I feel that this first reading was a nice introduction to the course. To me, it was all about what one needs to know and be prepared for to be a writer, in many senses of the word. One of the readings had the basics such as know AP Style and understand what comes along with being a freelance reporter. I think freelancing is something that attracts some people because they like the idea of doing things on their own schedule, but they don’t realize that also means not having a guaranteed income and possibly using all available free time to work on a story. I felt that reading gave a good insight on what to expect to freelance write in the real world.
I really enjoyed the reading from Telling True Stories. This reading didn’t discuss technical aspects of being a good writer, but really what it brings to a person’s soul. Those people wrote about having to go out and find their stories and all of the time it took. One man hopped on a plane to China just because of something he was interested in that no other news source in America had reported on. Those are the things aspiring journalists, and aspiring writers in general, need to have. They need to be willing to chase a story to the opposite side of the world, and really have that story become their life, at least if you want to have an impact. Some people may be happy sitting behind a desk everyday just reporting on what is assigned to them, but I think to really make a difference in the world, you have to chase stories and find the stories no one else is paying attention to. Being a journalist can be scary, going to places you aren’t familiar with. However, from what that reading showed me, all of the risks taken and sacrifices made are worth it in the end.
Feature Writing 