Journelism

Everyone imagines that there is a secret to great writing, a formula that will ensure a bestseller or a Pulitzer. At readings, aspiring writers pepper successful journalists and novelists with questions about their habits and private rituals as if panning for gold, hoping for a nugget that will lift their submissions out of the rejection pile.

While there is no shortage of books on the subject, online writing workshops and MFA programs, the best way to improve your writing is to improve your reading.  That means reading more widely, critically and deeply. Don’t just read your favorite authors. Read their favorite authors too. Find out who mentored or influenced them, who shaped their style and voice.

Read books written in previous periods. Just as painters spend years copying the masters before they develop their own unique style, you need to become intimate with the literary masterpieces of prior decades and centuries before you attempt to break the mold. If you think Dead White Men like Flaubert have nothing to say to the Tweet Generation, take another look at Madame Bovary. Flaubert’s heroine struggled with the same conflicts that generate headlines for Madonna, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

Get out of your comfort zone. If you always head to the same section of the bookstore or library, go in another direction. Too often, young writers who want to be the next Stephen King or Ray Bradbury only read science fiction and thrillers. Aspiring novelists may shy away from the political science or history shelves. In addition to reading your particular area of interest, make a point of reading books written by foreign authors.

How will expanding your reading improve your writing? It will enhance your vocabulary, fine-tune your syntax, strengthen your voice and show you how to grab a reader by the jugular and not let go until the very last word. You may be able to achieve the same results by finding out what kind of laptop your favorite author uses and whether he drinks decaf or high octane. But I’ll bet my library card that the answer will not be as helpful as asking him who he is reading.

Stacia Friedman is a freelance writer in Philadelphia.

www.staciafriedman.com

www.staciaslepthere.blogspot.com

Every semester, I assign my journalism students a 900-word profile of someone who is an expert in his/her chosen field. Invariably, students interview someone they already know or to whom they have easy access. A former teacher, a family friend, a relative. The idea of contacting a total stranger and requesting an interview terrifies them. And yet, that is what journalism is about. Talking to strangers. Getting the story. There are always one or two fearless students who dare to contact the editor of a prestigious national magazine or another media star. These are the students who will succeed.

Unlike writing fiction, poetry, essays or criticism, journalism demands an inquisitive, outgoing, tenacious personality with a high level of self-confidence. Timidity isn’t in the mix. Neither is introducing yourself with a question mark tacked onto your name: “Hello, my name is Susan Smith? I’d like to interview you for an article I’m writing?” (You may not be aware of the insecurity that pitches the end of your sentences into uncertainty, but, believe me, the person on the other end of the line does.)

I often wish that college guidance counselors would be more honest with students about what it takes to be a journalist, besides a high grade-point average. The truth is, nobody—except your parents—cares about your grades. Future employers are not going to ask to see your college transcript and, god knows, they will not want to read your student papers. Not even the ones that rated an A+. What they want to see and hear is your love of language, quick turns of phrase and passion for getting the story. I have heard top editors say they don’t even want to see clips written during internships because there is no way to determine how heavily the clip was edited. Sad but true.

Ultimately, the decision to be a journalist is not a choice you will make on your own. It’s a choice editors will make for you. If you have the personality, writing skills and determination, sooner or later an editor will give you the opportunity to prove yourself. You may get an entry-level staff position and work your way up through a series of magazines, newspapers or electronic media. Or you may, like me, be a freelancer. Either way, you will never be able to rest on your education or so-called talent. There is always the next generation of hungry young journalists eager to take your place (at half the pay). What’s going to pull you through is your passion, resilience and a generous helping of sheer chutzpah.

Stacia Friedman is an award-winning journalist based in Philadelphia.

www.staciafriedman.com