This week, Content Runner is proud to feature Writer Donald Parker. Don has been with Content Runner since May 2013 and has already written hundreds of articles in a variety of niches from personal injury law to the most popular ways to cook a brisket. We have asked Don a few questions to get to know a bit better and find out exactly what it’s like to be a Packers fan living in Washington D.C..
Don, tell us a little about yourself.
I have been involved in the insurance and financial services industry for 22 years, working as a compliance/regulatory officer, training consultant and subject-matter expert in securities products such as mutual funds and variable annuities. I reside in the greater Washington, D.C. area where I have lived since 2002 and teach insurance licensing courses as well as develop course content on a freelance basis. I also work with small businesses, having helped launch a production microbrewery in 2009.
How did you get into writing?
I started writing in junior high school (middle school) as a member of my school’s newspaper. I carried this interest into high school and college, serving as a feature editor, editorial editor and editor-in-chief of both my high school and several college papers. After college I continued writing on the side, although a lot of my earlier jobs required me to prepare detailed analysis and reports on securities laws or training material. I have found that writing is an integral part of my life, what I do and have done for a living and something that I will always do.
What do you love about writing?
Writing provides me with the freedom and flexibility to work when I want to work and focus on different projects while also getting paid well for my efforts. The more assignments I choose gives me a chance to explore different topics, learn something new and write about, thus expanding my knowledge base and areas of expertise.
What made you decide to choose Content Runner?
I came across Content Runner several months ago when I saw a post on Craigslist for writers. Looking to expand my opportunities for freelance assignments I answered the ad and have been a Content Runner freelancer since May, 2013.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
If I could go anywhere, it would probably be to a small Caribbean Island retreat surrounded by extremely blue waters and sand. After I wake up from this dream New Orleans is the place that has a special place in my heart and somewhere that I can (and try to) spend time.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
The ability to read minds would be the superpower that I would like to have. If I could read minds I could avoid a lot of conflicts and misunderstandings that come with being male (inside joke)!
If you weren’t a professional writer, what would you be?
When I first went to school I majored in Chemistry-Pre-Med but I always saw myself as a litigator. If I ever decide to go back to school, law school could very well be a possibility.
What is your biggest grammatical pet peeve?
Irregular versus regular…using words that are not actual words but are sometimes accepted as being real words (irregardless versus regardless is another one!).
What is your favorite subject to write about?
I like to write about current affairs and political matters as they affect our everyday lives. I also like to write about financial matters, but I sometimes see this as work rather than pleasure writing. I would love to write a historically based novel or biographical book about some obscurely famous individual who had some impact on the course of this country’s events.
When you aren’t writing content for Content Runner, what do you do in your spare time?
My spare time is divided between volunteer activities here in the nation’s capital or watching sports. I am an avid golfer and a fan of the Green Bay Packers (even though I live in the District of Columbia and everything here is Burgundy and Gold).
If you would like to learn more about Don or place an order with him, you can contact him through his profile.