Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Wachter.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been writing in journals and making books since childhood. Since I was a latch-key kid, I spent much time entertaining myself. I grew up in rural parts of Oklahoma, so there were plenty of natural things to keep my mind occupied.
I’d make up stories about ants I’d watch building their colonies and the bees and colorful butterflies I’d see fluttering along flowers. I would sit under the massive pecan tree in our backyard for hours, reading and journaling in the shade.
I knew I wanted to be a professional writer when I read my first Virginia Woolf novel. I still admire how she learned all the rules and conventions of writing, broke them, and set entirely new standards for writing.
.Later that year, I saw Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring on a shelf at the local library. This was the first time I understood that writers could get paid to research and create books about nature and the environment. That’s what I still want to do when I grow up.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a professional writer can be complicated – especially since it’s an undervalued skill in our society. Pair that with the arrival of new technologies that can easily create content, and it can be hard to be compensated well for your skill, experience, and talent.
Despite those challenges, writing is something that many people want to do as a career, so the competition is fierce. That makes getting work difficult at times. But it also makes me scrappy. I jump at lots of opportunities that come along, which generates income and allows me to try new things.
I’ve written almost everything — legal briefs and pleadings, grants, marketing materials, social media posts, website copy, newsletters, newspaper and magazine articles, and more. I recently got a crack at editing a medical protocol, and I feel like I could work with researchers and physicians to write them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
I’m a content strategist and content manager in addition to being a writer and editor. I’m known for being able to take complex health and wellness topics and explain them to a general audience. I also excel at creating short but compelling content pieces, which is sometimes more complicated than writing long form.
But most people hire me for my ability to weave evocative storytelling with valuable information, especially about health, social justice, travel, sustainability issues, and nature. Those are my passions, but I create engaging stories about any topic. I always enjoy learning about people or subjects I know little about, and writing helps me do that.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Rilke’s Letter to a Young Poet inspires my writing. I read it whenever I feel stuck and find something insightful that re-engages me into the craft of writing and story-telling.
I’d encourage everyone to read Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It’s a call to climate action through sharing nature’s wisdom and Indigenous knowledge. Other authors and thinkers who I admire are Terry Tempest Williams, Mary Oliver, Angela Y. Davis, and Audre Lorde. They’re fierce and fearless — things I strive to be in my life and work.
I use only a few apps even though I write content for them and have helped develop many. They take my attention away, as they are designed to do, from things that bring meaning and value to my life — like spending time with my dog, partner, family, and friends and traveling. I do like Duolingo, Calm, AllTrails, and Merlin Bird ID.
Resources that help me do my best at life and work are listening to music and active passions like riding my bike, walking, or hiking. But the best thing for my well-being and my job is being outside. It’s why I recently started training to be a forest therapy guide.
I’ll have my accreditation by fall. I’m excited to bring people a chance to connect with themselves by trading technology for exploring their senses and having a nature-based experience. The health benefits of nature are well-documented, so there’s a lot to gain from tree-hugging! I’m also looking forward to learning more about myself and having more to write about.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wachtergrrl.com
