Looking Back

At the beginning of this semester, I set out with a simple resolution: write a single page every day. I had never had a regimented writing schedule before, and I was excited to start on a process to better my writing, and establish greater discipline. Throughout the past few months, I experienced ups and downs in the process, and it was not always smooth sailing, but overall, I would call the goal a success.

For the first few weeks, I found it generally easy to write one page or more each day since I was already writing for classes. The three days a week I worked at D Magazine as an intern, I would write multiple pages for stories and briefs. I continued on with this for a few weeks until I realized I was only writing things that I had to write- not things I necessarily wanted to write.

Due to this realization, I altered my writing goal: Write one page a day that isn’t a school or work assignment. This goal proved much more difficult. I missed multiple days, and at times felt that it would be impossible to truly meet the goal. At first, I told myself I would wake up every morning an hour earlier than usual before my 8 a.m. classes to write, but I discovered I am definitely not a morning person, and writing in the morning never happened.

Nevertheless, I kept trying to find time to write, and over time I became more disciplined and most days found time. The topics varied; some weeks I’d try to write a short story, other days I’d just write down my thoughts. But overall, it helped me grow as a writer.

At the beginning of the semester, I also made a resolution to read more pieces that were non fiction. Being in a Writing for Publication class definitely helped this endeavor as I read multiple magazine articles throughout the course of the semester. I also subscribed to the New Yorker and received monthly magazines and learned to develop a greater appreciation for magazine writing. While I didn’t meet all of my resolutions, trying to achieve them definitely helped me develop my skills as a writer, and I hope to continue to pursue them in the future.

How To Become a Better Writer On Your Commute

Over last winter break, I was overjoyed to discover I had been accepted as an editorial intern at D Magazine. I’d always dreamed of being a writer and here was my chance to get my foot in the door. The only downside of the job was the tiny fact that I would have to commute from Fort Worth to Downtown Dallas three to four days a week.

I initially shrugged this off as nothing more than a slight technicality. After all, how bad could a 90 minute to 2 hour commute be?

After three weeks of working I had my answer: Very bad.

There’s traffic, bad drivers, closed lanes, broken toll roads, police jams, and so much more than can leave me sitting in my car stewing in my own rage for hours on end before coming in to work where I’m supposed to then be productive.

About a month into this, I realized something would need to change. I felt like I was wasting ten hours a week driving when I could be doing something productive. I voiced this concern to my father, who recommended trying to listen to podcasts. I’d never given podcasts a thought before, but upon research, I discovered there are so many different shows to listen to that could not only make my drive entertaining, but educational and enjoyable as well.

The Writer’s Voice

The first podcast I became obsessed with was The Writer’s Voice, a podcast distributed by The New Yorker magazine. In this show, writers read the features, profiles, essays, and other works that were published in that week’s edition of The New Yorker. I found this especially intriguing because it allows the listener to hear the story in the author’s own voice. As a subscriber to The New Yorker, I often go back and read stories after I’ve read them, and it’s such a different experience knowing how the author intended certain phrases to sound. I definitely recommend this podcast to anyone who wants to be exposed to magnificent magazine writing, and get insight into a writer’s process.

I’ve also listened to podcasts such as TED Talks, Coffee Break Spanish (I’m trying to learn Spanish), and How I Built This, stories of successful entrepreneurs and how they built their empires. All of these podcasts have helped make my commute bearable, as well as grow as a writer and person.

Critical Critiques

I firmly believe that every book should be made into an eight part mini series rather than a movie.

Think how amazing it would be if every Harry Potter book were made into a movie that stayed true to the story. The experience would be so much more magical if I could watch sixty-four hours of Harry Potter compared to the twenty-four hours of movies.

The Pride and Prejudice mini series was spectacular in the way it closely followed the book’s plot line, and only occasionally swerved from the actual book’s dialogue.

Tragically, not everyone shares this vision. Some of my favorite books have been turned into the most terrible movies known to man. How many times do directors need to be told not to mess with the author’s plot-line???

It’s infuriating.

If I voiced this opinion to thousands of people, would anything change? Would directors all across the nation sign a pact to never make a movie adaptation of a novel again? Probably not, but there’s a slight chance. That’s the power of the critic in culture.

Critics have the power to voice their opinions to a large audience, and help shape the perspective of the mass public. Commentary articles inform audiences and give them a wider viewpoint of the matter at hand. With multiple perspectives and information, readers can more accurately form opinions of their own.

