Reflections: Myself as a Writer (Portfolio Intro)

I never used to be any good at writing. English was easily my most difficult subject up until about tenth grade, and the concept of trying to explain my thoughts on paper rather than through spoken word kind of baffled me. When I did attempt to write, I liked to use big words, fancy sentences, and write things the way they would be spoken. I was such a better speaker than a writer, so I never really tried to hone my skills as a writer.  That is, until the World Cup (see final paper).

Yep, seems like that summer was the ultimate coming-of-age moment in my life, considering it not only changed my hobbies and career path but also my writing style. Journalism writing is an entirely different breed of horse to tame than, let’s say, creative righting, since one has to stay inside the limits of fact and truth and must appeal to a broad audience. As I dove more into the world of blogging and mass media, I found myself constrained by this style. You only get 160 characters. 5 paragraphs. I don’t like being told how much I can or can’t write; when I want to write, I just want to write. Even this semester, taking a media writing class, I was not pleased to be limited to one sentence leads and four-line max paragraphs. So why do I stick with it?

The meat and bones writing that you see on a lot of news stories is what most people start off with in the journalism field. Report, interview, tell it how it is and nothing more, and add a few quotes in for flavor. That’s not the kind of journalism I want to do. If you read my nine-page monstrosity of a final paper, you will see what kind of writing I want to do. I want to add that creative, wordy flair I have always leaned on while writing. I want to tell a full, vivid story while remaining inside the lines of truth and fact (This is a link to David Hershey, my favorite sports writer on ESPN. Not everyone will understand his soccer humor, but it’s that kind of creative journalistic writing I want to emulate). I can’t change what happens out on the pitch, but I want to make it sound as magical and captivating to the average fan as it was for me. That’s the goal.

I’ve picked a career field where my writing will only continue, even if it starts as a boring old reporter covering a cat stuck in a tree outside of a retirement home. But one day, I hope to advance my journalism career to the point where I can write freely, creatively, and most importantly, share the game I love with everyone.