April 15, 2021
Mara Allen on Scoring Her First Freelance Writing Gig
This past school year, Marinette campus student and Communication major Mara Allen started working as a regular freelance writer for the WI Sports Heroics blog. With more than 60,000 subscribers and an actual budget for paying freelancers, the blog is an impressive get for a writer new to the professional scene. The Driftwood asked Mara to tell us all about her new job, and her answers are sure to inspire other budding freelancers and Wisconsin sports fanatics.
The Driftwood: Tell us about the WI Sports Heroics blog. How many people read it, where do its readers mainly come from, and what kinds of articles do they publish?
Mara Allen: WI Sports Heroics is a relatively new blog. It was created in January of 2020 and has been growing tremendously ever since. Thousands of people read our articles each day, and our readers come from a variety of different places—mostly from social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. We publish anything Wisconsin sports-related: the Packers, Bucks, Badgers, and Brewers are what the majority of our articles focus on, but we also cover Marquette University teams, outdoor sports, fantasy sports, etc.
The Driftwood: What kinds of pieces have you published with them? And do they pay you, if you don’t mind my asking?
Mara Allen: When I was hired, I started out writing about the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team. As I’ve written more articles, I’ve been allowed to branch out and write about other Badger teams. Just this week, I was promoted and given permission to write about the Packers, too! I publish a variety of different pieces, ranging from breaking news stories to human interest pieces. I do get paid; pay is based on views, so it’s really important for us writers to share and promote our work!
The Driftwood: What is your role at the blog? Do you have a title?
Mara Allen: I’m a “contributor” for the blog. I have the ability to decide how many pieces I want to write and publish, as long as I hit the two-article minimum per month. I like this flexibility, especially as a busy college student who already writes a lot.
The Driftwood: I think a lot of college students might think that freelancing, especially paid, is out of their reach, but you’re doing it! How did you approach the blog about writing for them?
Mara Allen: I reached out to the blog on Twitter once I saw that they were looking to add more writers to their team because they were growing so fast. I talked with the site’s founders and eventually went through the hiring process!
The Driftwood: What do you think appealed to them about you?
Mara Allen: I believe that several factors about me appealed to them. I think that they saw that I was a relatively strong writer (editors wouldn’t have to go back and change many things), I was passionate about the material, and I was driven and motivated to produce good work (I wouldn’t have to be told that I wasn’t writing enough or writing flat pieces just to put something out). I believe they said yes to me for all these reasons; now that I’ve been writing for a while and have gotten to know a lot of the other writers, I think they realized I would fit in well and be a strong asset to the team!
The Driftwood: Do you have any other advice for college students who want to break into a freelance market like WI Sports Heroics?
Mara Allen: Go for it! Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. The worst someone can say is no, so try any opportunity you have. Be yourself, be honest, and be confident throughout the interview/hiring process, because if you truly think a position/certain blog is the perfect fit for you, your passion will shine through!
The Driftwood: Which article that you’ve written are you most proud of, and why? Can we get a link?
Mara Allen: I’m really proud of all of my articles; I especially like when players like and retweet them on Twitter because it’s cool to get validation that I’m doing a good job! However, if I had to pick one, I’d choose a pretty recent piece. “Thank You, Badger Seniors” was a very extensive article at the end of the season thanking the Badger seniors on the basketball team for their hard work and dedication. I was especially proud of that one because it involved a lot of research and ended up being a heartfelt tribute, and both aspects made it fun to write. It did really well, and it was fun to see people enjoying and appreciating my hard work!
The Driftwood: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?
Mara Allen: Even though I was a little nervous at first (both to reach out to the blog and to start putting my pieces out), it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve met awesome people, gotten a ton of valuable experience, and have had a lot of fun! If you’re interested in writing, go for it! It might turn out to be one of the best experiences of your life, too!
Editor’s note: Mara’s sister and Driftwood editor Mallory Allen recently started writing for the blog as well, so be sure to look for both of their bylines.
Your faculty and staff at UWGB are working hard to make all four campuses more diverse and supportive environments, and we could use your help. Do your part, and you could win a free gift card!
Local Boy Scout troops are currently conducting a “Scouting for Food” food drive, and they could use your help. The Scouts are seeking volunteers of all ages to assist with picking up and sorting non-perishable food donations from Marinette, Oconto, and Crandon.
