Gail Short - a freelance writer in Birmingham, Alabama

Whenever I interview people, I always use a digital recorder. Why? Because I can't do shorthand. My handwriting is too awful.

And even though I'm a pretty fast typist, I'm not fast enough to take accurate notes while the person is talking. 

Accuracy is important to me, so I use a recorder. Although listening to the playback takes time, I've learned to simply listen for the quotes I want to use rather than transcribing the entire interview. It's faster that way.

That's what I did when I interviewed the leaders at several chambers of commerce around the state for Business Alabama Magazine.  Read the full article here.

Growing up, Herbert Chen M.D., FACS, always believed he would one day follow in his father’s footsteps. The elder Chen was an orthopedic surgeon who, with his wife, had emigrated from Taiwan to the United States. Eventually, the family settled in Marshfield, Wisconsin.

“I had many role models,” says Chen. “Marshfield, a small, rural community in Wisconsin, has one of the largest clinics in the region. I had several opportunities to shadow physicians.”  Read the full article here.

One of the best ways to tell a story is to simply start at the beginning.

For this article in Outreach Magazine, I wanted to know what led up to this couple's decision to join a particular church. I asked them how they learned about the church and about the journey they took to finalize their membership.

I then used their story as the jumping off point to show why Victory Family Church is growing so fast. The couple's story provided a structure for the article.  Read the full Outreach Magazine article here.

Some people have a natural talent for taking great photos. That's certainly the case here. The amateur photographer in Kansas City, Mo., did a great job of capturing a precious moment.

This photo accompanied an article I wrote for Outreach Magazine. It's about a Kansas City church that encourages its members to get involved in ministry. One of the congregants took this photo of an adorable little boy getting a pair of donated sneakers.

When taking photos, it's always best to move in close to the subject to capture the moment. Avoid the mistake of standing way back to show everything that's going on at an event in one shot. Big mistake. It's better to move in close and fill your frame with a single image that demonstrates what your event is all about. Kudos to the photographer. Read the full Outreach Magazine article here.