by Bill Nelson

Years ago, as a newly hired writer on The Milwaukee Journal, I volunteered to do a feature story on the Rev. Bob Richards, a champion pole-vaulter and Olympic gold medalist coming to Milwaukee to compete in an indoor track meet.

I was smitten by the unusual nature of the “Vaulting Vicar”: a pastor who also happened to be a world-class athlete.

“Sorry, guy,” my editor growled, pulling down his green lampshade almost over his eyes. “That's not your beat. And, besides, you don't have nearly the seniority to draw such a PLUM assignment.”

Instead, the opportunity went to a veteran reporter who would explore the man's track and field dimensions, but failed to look at the religious side of Rev. Bob's career. I would have examined both.

That night, I told my wife, “Someday I'll give myself those plum assignments - the articles I most want to tackle. I'll do it as a free-lance writer.”

The reverend would be the seed that led to a lifetime of free-lance writing in my leisure time-a fulfilling dimension for me and an income producer that would help pay many a bill as our three children went through college.

As the years passed, that freedom has grown tenfold.

I assign myself ALL the plum assignments that pop to mind. No one else is even considered. Maybe it's due in part to my Bob Richards' disappointment. But whatever the reason, I delight in giving, and accepting, these golden opportunities.

Forgive me for seeming immodest. But in my back forty, a territory which includes much of the Midwest, I am The Guy who pursues the choice feature stories. At least the ones that haven't been over-covered by other writers and other publications.

When it's a topic I find enticing, I inevitably draw the assignment!

As a retiree in reasonable health, with plenty of time for such projects, I can follow my heart's desire. And I don't have the worry about the income these projects will deliver. Whatever comes, comes.

I am, as they say, a Recreational Writer. And I'm having a ball!

Here's a glimpse into last week's schedule:

My son, operator of a postal supply company, asked me to do a two-page employee newsletter with photos, a review of key events in the last few months. It also would highlight outstanding employees, the warehouse remodeling, health insurance news, and a bit of lightness-the “Lighter Side” humor and some philosophical nuggets under the heading “Last Word.” (One of the “gems”: “Obstacles are often opportunities in disguise.”)

Next, an automotive-oriented client suggested an article and photos giving an inside look at a Racine County auto auction on its busiest day, auction Wednesday. I witnessed 3,000 cars race through the auction process in just a few hours, as 16 auctioneers worked the hundreds of auto dealers on hand, chanting and prodding so that, by the time the bidding ended, 58% of the cars had changed hands.

Then, as a third venture, I rewrote a Flag Day piece I had done a decade earlier, stressing the small-town patriotism so deeply felt at Waubeka, Wis. The one-room Stony Hill schoolhouse there is the birthplace of Flag Day-a ceremony that, from its humble beginnings in the 1880s, grew to a national observance.

Still, there was time in the week for a Canon digital camera seminar, a side-yard soccer game with two grandsons, a Friday night fish fry with friends, and a Sunday trip with my wife and church group to a hilarious play in Waukesha. Oh yes, and to stop musing and write this column.

Ah, this is living.

A few suggestions

What advice would I offer to anyone wishing to pursue writing in retirement?

Here goes:

Zero in on the genre that best fits your interests and talents. Is it, as in my case, non-fiction? Or fiction-novels, short stories, children's literature? Or perhaps it's poetry, playwriting, business news, or writing public relations or advertising copy?

You also might want to dabble in a second genre-doing a bit of experimentation.

A retiree friend closing in on his 75th birthday specializes in historical articles but told me the other day he hoped to test the waters of children's books, too. “I've always been a storyteller for my children and grandchildren,” he explained. “Why not see if I can use those same skills in doing a book for kids?”

Read voraciously, especially in materials related to your genre. Reading, it has been said, is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

Build reference files on favorite topics. Clip newspapers and magazines, photocopy library materials. The clippings will help jump-start your work on specific subjects.

Get active in a writers' group, mining for ideas, and take a shot at a writers' conference. They're all fuel for the fire.

So, to sum up, go to it! You have a golden opportunity to put your writing talents and a lifetime of experience to profitable and fulfilling use. Full speed ahead!