Furthermore, critics have the power to entertain through their narratives. Entertainment articles about celebrities, TV shows, and movies all give insight to topics that have no real impact on the readers themselves. However, these bits of commentary allow readers to become immersed in a world other than their own, and have a reprieve from their daily lives.

Everyone has opinions, and writing is an exceptionally powerful tool to get the ideas out there. Whether it be about hard-hitting political issues, or thoughts on the latest Broadway adaptation of Spongebob Squarepants, everyone has the power to convey their thoughts, and potentially persuade others, with writing.

Want to share your opinions with the world? Here are a few sites for commentary articles that I particularly like to read before writing my own:

The New York Times

The New Yorker

Washington Post

What Can You Do With an English Major?

“So you want to be a teacher?”

The inevitable question I always hear when I tell people I’m an English major. There’s nothing wrong with teaching, and I’ve in fact considered it quite a bit. In fact, my long term plan is to become an English professor at a university and write on the side. But there are so many things you can do with an English degree. Famous influencers such as Steven Spielberg, Conan O’Brien, Bill Clinton, and Mitt Romney were all English majors. Even though I have absolutely no idea what I want to do after I graduate (internally panics), I’m glad to know there are lots of options out there. Here are a few career paths you can go down with an English degree.

Publishing

Despite what many may think, publishing and editing is in high demand. Harper Collins, Random House, Scholastic, and Simon and Schuster are just a few of the popular publishing companies producing thousands of new books every year. If you have a love of literature, this is definitely a great route to go. In this field, you can work from editing, copy writing, reading potential scripts, book layout, to so much more.

Freelance Writing

With so much emphasis being placed on STEM careers lately, there is high demand for good writers. You can make a living finding work as a content writer, copy editor, ghostwriter, etc. This job is one you can do from home, or while you travel. Multiple writers have started online blogs that allow them to make a living as they travel and write about their experiences.

Law

Top law schools across the country are looking for a variety of different specialties. You don’t have to be a political science major in undergrad to succeed in law school. This is a great option for those who want a highly intellectual, stimulating atmosphere (not to mention the high salaries.)

Journalism

While many newspapers and magazines have switched to solely online content, they’re still a hotspot for great writers looking for steady work. Barbara Walters, Andrea Jung, and Gretchen Morgensen are just a few famous journalists who pursued an English degree during undergraduate. If you want to write a lot, and in some cases go out and find your own stories to report on, this is definitely the route for you.

What to Read if You Don’t Like Reading

Since coming to college, I’ve met hundreds of new people. Some I know just by name, some I’ve gotten to know really well, but most I’ve had two or three conversations with. With these people, it seems I’ve had this same conversation over and over:

Person: So what’s your major?

Me: English.

Person: That’s cool. You like to read?

Me: Yeah. What about you?

Person: Oh, I don’t like to read.

Seriously. Those are words I’ve heard from upwards of twenty people. “I don’t like to read.” At first, this shocked me, but then I thought about the school system (or at least my experience in it.) Reading is encouraged and celebrated in elementary school, then completely forgotten in middle and high school to focus on critical thinking passages and writing rhetorical essays.

There’s nothing wrong with this, but I strongly believe reading should continue to be an integral part of the school curriculum throughout all twelve years of grade school. But so often, people don’t know where to start. So here are three books I love and recommend to anyone who wants to start reading.

 

Harry Potter 

Okay, so this may seem corny, but I still love Harry Potter. It’s been one of my favorite book series since I was eleven years old and tragically didn’t receive a letter to Hogwarts. The plot is captivating, and it transports you to another world. The seven books keep you eagerly turning each page, and since the books are fairly lengthy, it can take a while to get through the series. Better yet, the movies, games, and theme parks based off of the Harry Potter universe allow the readers to get involved with the story outside of the books. I have many friends who now love reading because of the Harry Potter books. I definitely recommend this series to new readers of any age.

The Nightingale

This World War II drama by Kristin Hannah is a thrilling page-turner. Set in Nazi occupied France, the story follows two sisters as they struggle through years of war and trauma. While it seems large, the novel is a relatively quick read, and the story plays like a movie with its riveting scenes and exciting build up to the end. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone searching for an exhilarating new read.

The Help

Many people are familiar with this book due to the popular film adaptation starring Emma Stone. But like so many English teachers have said before- the book is a million times better than the movie. The plot follows an aspiring journalist who seeks to tell the stories of black maids in Montgomery, Alabama. It’s a story of compassion, loyalty, and strength, and it has a number of funny scenes as well. This hilarious, heartwarming story is sure to make a reader out of anyone.

