Her Story
About Adrienne
I officially started my freelance writing career in 2021 when I began working for Forsyth and Dawson County Newspaper, initially writing obituaries. My breakthrough came when Dawson County needed someone to cover a 9-11 memorial service, and that became my very first article. I absolutely enjoyed it immensely and found that I really liked speaking with people and writing about meaningful things. From there, I continued writing articles whenever they needed someone. A connection through my hairstylist led me to North Georgia Living Magazine, where I wrote several articles about North Georgia-specific businesses, including Airbnbs and mountain retreats. One of the most exciting aspects was getting to stay at places like the Glass Cabin Inn in Dahlonega in exchange for articles and interviews. In January 2026, I self-published my first book, 'No Further Explanation,' about my experience as a detention officer at the Dawson County Sheriff's Office. It was a negative and traumatic experience, but I wrote it hoping to help other women struggling with similar situations, specifically addressing how women are treated differently and the discrimination I faced. I also collaborate with other writers, including one who published a hardback book in Barnes & Noble, to keep each other motivated and encouraged. While I work full-time for a plumbing and mechanical company, freelance writing remains my passion, and I hope to do it full-time someday.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Adrienne
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would attribute my success to my faith, believing that writing was a God-given talent that I've ignored for a really, really long time. I've always been a writer, but I didn't pursue it seriously until recently. I also attribute it to the encouragement and support of my family. They believed in me more than I did myself, and they said I could do and should do these things. I just kind of stepped out in faith, and because of their encouragement, I did the things they said I could do. I did it because I had their support.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I received came from my fellow writer, Damien Donati, who wrote 'Airport Gun Dude.' He basically said, don't think about it. Just write it. Get it down and get it out. Don't think too hard, just do it. Really, when you get too in your head about things, you get stuck. That was a great piece of advice, and it's actually what got me to do the book and get it out there.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to always stick to what you believe. Don't try to change yourself for anyone. Write about the things that you love, that you believe in, that are close to your heart, that matter to you. Don't try to transform yourself into someone else. Don't compare yourself to somebody else. You do you. Be your authentic self. That is what I've had to learn, and I should have done that a long time ago, but I just kind of learned it recently. So that would be my best advice.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge, and it could be both a challenge and opportunity, is staying relevant. There's a lot of freelance writers out there, and it's pretty competitive, especially when it comes to newspapers and magazines. This year in particular, I've struggled to write anything for the magazine or to hear any kind of concrete communication from them, which is very not typical. I think people are just cutting back and keeping a real short list of who they're using right now because of the economy. I was super busy from 2021 to 2025, but 2026 has been quiet and very challenging. With that, I threw myself into my book. I said, well, if I can't work for anyone else right now, if there's not anything available for me, I'm going to write for myself. There's always opportunities to write about anything you can name, but you have to be the one to keep yourself relevant, and that's tough.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Environment is the most important value to me. Aside from money and notoriety, it's who you work with and for. If you can get along with and enjoy who you work with and for, then that makes all of the difference in the world. I've learned that over my 25 years of working, actually longer than that since I started working when I was young. I've learned that's what matters the most. If I can't have a good working environment, then nothing else really matters.
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