Honing My Craft a.k.a. Final Blog Essay

At 5:15 P.M. on August 27, 2007, I sat in the Aims computer lab, running through the possible realities of the Com 330 class that was about to commence. I had never considered myself to be a great or creative writer and yet, there I was, waiting to dive into the realm of journalistic writing. Before classes even started this semester, a fellow student shared their frightening opinion of how I would fare in the class. “English majors can’t write journalism!” This fear gripped me that day in Aims. I have come to realize, however, that this fear was wholly unfounded and that I have the ability to write in any genre so long as I am willing to hone my craft.

It was William Zinnser who took the first swing at my fears. In his book On Writing Well, Zinnser talks about perfecting the art of writing; bringing clarity and interest and voice into whatever is written. Zinnser taught me that writing isn’t just about having natural talent but “using the English language in a way that will achieve the greatest clarity and strength” (5). The word in that sentence that stayed with me over the course of the semester was “using.” To me, that word implied I had a choice, a decision to make. Good writing, or journalistic writing in this case, would not just flow out of me. I would have to choose to think about the words I had learned in my 22 years of life and manipulate them into saying exactly what was on my mind. That took skill and skills can be learned. With this concept safely in hand, I felt free to attempt more creative acts of writing.

The fear had taken a stronger hold over me than I anticipated, however, and although I felt free to be more creative, I had little faith in myself. It seems to have been divine providence that this class happened to be offered this semester. Outside of class, I found myself questioning what I was doing in college, let alone, at Fresno Pacific. In each of my other Literature courses, I felt that I was not able to write to the best of my abilities. I felt like a failure. Zinnser, like a faithful friend, came to my rescue again. At the end of his chapter on style, he says: “Believe in your own identity and your own opinions” (23). Although it was guised in journalistic clothing, I was being challenged to represent who I was through my writing. Defining who that was seemed impossible yet his words ran on a loop in the back of my brain and it encouraged me to never give up on something I was writing. If anything, those words helped me refocus my thoughts and write authentically from my heart.

As I worked on gaining confidence in my ability to write and honing my craft, I drifted a little too far into the realm of cocky writing. As a perfectionist, I drove myself to take the best interview notes and write the wittiest articles. I fell flat on my face a few times. I thought that since I had logged in the time that I had transformed into a great writer in a matter of weeks. During the revising process of the sports article, I was faced with the problem of not having quotes that fit exactly into what I was trying to say. After having received so much help from Zinnser earlier, I dove into his book again. In the chapter on interviewing Zinnser’s words gave me a polite slap in the face: “Your job is to distill the essence” (108). This notion of distilling the essence made me rethink how I was approaching the article. Instead of having a preconceived idea of exactly where I wanted the article to go, it was more important to understand what the people I had talked to had to say. Their opinions shaped the reality of my writing and without it, my writing would be lifeless. This helped me in other aspects of writing, especially when writing about characters from novels. It would be their quotes that would strengthen and solidify my essay.

The confidence and guidance I received from Zinnser helped me to see how expansive the world of writing was and what it could accomplish. Before this class, I thought the only place writing would have in my life after Fresno Pacific would be to teach others how to do it properly. What I learned is that writing is needed for so many other things and can be effective for making positive changes to the world. Like, Bob Briner said, “We talk to and write for each other, sometimes brilliantly, but with little impact on the world around us” (61). I learned that I can have an impact. Now, when I go into teaching, wherever that may be, I will take with me the principles of this journalism class and the freedom in knowing that writing is an ever-evolving skill that I have the control to make better.

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words a.k.a. Journal #9

Somebody said it and I couldn't agree more with the sentiment that photographs like these tell their own stories without needing words. The words help the reader fill in the blanks that images can often lead behind, but it is the image that catch the eye of the reader initially. Through culture assumptions, traditions, "norms;" images convey worlds of meaning depending on who is doing the looking.

I don't know how I would have faired back in the day before photojournalism. Being the product of the 20th century and all of it's advancements, I need visuals to help me connect with stories. When reading the New York Times, for example, I have to use a lot of brain power to choose to keep reading. The amount of text on the pages of that publication is astonishing to me. How can they have that much to say without having a picture? Most of the time the pictures they use are small and not that interesting, in my opinion.

Magazines seem to have a leg up on daily publications. Color, glossy, and a variety of size proves to be the preferred form. When sitting in a doctor's office or waiting for an appointment, what is the first thing to be picked up from the waiting room coffee table? A magazine. Not because they have better things to say or report on than newspapers, but because of the color photos. Photos enhance the content of the articles found within the publication.