This is Why

I grew up in a small, predominantly white town in Texas called Flower Mound. Yes, that’s real the name of the town. There’s actually a mound of flowers that supposedly inspired the name that’s gated off with a giant plaque in front of it commemorating the mound’s greatness. So that should paint a pretty clear picture my life was growing up.

The same kids I went to elementary school with were the ones who followed me to high school, and a few even to college. I read books with characters who looked like me and led typical, suburban lives; Junie B. Jones, The Bailey School Kids, Judy Bloom books. They all featured young, white kids going to first or second grade exactly like me.

It was only when I grew older and started reading books with other perspectives that changed my entire view of the world. In middle school, I read The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Of course I knew what slavery was, but reading Douglass’s account of the horrors, and documenting tales from not only his life, but other slaves, led me to realize that reading other people’s stories allows us to grow.

And we can’t read these stories if nobody tells them.

In Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Adichie’s TED Talk, she expresses the dangers of telling a single story.

Many times, cultures, groups of people, and world events are subject to false stereotypes. The media controls the narrative, so people often don’t have the opportunity to gain more than one perspective.

This is why we need to tell people’s stories.

In a six-part feature entitled Enrique’s Journey, Sonia Nazario tells the story of a young boy who risks his life to travel from Hondurus to find his mother in the U.S. The reader hears a story of a scared, determined child who endures countless trials to reach his working mother. This contradicts multiple news stories which feature illegal immigrants as drug dealers and rapists who cross the border solely to cause destruction.

This is why we need to tell people’s stories.

In her feature piece, An Innocent Man, Pamela Colloff dives into the heart-wrenching story of a man falsely accused of murder and sentenced behind bars, who is kept from his son for thirty years. The story follows the shortcomings of the criminal justice system, and the struggle for a family to reconnect after years apart. It reminds the reader that these were real people, not just a headline in the news.

This is why we need to tell people’s stories.

Telling this diverse stories helps connect people who, without the art of storytelling, may not find a way to connect or coexist.

3 Things to do Before You Write

I’ve always used journals as an outlet for free writing and expressing my feelings in a direct and careless manner. But when I decide to write a short story, blog post, or article, I rarely just sit down and start writing. There’s a certain level of research I conduct before writing, and it varies from piece to piece.

Here are a couple of the ways I prepare for different projects.

Reading

Whenever I go on vacation or visit a new city, I love to write short stories using the location as a setting. Last March, I went to New York City, and in the months leading up to the trip, I couldn’t stop picturing myself sitting in Central Park, writing a story using the magnificent city as a backdrop.

One of the best ways I plan to capture the feel of a city, in my opinion, is to read how other authors described it. Viewing the location from multiple perspectives sparks ideas and gives inspiration as well.

So starting in January, I picked up a new book set in New York from the library, half price bookshops, and friends.

Over the course of the next two months I read The Goldfinch, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, The Catcher in the Rye, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Great Gatsby, and The Bell Jar, among others.

   

Observing the descriptions in the novels really helped me shape my own narrative while I was sitting in my hotel room, looking out over the skyline, writing my own stories (It was snowing, so instead of the park, my hotel room had to do.) 

 

Finding the Facts

This semester, I’m working as an editorial intern at a magazine in Dallas. The writing is based solely on facts, which drastically contrasts the writing I’m used to. My daily routine starts with receiving an email from my boss about a press release and I’ll spend the rest of the day researching and writing a brief about the topic.

At first, I found it tempting to simply regurgitate the press release with the words in a different order. However, I’ve learned that using the Internet to find background information is extremely useful. It’ll help the article stand out amongst the hundreds of others written about the same topic.

Additionally, conducting interviews over the phone is a great way to add unique insight, and find information that gives the piece an overarching theme or storyline rather than simply stating the facts.

 

Having an Open Mind

Something I’ve learned this semester while writing my first profile piece, is that the best way to prepare for an interview is to not research at all. To a certain extent, research is helpful, and can create a clearer picture in your head before meeting with the subject of an article. However, when I went to interview my friend, Selina, I conducted extensive background research, which created a preconceived notion as to what the story would be.

Meeting Selina, I was stunned to find that my research was not applicable in any way whatsoever, and the story ended up taking a completely different trajectory.

Therefore, before diving into a project, be open to a multitude of possibilities, and use research as a tool, but not a driving factor for your entire piece.

