Melissa "The Whistle-Stop" profile picture

Melissa "The Whistle-Stop"

In a word...

About Me



As a freelance writer, I offer a range of writing services including copywriting, editing, and critiques. To learn more about my writing services and to view my portfolio and rates, please visit www.freelance.melissadonovan.com .

I also host a blog for writers on my personal website. It's called "Writing for Writers" and you can check it out at www.melissadonovan.com .

My blog here on MySpace covers a lot of different topics. If you're an animal lover, be sure to stop by on Tuesdays, when I write a weekly post about animal rights. I call it "The Whistle-Stop" and I like it when people subscribe .

As an advocate for animal rights, I'm highly focused on educating people about the no kill movement. I have found that most people don't realize there are alternatives to the antiquated and unethical practice of killing animals in shelters. Please visit The No Kill Advocacy Center for more information.

My Interests

I love animals. Books that I can't put down. Dancing, yoga, meditation. I'm a writer and enjoy being creative. Blogging. Listening to podcasts. I am a big fan of Mother Nature. Discussing politics and religion. Genealogy. And I love dressing up in costume.

I'd like to meet:

Of course, I'd love to meet people who are looking for a professional writer. I can always use the work! But I'm here on MySpace to find animal lovers, writers, and people who are working to make positive change in the world. I also enjoy meeting artists and creative people of all kinds.Most of all, I love meeting strange and interesting people who are open minded, kind-hearted, and passionate.

Music:

Everything - folk, hip hop, bluegrass, classical, motown, classic rock and roll, 80's, old country, world music, latin, blues, reggae, jazz.

Movies:

Breakfast Club, Matrix, Star Wars, The Game, Dangerous Beauty, Robinhood, The Ref, American Beauty, Twelve Monkeys, Chicago. John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Audrey Hepburn. M. Night Shyamalan.

Television:

I'm not too big on TV but some shows come along and grab me. These earn my undying loyalty: Friends, Studio 60 (best show EVER to be cancelled), HEROES (my current fave), Animal Planet - and - my dirty little secret, American Idol.

Books:

There are so many. The Education of Little Tree, Secret Life of Bees, Catcher in the Rye. Shakespeare. Mythology. Anne McCaffrey's Pern series, Harry Potter. Dr. Suess and Shel Silverstein. Next up on my reading list: Redemption by Nathan Winograd.

Heroes:

Mother Nature. My family and my friends. My best friend Sam, who is an angel now and always. Gandhi. Nathan Winograd. John Lennon. Oprah Winfrey (she really gets it).

My Blog

The Ellen Campaign (Follow-up 1) - UPDATED

Read this whole post to find how you can earn publicity for your own blog by helping to promote no kill!On Tuesday I brought you The Ellen Campaign, and asked people to take a few minutes out of their...
Posted by Melissa "The Whistle-Stop" on Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:41:00 PST

Don’t Lose Your Best Ideas

This was originally posted in my blog Writing for Writers.  If you enjoy writing or blogging, then you might like it.Doesn't it seem like the best ideas come at the most inconvenient times?&...
Posted by Melissa "The Whistle-Stop" on Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:38:00 PST

The Ellen Campaign

The squeaky wheel gets the oil.  Just look at modern media.  The loudest, most obnoxious people get all the attention while many newsworthy stories go unheard by the vast majority of the pop...
Posted by Melissa "The Whistle-Stop" on Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:34:00 PST

The Bierwirth Family

Last week I told you about some Everyday Heroes on MySpace.  This week I would like to share a family on MySpace that is looking for their hero.The Bierwirth Family is desperately seeking a bone ...
Posted by Melissa "The Whistle-Stop" on Mon, 01 Oct 2007 01:15:00 PST

How Natural Are We?

It seems to me that anything made by humans is considered unnatural.  Yet as humans, we do hail from nature... don't we? If animals or the weather causes something to happen, perhaps some un...
Posted by Melissa "The Whistle-Stop" on Fri, 28 Sep 2007 01:42:00 PST

Is it Plural or is it Possessed? When to Use an Apostrophe with an "S"

I see apostrophes and s's used incorrectly all the time, sometimes on professional documents and signs.  On my other blog, Writing for Writers, which you're more than welcome to visit, I wrote a ...
Posted by Melissa "The Whistle-Stop" on Thu, 27 Sep 2007 06:04:00 PST

The Media Myth That Kills Animals (Updated)

Update: I want to give Chibochick a very special thank you for featuring me on her blog today. I won a little contest she had, which involved coming up with an annoying word.  Good thing I m...
Posted by Melissa "The Whistle-Stop" on Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:00:00 PST

MySpace Everyday Heroes (September, 2007)

Most people use MySpace to express themselves, connect with other interesting individuals, and to share their life stories and opinions using the blog feature.But every once in a while you come across...
Posted by Melissa "The Whistle-Stop" on Mon, 24 Sep 2007 01:17:00 PST

The Whistle-Stop Playlist (Inspire)

Thanks everyone, for contributing your favorite songs of inspirationto my playlist.  I've gathered them all up here for your listening pleasure.   But please note, I couldn't fi...
Posted by Melissa "The Whistle-Stop" on Sat, 22 Sep 2007 02:17:00 PST

It Isnt Hard to Do (Feedback Friday)

"Imagine" by John Lennon.  This is one of my all time favorite songs. You almost have to stop when you hear it, close your eyes, and truly imagine the vision he is building. Can you do it? En...
Posted by Melissa "The Whistle-Stop" on Fri, 21 Sep 2007 01:31:00 PST