Two Things
There are two things I anticipate getting better at this year.
1. Writing
2. Humility
A couple of weeks ago I found out that I was accepted to be one of 10 Midwest Voices for the Kansas City Star. I get to write 5 op/ed pieces that will appear in the paper, and I also get to blog on the Star's Midwest Voices blog.
I've been reading the newspaper for as long as I can remember. Mostly the sports section and comics at first, but I'm not at the point where I read just about every page each morning. Thus, it's a thrill for me to be able to contribute to something that I enjoy so much.
What I have learned so far is that I have seriously got to get my stuff together. My first hard article does not drop until a week from Saturday, but I have tested the waters out on the blog.
Yesterday's post on the recent incident where a reporter joked that Tiger Woods should be lynched was not met with resounding support. I was called "Ms. Dashiell", "Al Sharpton" and "vindictive". I was also accused of "damaged reporting" and "stirring the pot with dubious research".
Not bad for a rookie.
To be perfectly honest, I'm not all that torn up about it. More than anything, I'm frustrated with myself because I thought there were times where my writing could have been more clear and where I could have emphasized my main points better. It is a good learning experience, and I hope that I can continue to get better.
All that to say, if the blogging on this site is a little less frequent throughout 2008, it's because I'm writing other places. Check out the Voices blog. Perhaps I'll make you angry in the process.
Fair Dinkum
1. Writing
2. Humility
A couple of weeks ago I found out that I was accepted to be one of 10 Midwest Voices for the Kansas City Star. I get to write 5 op/ed pieces that will appear in the paper, and I also get to blog on the Star's Midwest Voices blog.
I've been reading the newspaper for as long as I can remember. Mostly the sports section and comics at first, but I'm not at the point where I read just about every page each morning. Thus, it's a thrill for me to be able to contribute to something that I enjoy so much.
What I have learned so far is that I have seriously got to get my stuff together. My first hard article does not drop until a week from Saturday, but I have tested the waters out on the blog.
Yesterday's post on the recent incident where a reporter joked that Tiger Woods should be lynched was not met with resounding support. I was called "Ms. Dashiell", "Al Sharpton" and "vindictive". I was also accused of "damaged reporting" and "stirring the pot with dubious research".
Not bad for a rookie.
To be perfectly honest, I'm not all that torn up about it. More than anything, I'm frustrated with myself because I thought there were times where my writing could have been more clear and where I could have emphasized my main points better. It is a good learning experience, and I hope that I can continue to get better.
All that to say, if the blogging on this site is a little less frequent throughout 2008, it's because I'm writing other places. Check out the Voices blog. Perhaps I'll make you angry in the process.
Fair Dinkum