Hayden Field

Hayden Field is a reporter and writer for Emerging Tech Brew. She’s been a reporter at Protocol and an associate editor at Entrepreneur covering tech and business. Hayden was the lead reporter for Jean Chatzky, financial editor of NBC's TODAY show. She also reported on and wrote multiple business/finance articles daily for publications like NBC News, Forbes, TODAY.com, TIME For Kids and The Balance. You can check out some of her recent writing and reporting here.

As someone who's worked both in an in-house writing capacity and as a freelancer, which do you prefer...and why?

My ideal scenario: both. That way, I have the best of both worlds: an in-house team to work with and learn from, guaranteed bylines, rapport with an editor in person, the growth that comes from in-house deadlines and a salary -- plus the freedom to pitch beyond my at-work beat, work on longer narrative pieces I'm passionate about and garner more diverse bylines.

It is, of course, rare to not have a non-compete, so if I had to make the choice, I'd probably choose in-house. There's something about the energy of a newsroom that I can't replicate when writing in a coffee shop -- and the security is nice, too.

You're a writer with skills that go WAY beyond writing. How has that diverse expertise helped you in your career so far?

I was a double-major in college -- theatre and journalism -- and I've always been passionate about both. My love of theatre growing up made me appreciate a good story and want to get better at the craft of storytelling. It's still a skill I try to improve constantly -- mostly by reading the work of journalists and writers I admire. My theatre background also helps me adapt and read people in an interview situation, and it made me more comfortable hosting podcast episodes and appearing in videos for the websites I work for.

I also think it taught me the importance of deadlines. In school, I often did my homework sitting in the first row of the audience whenever scenes I wasn't in were being rehearsed -- and on the date set for everyone to have their lines memorized, I knew failing to meet that deadline would result in public embarrassment, holding back cast-mates and maybe even the potential to lose a role.

When you worked as an associate editor, what was something writers did that drove you nuts (and you wished they'd stop doing?)

True to industry form, my "associate editor" title didn't quite reflect my duties -- at work, I reported and wrote unless my editor was out, in which case I sometimes took on editing duties. But when I did edit, something that drove me nuts was incorrect use of commas (I'm a real grammar nerd) or sloppy line-by-line writing (repetition, etc.), even if the overall arc of the story works.

You've had the opportunity to interview/write about a lot of high-profile people so far, so what's an interesting/surprising takeaway you've gleaned from that experience about interviewing (or maybe the interviewees themselves?)

I've learned the importance of quality, well-thought-out questions based on research you've done about the subject are key. It shows your subject that you're the real deal, that you respect them and that you're -- depending on the type of interview -- either worth investing in or a force to be reckoned with (no B.S.).

I know that's something we all know in our heads, but I was recently on the other side of an interview for the first time in forever, and I realized how stifling it can be to be asked questions that don't relate to your experience -- not only for you, but for the information that comes out of the interview. There's so much missed opportunity in terms of the information you can provide if a question doesn't skillfully bring it out of you. That's why I resolved to starting doing extra research every time I interview a subject, even if it's over the phone, and it's why I try to learn from the people around me who were born super-skilled at asking deep, probing questions.

I had a conversation with a friend the other day who was born with that talent on whether it's nature or nurture -- we agreed that it comes easier to some people, but it's a skill that anyone can learn with motivation and practice. I try to get better at it every day.

Any handy tricks you've learned that make writing/outlining/interviewing more efficient and effective?

Over the past few years, I've had the honor to learn quite a few things about each of those three categories from people I've worked with. Conceptualizing how to outline and structure a longer feature has always been the most difficult thing for me. (I think it has something to do with my lack of spatial awareness - ha!)

To that end, I find that pulling out an old-fashioned piece of paper and just jotting some kind of outline down for a longer feature is a great starting point. After that, I talk it over with people I admire and ask them to help me finesse it.

I also find that a story's headline and subhed help me to better ascertain the structure. One recent tip that's helped me out is remembering that every story is trying to answer a question and continually reminding myself of the question I'm trying to answer with a piece. That way, I stay on track.

What's a common misconception about the work you do that drives you crazy?

Nothing gets me more incensed than people not understanding journalistic ethics -- offering me a bribe for positive coverage or thinking they can buy their way into a magazine feature. I wish everyone knew that magazine articles, for example, require a more stringent fact-checking process than books -- and that journalists have an unwavering code of basic conduct that we're by definition required to stick to.

If you could give a younger version of yourself writing advice, what would it be?

I'm always learning, but I often remind myself of the advice Taffy Akner, one of my all-time writing heroes, was kind enough to give me over email when I asked -- and I don't think anyone could say it better than her:

"Write what you want to right now. Don't feel like you have to work your way up. Just start doing it. Don't work with editors who make you smaller. Make sure your story is great before you add your voice. Voice follows story. Don't be a pain in the ass. File on time and be gracious, and you will always work."