A Cinderella Story: After Samantha Montgomery’s adoring father dies, her greedy stepmother and vain stepsisters do their best to make her life miserable, forcing her to do lowly jobs at the family diner and wait on them hand and foot. The California teen finds comfort in her dreams of attending college at Princeton and by communicating with her secret online pen-pal. Although Sam is stunned when “Nomad” turns out to be Austin Ames—her school’s handsome, charismatic, popular quarterback—the pair shares an intimate waltz at the Halloween dance before Sam rushes away without telling him her name, accidentally leaving behind her cell phone as the only clue. Can Austin find the beautiful, mysterious, enchanting girl he calls “Cinderella”? Or, as Sam fears, will his attraction towards her fade once he learns her true identity? There are five modern-day retellings in the A Cinderella Story series; this one is the first, and in my opinion, the best! Featuring Gen-Z heartthrobs Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray, this 2004 film is one of those classic rom-coms that never loses its charm, regardless of how many times I watch it. With its swoon-worthy romantic drama and happy fairy-tale ending, A Cinderella Story offers viewers the same type of magic found in Disney’s original Cinderella. No matter how old I get, this movie will always be one of my favorite childhood throwbacks to rewatch over and over again! Available free on YouTube Movies.
Mr. Nobody: Mr. Nobody is a film from 2009 by director Jaco Van Dormael, telling the life’s story of an old man through his aging mind. This film is quite interesting, as it weaves and bobs between three different timelines that may or may not be real at all. It is quite a trip to watch, but this was the first time as a young adult I felt challenged by a film as it spins its story and changes it just as soon as you think you understand. It is not only a beautifully shot film, but one that ever since childhood I find myself going back to over and over again. Check it out on Amazon Prime or anywhere else movies are able to stream.
The Kissing Booth: Elle and Lee are best friends in eleventh grade at a prestigious school in, of course, Los Angeles. They have been friends since birth as their mothers were best friends as well, and their friendship is based around a running list of rules. Elle has a crush on Lee’s older brother, Noah Flynn, and after the two share a kiss during a kissing booth, set up by Elle and Lee’s Dance Team, the two run around in a passionate and secret relationship. When Lee discovers their affair, he is enraged that Elle would betray one of their rules, “Rule #9: Relatives of your best friends are off-limits,” and claims he can no longer be friends with Elle or associate with his brother. Elle must decide whether she should save her relationship with Noah or Lee.
Whip It: Bliss Cavendar’s mom dreams of her daughter following in her footsteps and becoming a beauty pageant queen. Bliss dreams of something else entirely: though she’s not sure what, she knows prancing around in gowns and bikinis before a panel of judges isn’t it. Then, a chance meeting with three members of the Hurl Scouts, a local roller derby team, leads her to sneak out of her parents’ house to attend one of their bouts. Even though the Hurl Scouts unceremoniously lose to the Holy Rollers, she’s hooked.
Monte Carlo: Monte Carlo was one of my favorite movies when I was young—I mean, what little girl wouldn’t dream about going on an exotic European vacation, falling in love with a cute boy, and getting to live like a princess for a few days? What I didn’t know back then was that this 2011 Disney-esque young adult film is based on a book called Headhunters, written by famous director/author Jules Bass a decade earlier. This movie’s plot is so unrealistic, and it’s full of an abundance of clichés and eyeroll-inducing moments, but that didn’t stop me from re-watching it (for the hundredth time) last week. Monte Carlo is so bad that it’s good—perfect for the Trash Vortex!
As the Sims say in Simlish, Sul Sul! Sims 4, the fourth major game in the Sims franchise, is an immersive simulation game that allows you to create your “sim” (character) and live out their best (or worst) life. Find their true love, adopt a pet, go on vacation to a beautiful resort world, and more while in “live” mode. Or, if you want to take a break from that, you can build your own houses, mansions, community lots, or anything else your heart desires in “build” mode. With a multitude of expansion packs that you can choose from to spice up your game play, plenty of neighborhoods and secret lots to explore, stunning graphics that submerge you for perhaps hours on end, and a nostalgia value for someone who has played the previous Sims games, this game definitely earns the “All-Around Winner” verdict this week. Available from Maxis on Origin, as well as PS4, Xbox One, and other platforms. 
