Freelance Writer

While in San Francisco recently I went and listened to freelance music writer Sean McCourt speak about his experiences and give tips about writing. Honestly, he wasn't a very good speaker. He seemed too nervous to be in front of a crowd and he kept saying it was too early on a Saturday morning, but after listening to some of McCourt's background it was obvious he'd accomplished a lot, especially after graduating college only three years ago. 

In a way he made interviewing big bands and writing for San Francisco papers sound too easy. He said he started writing in junior high since then he has interviewed bands such as Nirvana, Social Distortion, and The Dropkick Murphys. 

I understand that living in a small town in the middle of Minnesota isn't going to be the best place to write about big bands or hit shows, but does someone really have to move to New York or California for the best coverage? Or is it about having the biggest will power to cover what you want to cover from where you already are? 

McCourt also talked about writing freelance and how it gave him the flexibility to write about what he wanted to for who he wanted to, but he said the money obviously wasn't why he did it. Has anyone ever thought about being a freelance writer after college?