My Secret Stash

When I was sixteen, I suddenly noticed my bookshelf solely consisted of Little House on the Prairie, American Girl Doll books, and a bunch of novels for ten-year-olds. It’s not that I hadn’t read anything for five years; I’d just checked out all my books at the library. But I decided if I wanted to be a writer I needed to start building my personal library. So I asked my dad to take me to Barnes & Noble, and to my horror I discovered he “didn’t believe in buying books.”

I basically shrugged him off and went to the store anyway, and, using my debit card, bought a boatload of books.

What I didn’t know was that since my debit card was connected to my mom’s bank account, she could see everywhere I spent money. My parents weren’t happy to say the least, and they reprimanded my “reckless” spending, which I think is ridiculous considering I was buying books and not a $500 iPad or something. I pointed out I could be spending the money on drugs and they should be happy they had a nerdy daughter who loved books. They were not amused.

Thus began my two years of under-cover book buying: a brief period where I lived in constant fear that my parents would find the secret stash hidden underneath my bed. Whenever I bought groceries at Target, I’d ask for $25 cash-back, not enough to be suspicious, and head over to Barnes & Noble.

The problem was that $25 doesn’t exactly buy much at B&N. As much as I love supporting the last remaining big-chain bookstore, it’s hella expensive. That’s when I discovered the world of half-price bookstores.

Recycled Books and Records resides on the corner of Denton Square. The four story, Pepto-Bismol pink building was an opera house from the early 1900’s until it was converted into a store for used books and records.

The shop has rows of books that I can wander and get lost in for hours. The musty building smells of old paper and dried ink. The floorboards creak and the cream paint is chipping so that you can see the former pale blue shade of the walls. Claustrophobics would suffocate in the tunnels of the maze, but for me, it’s paradise.

The gloriousness of the store is only enhanced by the fact that the books cost practically nothing. I could spend all $25 from Target and leave with ten new books.

Last summer, I was exploring a section in the basement when I came across a book containing profiles from The New Yorker. At the time I was enamored with The New Yorker and read online articles almost daily (“Can I get a subscription to The New Yorker?” “No just read it online.”) I purchased the book for only six dollars and read a few articles, but left the collection relatively untouched before this semester. Now that I’m writing a profile for my Writing for Publication class, I read a profile from the book daily. (I smuggled all of my forbidden books into my college dorm room during move-in.)

I love learning observing the styles of the different authors and their techniques to construct a living subject with words. The last story I read was a profile on Biff, a pampered show dog, written by the spectacular wordsmith Susan Orlean. I find that immersing myself with profiles written by phenomenal authors will help me craft my own.

I’ll always treasure the books I add to my library. They’re my escape from the world. To me, nothing is as satisfying as coming home after a long day and flopping into bed with a captivating story. Someday, I hope I can write my own book to add to my library. And hopefully my parents will buy it.

Why I Write

Why write? If you’re a writer you’ve likely asked yourself this question thousands of times, most likely during a frustrated stint of writer’s block. While I wish there was one clear answer, the truth is, everyone writes for different purposes. So why do I write? I’ve narrowed it down to three general reasons:

To Have Control

Have you ever imagined the ideal version of something before it happens? You’re about to go on a first date or a job interview, and you spend hours daydreaming about the perfect discussions that make you sound smart, funny, and charming. You’re about to fight with a friend or spouse, or you’re about to quit a job, and you think of all the sharp, clever comments that will belittle your opponent and leave you feeling victorious. You’re headed to the first day of school and you fantasize about the conversations that will instantly gain you tons of friends.

So how often do these imaginings actually happen? If you’re like me, the answer is zero. For some reason, the world I build in my head is always safer, funnier, and all around better than the unpredictable mess of my daily life. That’s one reason I write; so I can control what’s on paper when I can’t control the world around me.

To Live Out Fantasies

In elementary school, I was enrolled in a program for kids with “active imaginations,” which I’m pretty sure was code for “can’t sit still in class.” The class focused on constant movement and activities, and one of our first projects was to write and illustrate a story. I remember asking the teacher what to write about and she said, “Whatever you want.” Never in my six and a half years on earth had I imagined I could write an elaborate, make- believe story about anything I desired. In regular classes, we had always been assigned writing prompts, but here, I could make my wildest fantasies a reality.

After much thought and deliberation, I decided to write a story about my greatest fantasy of all, something I dreamed of happening on a daily basis.

