As I sit back and write this, I realize how busy my life actually is. I am constantly thinking and I am constantly writing. Whether it’s on the back of a placemat at the diner or in my bed at three in the morning; my brain is always working on my next piece. And you know what? I love it! Here’s what my typical day is like…
Reviewing My Planner
As I said before, my days are full of writing. They’re full of writing stories, articles, and random ideas… everywhere. I usually begin by looking over my day planner, which is supposed to help organize my life. As a journalism major, that’s not quite true. My day planner is full of little blurbs and keywords from thoughts I had throughout the year. I’m already running out of room and it’s only June. The ideas are constantly flowing, like a stream after a huge rain storm. Reviewing my planner keeps me on top of my writing assignments and functions as a refresher for my ideas.
Becoming Inspired
When I’m ready to leave the house, I walk out into a world full of possibilities. To me, everyone’s a story. No matter who it is, people I encounter at the local supermarket or the drive-thru girl at Dunkin Donuts, I wonder where they’ve been and what they’ve seen. I am constantly thinking, “I wonder what their story is?” I imagine who they met and how it affected them. I strongly believe there’s a story within everyone – you simply need to find it.
Exercising My Mind
Aside from wondering how the elderly cashier at the food store got to where she is, I also frequently practice writing exercises. Whether they’re from a workbook about sentence structure or some online courses, writing exercises are valuable for personal growth. If you’ve never tried one, check out Writer’s Digest for an example. I do at least one exercise every day to help me master my craft. As one of my favorite professors said on our very first day of class, “Becoming a great writer is no secret – write, edit, repeat.” There’s no need to write a complete story every time. Throughout the day, I simply write a few sentences and see how I can improve them. It’s that simple!
Journalism isn’t only about writing. It may sound cliché, but I read the newspaper every day. Some days it’s my local online news paper and other days I use the New York Times app. Occasionally, I’ll even go retro and read a physical paper. Whatever the platform, I keep up with the news constantly. Not only is it entertaining, but reading helps develop your writing skillet. It’s good to compare how different newspapers report on the same issues or events, helping young writers create their own style.
Long story short, my entire life revolves around journalism and writing. Some people might think that sounds boring, but I’m perfectly okay with that. There’s nothing more satisfying than thinking of a great story, writing it down, then doing a self edit to create a perfect product.
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