Don't get me wrong, I think some articles can stand on their own. But even the outstanding articles could be made more effective with a thoughtfully chosen photograph. Seeing the news or the event makes it more real for readers, I think. In a culture that has difficulty believing in a God that is unseeable and that is suspicious of all things not visible, this is an understandable idea.

I love the fact that photojournalism is moving into the forefront. I don't think that it will ever be able to trump over word-print journalism. Images and text should be a team, not mortal enemies.

Know Thyself a.k.a. Journal #8

Both chapter 14 and 24 of Zinnser's book tie directly into my Creative Writing: Nonfiction class this semester. I've written a family memoir and a personal essay and the other forms of nonfiction require me to really dig deep into myself and my memories to write. I have written about things of which I am passionate or have effected me greatly. However, my grades have not been great. Why? Not bad grammer and I'm pretty strict on my use of punctuation. No, my biggest downfall is something else. Something that even my teacher can't put a finger on. I think it is that I don't know myself well enough to say anything.

Zinnser talks about students often feeling like they need permission. I don't. I don't think I need to write what the teacher wants in order to get high marks. I often write what I find out through reading or research even though not all of my papers are research papers. I don't need permission, I need to know something about myself. Am I alone in feeling like I'm a stranger to myself? Is everyone else walking around with a firm grasp on who they are? If that's true, I don't know what I will do.

I know that I've written about this before; the question of how I can write about myself when I don't know myself. I write about it so much because I think it is a real problem for me. I approach writing from a very rigid step-by-step method which sometimes has passion. I don't think I have anything good to say. If I do, when I write it I am so emotional about it that it takes a million drafts to make it clear to other readers. It is importantt to note here that I often don't have the time to do a million drafts and so I receive a lot of remarks from teachers regarding clarity or more detail.

I guess my writing goal is tied very much to this notion of self-discovery. When I finally find myself, which I hope is soon, I will write you and let you know what I find out.

Thrills of the Stage a.k.a. Journal #7

I really enjoyed the series piece by Lane DeGregory. Currently, I am involved in a play on the FPU campus and I was so enthralled with this young girl's story of making it to Broadway. I do not have such high dreams as Michelle but it was like a fairy tale, and what girl wouldn't love to see her name in lights?

Once I realized that the article was actually a series of short stories about Michelle's journey onto the professional stage, I was intrigued. This piece really read like a fiction novel, not something to be read in a newspaper. I thought that the subject matter was handled well in that it broke up the emotion into workable pieces for the reader. What could have been a totally overwhelming article became a saga of highs and lows.

It's hard to think about this piece being only one article. So much detail and character would have been lost. By the time Michelle gets on stage, the reader is right there sharing in her triumph. What if DeGregory had only one chance to get the whole story across? I think readers would have missed the whole plight of struggling actors and the tolls taken on their families.

I really enjoyed the series piece by Lane DeGregory. Currently, I am involved in a play on the FPU campus and I was so enthralled with this young girl's story of making it to Broadway. I do not have such high dreams as Michelle but it was like a fairy tale, and what girl wouldn't love to see her name in lights?

Once I realized that the article was actually a series of short stories about Michelle's journey onto the professional stage, I was intrigued. This piece really read like a fiction novel, not something to be read in a newspaper. I thought that the subject matter was handled well in that it broke up the emotion into workable pieces for the reader. What could have been a totally overwhelming article, became a saga of highs and lows.

It's hard to think about this piece being only one article. So much detail and character would have been lost. By the time Michelle gets on stage, the reader is right there sharing in her triumph. What if DeGregory had only one chance to get the whole story across? I think readers would have missed the whole plight of struggling actors and the tolls taken on their families.

When I was reading DeGregory’s piece on Michelle and Karla, I started thinking about Zinnser and what his response would have been to this series. I think his principles of simplicity, style and voice are definitely a strong part of why I was attracted to the story.

As I was finishing up this reading in the FPU Coffee Shop, I remember looking up with tears in my eyes trying to get my friends to understand how wonderful it was to be part of the moment when Michelle finished her first Broadway performance. For the most part, my friends laughed at how emotional I got over a newspaper article. "But," I thought to myself, "that's the power of words. This is real."

Have You Seen my Voice? a.k.a. Journal #6

Here we go again. I feel like Zinnser has already addressed the notion of voice in writing in a previous chapter. Yet chapter 20 is all about finding your own voice in writing. He says, "My commodity as a writer, whatever I'm writing about, is me. And your commodity is you. Don't alter your voice to fit your subject. Develop one voice that readers will recognize when they hear it" (231).

