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SEE ISSUE 109 -ED
May. 6th, 2008 04:55 pmSo, I've been thinking a lot about getting back into writing. I say that a lot, but I am. But not anything new with my fiction; I've still got a bunch of ideas and never get around to doing it.
No, I'm actually thinking of getting back into journalism. I enjoyed it immensely when I was involved, and there have been more than a few little things going on lately that have made me start thinking about it again.
When I say Journalism, of course, I'm referring not to newspapers - at least, not the standard "Six people dead at a rave on Friday, sources reveal that..." and similar. More of the editorials, or even magazine articles. Places where research is good to have, but is not the main point. An editorial or a magazine article can be informative and educational, but still be entertaining. It has personality, especially if the author is a regular one, even more especially if the author has his or her own column in the periodical in question.
I'll give you an example. For some reason, we get Philadelphia Magazine in our mailroom at the building I work in. Possibly someone wants to keep up with home, I don't know, I didn't ask. There was an article, Leave the Leather Bike Shorts at Home, that was written about the author's experiences at the annual Gay Pride Parade. His point is a very good one, but I'm not here to talk about the article. If you want to read it, go ahead, it's great.
The point, though, is that he writes an incredibly informative article, and he does it almost completely anecdotally. The only real research that is readily apparent is about how long the Parade has been marching in Philadelphia; the rest is his own opinions and experiences, as well as that of one or two of his closest friends. But though there isn't real research in this, it still manages to be thought-provoking, informative, and above all, entertaining. You like reading it, so you keep on reading it.
That's what I want to get back into. That's what I'm going to try to do, if only for my own sake.
Wish me luck.
No, I'm actually thinking of getting back into journalism. I enjoyed it immensely when I was involved, and there have been more than a few little things going on lately that have made me start thinking about it again.
When I say Journalism, of course, I'm referring not to newspapers - at least, not the standard "Six people dead at a rave on Friday, sources reveal that..." and similar. More of the editorials, or even magazine articles. Places where research is good to have, but is not the main point. An editorial or a magazine article can be informative and educational, but still be entertaining. It has personality, especially if the author is a regular one, even more especially if the author has his or her own column in the periodical in question.
I'll give you an example. For some reason, we get Philadelphia Magazine in our mailroom at the building I work in. Possibly someone wants to keep up with home, I don't know, I didn't ask. There was an article, Leave the Leather Bike Shorts at Home, that was written about the author's experiences at the annual Gay Pride Parade. His point is a very good one, but I'm not here to talk about the article. If you want to read it, go ahead, it's great.
The point, though, is that he writes an incredibly informative article, and he does it almost completely anecdotally. The only real research that is readily apparent is about how long the Parade has been marching in Philadelphia; the rest is his own opinions and experiences, as well as that of one or two of his closest friends. But though there isn't real research in this, it still manages to be thought-provoking, informative, and above all, entertaining. You like reading it, so you keep on reading it.
That's what I want to get back into. That's what I'm going to try to do, if only for my own sake.
Wish me luck.