The story featured a redheaded boy named Ben who may or may not have been based off my actual redheaded brother named Ben. All of our stories were sent to a company that bound the pages together, and I remember feeling overwhelmed holding my first “published” book.

Over twelve years later, I still write to live out my wildest dreams: things that could never happen but in the pages of a story. Writing these tales allows me to escape into a fantastical world all my own, with magic and true love and dinosaurs that eat annoying brothers.

To Have a Voice

In the world of the Internet, everyone can voice his or her opinions on a variety of social media platforms. But with so many voices weighing in at once, it’s hard to actually be heard above all the noise. During last year’s election, I experienced floods of information and opinions coming in the form of Tweets, news videos, and online comments. However, the pieces that made the greatest impact in shaping my own opinions were the newspaper and magazine articles -the pieces of writing that truly gave the author a voice, and allowed them to share their beliefs in a deliberate and concise manner. Over a year later, I am now working at a magazine where, although my topics aren’t as hard-hitting as last year’s election, I can control the narrative and be heard.

The Best 4-Step Plan To Make Your New Years Writing Resolutions Stick

 

Step #1: Find Your Topic

Have you ever tried to write about something you hated or found mind-numbingly boring? It’s not easy. So whenever I sit down to write a new draft, I ask myself:

• Am I passionate about this subject?
• Would writing about this be fun or tedious?
• If I saw this piece of writing in a store, would I want to pick it up? And would I enjoy reading it?

Once you’ve selected a topic, it’ll be easy to identify the target audience. Knowing your reader will allow you to focus your writing and gather a following, which will in turn reinforce your dedication to your writing resolutions.

Step #2: Create a Plan

If you’re like me, you’ve had multiple New Years Resolutions that look a lot like this:

• Write More
• Write Better
• Read More
• Publish More

I think it’s safe to say these resolutions ended up fizzling away around March. Why? They’re too vague. It’s like making a resolution to “eat less junk food” when that could in all honesty mean ordering a medium pizza instead of a large one. In order to create goals that actually stick, your plan needs to be concrete, realistic, and detailed.

When I returned to college this semester after winter break, I sat down and created a writing resolution that would challenge me, as well as greatly improve my skills as a writer: Write one page every morning before classes in my dorm room. The goal has a specific time, place, and amount that I’ll write each day. This way, writing becomes fixed into my daily schedule, rather than something I try to cram in if I have the time.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “A goal without a plan is just a dream.” So the question is then, what’s the best plan to make your goal a reality by 2019? 

Step #3: Don’t Be Afraid to Write

Let’s face it, writing is difficult. It’s easy to get frustrated and crumple up (or for those of us who type on computers, aggressively delete) a first draft. Nonetheless, working through the tough times will always pay off in the end.

Ernest Hemingway famously said, “I write one page of masterpiece for ninety-one pages of shit.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald rewrote every single page of his novels more than ten times before he was satisfied with the final draft.

Thus, we shouldn’t let our own fear of producing garbage keep us from writing. It’s a shocking reality all writers must face: everything we create will not be a masterpiece.

But writing terribly is still significantly better than not writing at all. The important thing is to write.

Whenever you start to feel discouraged or suffer from a particularly nasty case of writer’s block, just think about your goal. Why are you writing? Envision the novel as a finished book sitting in Barnes & Noble; the article as the feature piece of the magazine; the blog reaching thousands of readers. I for one write for the love of creating something out of nothing. I write to grow and enhance my skills so that someday I can make a career out of my passion.

Thinking about our end goal eliminates fears and anxieties over writing, and motivates us to continue writing for the future. 

Step #4: Read, Read, Read

When I was twelve, I read only fiction until I discovered that the average millionaire reads an autobiography every month. Since I naturally assumed I would be classified among these readers within the next few years –sigh- I, too, began picking up various autobiographies.

For my first autobiography, I asked my dad for recommendations and he gave me his copy of Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” which looking back might not have been the most appropriate choice for a twelve year old. Regardless, I loved the humor, voice, and personal stories that gave tidbits of advice on succeeding in competitive industries. From “Bossypants”, I went on to discover other powerful autobiographies from Stephen King to Malala Yousafzai.

Reading beyond my comfort zone exposed me to different styles and themes, which ended up changing for the better my entire approach to writing.

Exploring multiple genres of literature is crucial in order to expand your horizons as a writer. If you write for magazines and only read magazines, you need to branch out! Exploring various genres is not only helpful, but also fun and exciting. A diverse reading list will substantially increase your skills and instincts as a writer, which will make it easier and faster to meet your writing goals.