How can I avoid changing my voice to fit the subject when I do not know how my voice sounds? This idea of voice is closely tied to style in my mind and I am not sure that Zinnser is succesful in clarifying between the two definitions. He wants writers to put forth the effort to remain true to their unique voices but does not offer a distinct defintion to start from.

You know what I think is honesty? Toni Morrison talking about voice. The very last page of chapter 20 has a long quote from Morrison about how she feels about her own writing voice. In the last lines of her quote she says, "It had a certain style. It was inevitable. I couldn't describe it, but I could produce it"(240).

As an English major I feel that a lot of what I write and get graded on happens on accident. All this time I have spent in college and I do not think I have learned anything new that I have directly applied to my writing. Do not get me wrong, I have learned many new techniques and approaches to writing, I just do not apply them in the heat of the moment.

I think many students, not just fellow English majors, would agree with me here if they were honest. Like Morrison, I cannot describe what and why I write what I do. It just happens. More often than not I get a stellar grade as well. Teachers leave comments on stylistic choices or unique insights I brought to the literature and I think to myself, "Sure, that sounds like an excellent reason for me to have written that."

So, in the position I currently find myself, is it possible to write with my voice, not sacrificing its uniqueness for subject matter? Even now as I write this post I am asking myself if this piece has a voice. I feel, in some ways, like a blind person. Others see the beauty in what I write. Teachers say that even in a typed paper, they know when a piece of writing is mine. Yet I do not see what they see. In my mind, this makes me a counterfeit.

A counterfeit writer.

The Idea of Writing Reality a.k.a. Journal #5

"Ultimately every writer must follow the path that feels most comfortable. For most people learning to write, that path is nonfiction. It enables them to write about what they know or can observe or can find out. This is especially true of young people and students" (Zinnser 99).

For the most part I agree with Zinnser. (I know, shocking isn't it?)

I do think that writers must figure out what works for them; writing doesn't have to be some systematic process that produces a universal style. However, I'm not sure I can accept that whatever is "most comfortable" is the way writers should go. For me, I think writing is a process that needs to be able to push and stumble and climb through uncomfortable styles and forms. Sometimes working through the unfamiliar sharpens you as a writer.

I feel like Zinnser is oversimplifying the art of Nonfiction writing. As a student taking a Nonfiction class this semester, I have come to realize that not everything comes out great in the subject of nonfiction. Writing about the world, the human condition, etc. is extremely hard to do if the goal is to write it well. Anyone could put down an opinion or idea but it doesn't make it worthy of publication.

Nonfiction is great in that it does allow people to write about things they know rather than trying to impersonate an interest in some lofty concept. The problem here is that people often mistake their "knowing" of something as the end all observation. Nonfiction is not a fancy name for journal entry, people.

I have grown to love Nonfiction and I feel that it is actually as difficult to write as fiction. I also don't like how Zinnser equates the style of nonfiction with the simplicity of college students or "young people". Why is it especially well suited for us? Are older people incapable of writing about what they know? Or are students and young people so feeble minded that they must start out with what they know before attempting to try on the discourse of the educated?

Think on that Zinnser!

What I Want to be When I Grow Up a.k.a. Journal #4

I couldn't stop crying, it was totally embarrasing. Who cries over homework? Apparently that's me. Reading Jim Sheeler's piece on the Marine's who notify families of deceased military men and women was deeply emotional for me. That's what I want to be when I grow up. If writing is something that remains in my future, I want to write with the clarity, precision and emotion of Jim Sheeler.

When 9/11 happened, I really didn't understand what all of the hype was about. When I think about my reaction now, I shudder with disgust. Although I didn't understand the significance of who or why I still could have shown some compassion for the people killed in that moment of impact with the towers. As the war has progressed and support has decreased I have been on the fence, I admit this freely. Sheeler's piece however, put a different face on the war in Iraq.

I felt like I was there in the room with the families. The most chilling moments were when he was writing about the pregnant wife and her screams that passangers missed. I thought to myself, "This is so much bigger than I ever let myself believe." I have always been opposed to the armed forces and the need for them in the first place. I remember once in high school getting a call from someone in the military trying to recruit me. I ended up giving him a thirty minute lecture about how what he did for a living was wrong and I would never be caught supporting murder in the name of democracy. I never understood how naive I was until I read this article.

Sheeler's article conveyed so many things all at one time. Facts, emotion, the human element. How can you write with that much passion about devastation? Reading this article made me rethink how I view the men and women who fight for my rights and freedoms. Not to sound cliche, but I'm proud to be an American although I know this country's not perfect.

I would like to meet Jim one day and ask him all kinds of things about what his year long investigation taught him, how it changed him. Simply reading it for the purposes of our class, I was changed. That's what journalism is all about I think. I want to be a part of something like that one day.