by Ben Clatworthy, blog content editor

First Eleven Magazine

Theres always something exciting about opening a magazine and seeing an article that you have written, often months in advance, printed on that thin glossy paper.

However, theres something even more exciting about walking into your local WHSmith and seeing your article on sale in a real shop…

When I sat down to write my ‘Becoming a boarder’ article for the magazine in late June to be honest I must admit I did think to myself what exactly is the point – it wasn’t the pay (thats a lovely bonus though), it was not in the least bit exciting and too be totally honest it was the last thing I wanted to be doing just after my GCSE exams had finished (and by the way I mean literally that afternoon).

So what exactly is the plus side? Well, now in Mid-October as I finally pick up a copy of the magazine, flick to page 11 and see 3 photos of me and see that article (not just a long word document) I now most certainly do understand the appeal.

It must be strange being a freelance writer with varying length lead times and a new twist always coming just moments after you finish the article… I know the death of Michael Jackson caused me to re-write the section on the latest music trends.