Laura Jean Schneider
Freelancer
Buffalo,WY
Summary
Versatile and dynamic, with a proven track record in news and creative writing. Experience enhancing brand visibility and engaging diverse audiences. Expert in all things plants, whose work spans award-winning journalism about living on the land, to hands-on innovative gardening solutions, showcasing exceptional storytelling and nimble thinking.
Overview
2025
2025
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Freelance Content Writer
Self Employed Writer
Buffalo, Wyoming
2 2015 - Current
- Freelance writer for Ellensburg Daily News from Aug. 2023 to present as needed, interviewing and photographing for up to 10 stories weekly. Edit and proof other writers and editors work, pitch original stories and photo essays, worked remotely
- Freelanced for special sections for Port Townsend Leader intermittently from 2022-23, including award-winning article on Rose Theatre owner Rocky Friedman and covering Port Townsend Film Fest special in-paper section.
- Penned High Country New's web series, Ranch Diaries, from 2015-2016; wrote followup essay in 2019 for HCN
- Published in New Mexico Magazine, Edible Santa Fe, Ploughshares Blog, Montana Quarterly, and the Baltimore Review
- Wrote and published "Maverick," collection of personal essays, through Andante Press in 2020 after receiving creative grant from Culture and Animals Foundation in 2019
Publisher/ Associate Publisher/Reporter/Sales Marketer
The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Port Townsend, Washington
02.2020 - 08.2023
- Led team of nine people to produce weekly print and digital newspaper; hired and managed freelance reporters; planned and mocked up associated magazines; assisted with advertising sales, writing stories, creating connections within the community and industry
- Worked in various capacities on-site and remotely for small family-run newspaper during three-year period
- Developed award-winning novel publication, Olympic Peninsula Lifestyle, to help recoup ad monies lost to COVID
Assistant Editor/Journalist
Wick Communications
Safford, AZ
05.2022 - 11.2022
- Assistant editor at Green Valley News in Green Valley, transferred internally to become sole staff reporter at rural newsroom in Safford, Ariz.
- Covered features, education, crime, city council, and wrote weekly newsletters for Eastern Arizona Courier and its sister publication, The Copper Era
- Pitched and wrote Middle of Nowhere, a column based on outdoor adventures; took and processed photos, utilized Blox content management system for uploading stories
Business Owner
Must Like Plants
Port Townsend, WA
02.2017 - 03.2022
- Owned Must Like Plants, LLC landscape and gardening care business focused on ornamental and vegetable gardens in Port Townsend, Wash.
- Mulched gardens and adjusted soils to provide optimal growth potential.
- Used shears, pruners, and chainsaws to prune and trim hedges and shrubs.
- Created planters for realtors to use in home staging.
- Improved plant health and growth with thorough soil preparation, fertilization, and irrigation techniques.
- Safeguarded environment by employing eco-friendly materials and sustainable practices in landscaping projects.
- Invoiced, scheduled, and balanced roster of clients
Manager
Rose Theatre
Port Townsend, WA
03.2017 - 02.2018
- Assisted customers with inquiries regarding showtimes, ratings, and memberships related to the movie-going experience. Introduced all films in person, on stage.
- Contributed to team success by cross-training in box office operations, ticket sales, and concessions as needed, managing and working alongside teenaged staff. Balance tills, used Microsoft Quickbooks for bookkeeping
- Optimized visual quality by calibrating projector settings according to specific screen dimensions and lighting conditions.
- Liaised with theater ushers and box office cashiers to maintain show start time and communicate issues or concerns.
Manager
Conservatory Coastal Home
Port Townsend, Washington
01.2017 - 02.2018
- Built newsletter list and crafted MailChimp emails and exclusive promos to subscribers. Designed newspaper ads and posters using Canva.
- Assisted in hosting special events, such as encaustic workshops with artist Theresa Stirling
- Cared for house plants and terrariums in the shop
- Developed and upsold house-made product lines. Balanced aesthetics with functionality by choosing appropriate materials, finishes, and furnishings that met client needs.
- Transformed uninspiring areas into warm and inviting living spaces using various lighting fixtures, materials, and products.
- Participated in furniture selection and documentation of specifications.
- Developed space planning concepts, color palette selections, and textile presentations. Created floor and window displays.
Education
MFA - Fiction Writing
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Montpelier, VT 08.2014 - 08.2016
Bachelor of Arts - English Language And Literature
Smith College
Northampton, MA 08.2007 - 05.2010
Skills
Creative Writing
Proofreading
News writing
Marketing and advertising
Garden restoration and design
Organic Farming
Houseplant Care
Vegetable Gardening
Food Preservation
Accomplishments
- 2024 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association awards: 1st and 3rd in News of the Weird; 2nd place for long form feature, co-written with editor Brian Kelly at the Ellensburg Daily News
- 2023 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association awards: 1st in Business Story
- 2022 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association awards: 1st in COVID-19 coverage, Animal Feature, and Breaking News; 2nd in Feature Writer of the Year, General News Photography, and Animal Feature; 3rd in Arts Feature and Best News Story (short)
- 2019 Recipient of Culture and Animals creative grant to author "Maverick" essay collection published by Andante Press
- 2014 Presented alongside mentor LeAnne Howe at the Western Literature Association's annual conference
- 2014 Runner-up in The Writer's national fiction competition
- 2014 Big Snowy Prize in Fiction awarded by Montana Quarterly
Timeline
Assistant Editor/Journalist
Wick Communications
05.2022 - 11.2022
Publisher/ Associate Publisher/Reporter/Sales Marketer
The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
02.2020 - 08.2023
Manager
Rose Theatre
03.2017 - 02.2018
Business Owner
Must Like Plants
02.2017 - 03.2022
Manager
Conservatory Coastal Home
01.2017 - 02.2018
MFA - Fiction Writing
Vermont College of Fine Arts
08.2014 - 08.2016
Bachelor of Arts - English Language And Literature
Smith College
08.2007 - 05.2010
Freelance Content Writer
Self Employed Writer
2 2015 - Current