Meet The Staff – Writers on Writers

LAUREN: Hi, I’m Lauren. I’m a writer.

MADIE: I’m Madie. I’m also a writer.

BOTH: And this is “Writers on Writers.”

LAUREN: So both of us got into the industry because of our love of writing. You were a journalism major, and I was an English major.

MADIE: So if you were to pursue a career in writing, what avenue would you go?

LAUREN: Well, I mean, we pretty much are writers in our industry now. But one style we’re not doing right now is writing a novel or more longform writing, like a screenplay. I tend to be very verbose, so I could see myself writing someone’s biography or ghostwriting.

MADIE: I think I’ve always loved magazines, so I would probably go that route. Maybe a local publication or something pop culture related. That’s always been entertaining to me. It’s a faster-paced writing style and kind of comparable to what we do. We’re always fitting our clients’ stories into fast-moving timelines. I like how the two overlap.

LAUREN: Yeah, I agree. Magazine writing keeps you on a deadline, and it’s very similar to what we do. Even though we’re reading trade magazines instead of consumer ones, we’re still in that editorial world, working with schedules, interviews, and deadlines.

MADIE: It’s like having your cake and eating it too. You get to do both.

LAUREN: Let’s talk about trends in our industry. AI is such a hot topic. Are you excited about it? Skeptical?

MADIE: It’s something I’m a little skeptical of, mostly because it’s moving so fast. I understand how revolutionary it is, but I want to approach it with caution because I like writing my own material. It’s easy to rely on it too much, but it’s a helpful tool.

I’ve used it for small things. For example, once I needed a caption that hinted at a heat wave without literally saying “heat wave.” I asked AI to help and it actually gave me a better way to say it. That kind of stuff is helpful. Same with email tasks. But I don’t want it to write a whole press release for me.

LAUREN: You can usually tell when something is fully AI-written. I’m still skeptical too, but it’s not going away. I’ve found it helpful for cutting down wordy copy to meet word counts. Like taking 500 words down to 300.

It’s also useful for subject lines or brainstorming article titles. That’s been a nice boost. Some trade publications are even adding guidelines that say, “We will not accept AI-authored work.” It makes you wonder how they’ll enforce that.

MADIE: That’s interesting, especially since some platforms are getting harder to detect. I’ve used Claude and found it different than ChatGPT. With ChatGPT, you can kind of spot the formula. But the more tools that emerge, the harder it will be to tell.

LAUREN: I think we both use it as a support tool. It’s more of a second set of eyes than a replacement for writing.

MADIE: What’s your go-to strategy if you hit a creative block?

LAUREN: If I’m not on a deadline, I usually walk away and come back the next morning with a fresh mind. I also reference past work or look at examples from the publication I’m writing for. That helps me get the tone right. And I’ll often ask for input from our team. Everyone has worked on different things, so there’s always something to learn.

MADIE: I agree. I like to step away from it. Sometimes I’ll bounce an idea off of you, like “Here’s what I have, what do you think?” I also scroll Pinterest for social media inspiration or clever copy. It’s a great place to see fresh ideas.

And when we work together on graphics or posts, using tools that let us see each other’s edits in real time helps. Sometimes talking it through is the best way to break the block.

LAUREN: How do you stay inspired in such a fast-moving industry?

LAUREN: I’m always inspired by my clients. Whether they’ve been with us for years or just joined, I love learning about their industries. I still subscribe to newsletters for sectors we don’t even work in yet. It helps me stay on top of trends and potential story ideas.

MADIE: I agree. I watch what our clients are doing, but I also like to see what competitors are up to. Sometimes a different approach helps me reset my thinking. I try to keep my social feeds filled with industry content. Even though I want to spend less time on my phone, it helps me stay informed.

LAUREN: Was there a defining moment that made you want to pursue PR?

LAUREN: After I graduated, the job market was rough. I didn’t take any marketing or PR classes, but my mom and aunt worked in communications—one in-house and one at an agency. They encouraged me to try PR. I got an internship at FleishmanHillard, and that opened my eyes to the power of storytelling in branding. I really credit my internship coordinator for showing me the possibilities. She made me want her job.

MADIE: In high school, my volleyball coach also ran the school magazine. He knew I was good at English and brought me onto the team. I loved it and ended up majoring in journalism and strategic communications. I didn’t have one specific career goal, but I knew I loved writing. I tried everything—PR, copywriting, even design. It’s not my strength, but now I have those skills.

This job has so much variety and writing. That’s what keeps it interesting for me.

LAUREN: So what’s your favorite part of the job?

LAUREN: Media relations. Taking a client story from idea to interview to published piece is so rewarding. There’s a long lead time, but when it finally goes live and the client is excited, it’s all worth it. I also love that media relations involves a mix of creativity, strategy, and persistence. You’re always thinking about the story, the angle, and the outlet—how to pitch it, when to pitch it, and who to reach out to. There’s a rhythm to it, and when it clicks, it’s a great feeling.

MADIE: I completely agree. I think that feeling of seeing something through from beginning to end is such a rush. And I also love that no two days are the same. We might start the morning drafting social content and end the day planning an event or coordinating with a journalist. The variety is what keeps it fun and keeps me learning. Plus, I love being able to say, “I helped make that happen.” Whether it’s a headline or a social post or a full campaign, it’s fulfilling to see the impact of what we do.

LAUREN: Agency life is always changing. The industries I worked in early on have evolved. We didn’t even do websites when I started, and now we do all the time.

LAUREN: We have to grow with the market. I love getting clients in industries I never expected. You end up becoming an expert in something new, and there’s always something to learn.

MADIE: I agree. The constant change from client to client and task to task makes it exciting. We go from social media to events to media relations in a single day.

Later, when we get another architecture or nonprofit client, we already know how to work with them. That feels really rewarding. I also love seeing my work out in the world. It’s satisfying to show the client what we accomplished and feel proud of it.

LAUREN: I think that wraps up our questions. Looks like it’s time for happy hour. You ready to go?

MADIE: Yep. Let’s do it.

BOTH: Bye!