It’s with a heavy heart I post this piece today, in remembrance of Nat Gillis — a friend, fellow creative soul and shining light who died Monday, June 17, 2024, when her aircraft crashed in Albany, NY. I had the fortune of writing a profile about Nat for Kootenay Mountain Culture for their Summer 2023 issue.

If every adventure I’ve been on is any indication, each one has a beginning, middle and end. Yet the adventure is never really over. It lives inside us in the memories we created, the challenges we overcame, the joys of the accomplishments and surprises, the callouses on our feet from rubbing in our hiking boots.

Paul Zizka and I get to collaborate from time to time, and this is one of our favourite pieces. We’d pitched a story about methane bubbles that appear in frozen lakes nearly nine months before Outdoor Photographer came knocking with a last-minute request… They wanted the idea for a cover story but there was a caveat. They needed it in a week’s time.

Many writers dream of getting published in a magazine. It is a favourite amongst writers because of the interactive qualities of the final product and the supporting visuals and illustrations. It’s also seen as prestigious. So, how do you get your work and ideas published? Here are some of my best tips for increasing your chances of getting the gig.