Douglas College graduate went from obituaries to the Board of Trade

December 22, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Composing obituaries for a funeral home seemed like an unusual

beginning to a writing career, especially when the writer was expecting her second child."I was pregnant and dealing with death every day while I was preparing to bring a new life into the world," says Tashon Ziara. "But I learned everybody has a story. Even though it was a very traumatic time for the families of the people who had died, I really connected with the people. It was a good feeling to be able to record their story for them."

The job was Ziara's first glimpse of what a writing career could be like, and she wanted more. "I've written all my life. I was the editor of my high school newspaper, but I didn't realize it could be a career. I never imagined I could make a living as a writer."

But as a single parent, professional writing is definitely the career for Ziara.

"I get to stay home with my kids," says Ziara, who lives in Anmore with her two sons. "I don't have to wear nylons and pointy shoes. I save on commuting and I can write in the middle of the night if I like. My clients don't cares as long as long as I meet my deadlines and deliver a professional product."

Ziara decided to embark on a career as a professional writer a few months after her second son was born. She enrolled in the Print Futures: Professional Writing Program at Douglas College, which covers writing, editing, research and design with an emphasis on practicality.

"Professional readiness is a really important part of the program," says Ziara. "They help you get your resume into shape and decide how to market yourself. And you do projects with real organizations, that require research and get feedback."

Now, Ziara is a successful freelancer with the Vancouver Board of Trade and Canada Wide Publisher Peter Legge among her clients. She has also teamed up with another Print Futures graduate, Cathy Brannen, to launch a business called Text Appeal, which offers writing, editing and publication consulting services.

Ziara first approached the Board of Trade when she was looking for a work experience position for the Print Futures Program. She started working for the Board after her first year of the two-year program, and never stopped.

Working for a member-based organization like the Board of Trade is great way to make connections to launch a freelance career, she says. "If a prospective client has a deadline and they just haven't got it together, you can help them, and they'll remember it the next time a writing project comes up. And I always ask clients to pass my card along if they know of anyone else who needs a writer."

It was through just such a connection that Board of Trade Member Graem Castell hired her to edit his book called Earthquake: Preparing for the big one.

Ziara has also interviewed several well-known Vancouverites. "We did a series on the Pioneers of Innovation for The Board of Trade Governors' Banquet," she says. "I interviewed people like Jeffrey Ballard, the founder of Ballard Power Systems, and Dr. Julia Levy, the founder of QLT PhotoTherapeutics. They are some of the biggest innovative minds in the Lower Mainland and I got to call them up and chat with them about their lives - it was amazing."

Ziara is the first to admit working from home with children has its challenges, "Like the day Jimmy Pattison (the business tycoon) returned my call for an interview and my six-year-old son answered the phone. Thankfully, Pattison has a sense of humour."

But the advantages offset the challenges by far. "My boys are quite interested in the fact that mommy is a writer," says Ziara. "My older son makes a job out of stacking my copies of the Sounding Board (the Board of Trade's newspaper). He'll sit down and write a story and tell me, `Maybe I'm going to be a writer too.'"

To learn more about the Print Futures: Professional Writing Program, attend an information session in room 1614 at the New Westminster Campus (700 Royal Avenue, one block north of the New Westminster SkyTrain station) on Thursday, January 22 at 5 p.m., Thursday February 26 at 5 p.m. or Monday March 29 at 5 p.m. For more information, please call Maureen Nicholson, the Print Futures: Professional Writing Program Coordinator, at 604-527-5292. The Print Futures Program is also hosting its annual portfolio show on Wednesday April 7, 5 to 7 p.m. in the Gallery at the New Westminster Campus.

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For more information, please contact:
Maureen Nicholson, Print Futures: Professional Writing Program Coordinator: 604-527-5292
Kimberley Fehr, Communications & Marketing Office: 604-527-5325