Reader’s
Digest to USA Today where I was a frequent
contributor.
WTT: One more thing. I see you have a cute
little dog in your bio photo. What can you
tell me about him or her?
HM: Sparky is a rescue dog. He is a very
smart, curious Rat Terrier who under-
stands almost everything I tell him. He has
such an appetite, I kid around that he has
no bottom. Maybe that’s because he’s in
perpetual motion. I’m told he was found
wandering the streets.
WTT: Thank you so much. It is a pleasure
to chat with someone with as impressive a
background as yours. Do you have any ad-
vice for young people who aspire to becom-
ing columnists or reporters?
HM: With many news outlets reducing
staffs, it’s very important to get an edge
over others with at least a bachelor’s de-
gree, majoring in journalism, rather than
the trend to political science. And if you
have a specialty, stress that. Layoffs are far
less in broadcasting. So see what is availa-
ble in radio and TV newsrooms. Remem-
ber, too, that an open position in broadcast-
ing may take you to a distant city.
WTT: Do you still have your hand in writ-
ing?
HM: I do. Now, my focus is on the web
where I write GrumpyEditor.com
S PRING 2019
P AGE 21
W RITERS ’ T RICKS OF THE T RADE