Mini Ninjas is an action-adventure game released in 2010. Set on Ninja Mountain, the game has you play as Hiro, a young ninja forced to leave his dojo to save his ninja friends from the evil samurai Ashida. As you find your friends along the way, your traveling party and skillset expands more. This game focuses on intense action and lets the player learn new moves and ninja magic as the game progresses, making it a game you won’t want to quit playing. The imagery of the different worlds throughout the game is beautiful, and as many times as I’ve played this game, I’ve always discovered something new. Mini Ninjas is pure fun with lots of replayability, which earns it the “Honorable Mention” verdict this week! Available from IO Interactive on Steam for Windows, as well as Xbox 360, and Playstation 3, and other platforms.
Dysfunctional home lives and chance foster care placements brought Kentucky teens Noah, Isaiah, and Beth together; they’ve forged a bond so tight that they’ve become family. On the outside, the members of this trio are tough, independent, battle-tested teenagers…yet, what they hide from the rest of the world is how broken they really are—haunted by heartbreaking and dangerous demons, both past and present. These YA romance books by Katie McGarry have been some of my all-time favorites for many years! If they sound like they’re up your alley, you can read them either in order as a series or as standalones.
Ten years ago, Laurel’s golden child, Ellie, mysteriously disappeared without a trace. The police came to the conclusion that Ellie simply ran away, but Laurel thought differently—and she still does even a decade later. When Laurel starts dating the charming Floyd, she thinks she might be able to finally move on from her daughter’s disappearance. But then she meets Floyd’s daughter, Polly, who looks startling like her precious Ellie, and Laurel wonders if there is more to Ellie’s disappearance to uncover. I’ve reread this book several times, and it remains one of my favorites still. Lisa Jewell writes the “disappearance-with-a-twist” trope well, without being cliché or too predictable. One of the things I love best about this book is that it’s clear what happened to Ellie, but the circumstances surrounding her disappearance are not. If you’re a fan of Gone Girl, I can’t recommend this book enough!
One of my all-time favorite albums is Lorde’s 2017 album, Melodrama. Despite this album being almost four years old, and since we’re still waiting on Lorde to release new music, I continuously find myself returning to Melodrama for its intricate rhythms and unique songwriting. Lorde proves that truly good music can withstand time. On “Homemade Dynamite,” Lorde uses an explosive metaphor to describe meeting someone for the first time. The track “Supercut” feels like something straight out of a teen coming-of-age movie. This album only produced one single, “Green Light,” but I’d encourage new listeners to give the whole album a try and see how talented Lorde is as a songwriter.
Heavy Weather by Weather Report is a legendary album in the jazz genre. It is a staple for any jazz listener and for good reason. The artists that make up Weather Report felt the need to change up what jazz can sound like, using older jazz techniques as well as new electronics of the time to create a sound no one had heard before. Every tune is jam worthy, yet a marvel to listen to as you discover a new sound every time you listen.
Ever wondered what it’d be like to battle against monstrously-sized, human-eating Titans while living in a city encased in ginormous walls? Well, if you have or haven’t, Attack on Titan offers action-packed, heart-pounding sequences of just that, interspersed with charismatic characters, drama that is large enough to surmount the Titans themselves, and a mystery of how the Titans came to be in the first place, the latter of which is somehow linked to the main protagonist, Eren Jaeger’s family history. Amusing moments with the lovable characters help take the edge off of the frightening Titan attacks, and a gripping plot will have you wanting to watch more, giving this anime the “Fright Night” verdict for this week. Available on Funimation and other streaming platforms.
Most have heard of, if not read, the popular detective novels about Sherlock Holmes and faithful companion John Watson by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Well, this anime is about getting to see the other side of those stories, with the protagonist being the elusive, dashing, and cunning William James Moriarty—Sherlock’s arch-nemesis—and William’s brothers Albert and Louis. Moriarty the Patriot follows the lives of these three brothers and their group of companions as they bring about retribution for crimes against working-class people. With crafty characters, interesting crimes,and a compelling plot that takes a look at class differences in the1800s, this anime gets the “All-Around Winner” verdict this week. Available on Funimation and other streaming platforms.
Now that we’ve covered a little bit of how you can tone your upper-body muscles, it’s time to make a rotation and focus on your lower-body muscles. Your legs and thighs also need attention; without them, you wouldn’t be able to do half of the things you’d do throughout your day; since they’re the core support of your entire body.