stress makes for LJ entries, not sleep
Jan. 2nd, 2007 03:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aruanI start being a reporter today at 10 a.m. Not sure which part of that sentence terrifies me more.
A thousand second guesses that have gone through my head since I accepted the cops reporter job on Brandon's testament to new and diverse experience. I suspect he also hopes I find the fulfillment that my current position as copy editor at the paper lacks and stop saying wistful things about New York.
Now, I've never been a beat reporter, but I'm glad I took the chance. Whether I end up winning a Pulitzer or running away to Baltimore to work with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
paper_pusher again, I will have done something, changed something. And whatever the end result is, I'll be that much closer to discovering whether my problem is The Ledger, copy editing, Lakeland or journalism entirely.
In any event, going-away cake from my boss has been eaten, alarm clock has been set for 9 a.m. (woe!) and Brandon and I already planned out the "accident" the new girl on the copy desk will have if I want to come back. Ahem.
Anyway, thankfully I'm starting off with some advice - Uncle Rico told the story of a woman he knew who took advantage of rainstorms to conduct interviews so she'd look pathetic by the time she made it to their front door. He also reminded me that details make the story - a guy who was arrested for cocaine possession had been at a bar earlier that night and played Eric Clapton's Cocaine on the jukebox - and to think of 30 ways to say "How do you feel?" to a victim's family without saying those words before ever asking the question. Reporter Rick revealed the secret of getting the family of a suspect to grant an interview. Photographer Cindy assured me that the sheriff is media-savvy but generally honest. And Reporter Andrew already took me on a drive to the jail. Depressingly, people in Polk County are no more versed in public records laws than Alachua, but we'll work on it.
Briefly, 2006 in review:
-got first professional job (with the company I aspired to work for one day)
-lived alone for the first time (and down the street from a Starbucks)
-lost weight
-gained a boyfriend (six months this past 20th and obscenely happy)
-fell in love with TV again, namely Battlestar Galactica, SG-1 (all seasons on sale for $20 at Best Buy NOW), Gilmore Girls and Studio60
-became addicted to Sudoku
-went back to DragonCon
-finally did Halloween at Disney
-became a Mac owner
-rediscovered gaming (thanks Nintendo Wii! We got a kick out of the three unsold PS3s at Best Buy AND Target tonight, but no Wiis or its accessories in sight.)
Crisis of professional faith aside, I toast it!
A thousand second guesses that have gone through my head since I accepted the cops reporter job on Brandon's testament to new and diverse experience. I suspect he also hopes I find the fulfillment that my current position as copy editor at the paper lacks and stop saying wistful things about New York.
Now, I've never been a beat reporter, but I'm glad I took the chance. Whether I end up winning a Pulitzer or running away to Baltimore to work with
paper_pusher again, I will have done something, changed something. And whatever the end result is, I'll be that much closer to discovering whether my problem is The Ledger, copy editing, Lakeland or journalism entirely.In any event, going-away cake from my boss has been eaten, alarm clock has been set for 9 a.m. (woe!) and Brandon and I already planned out the "accident" the new girl on the copy desk will have if I want to come back. Ahem.
Anyway, thankfully I'm starting off with some advice - Uncle Rico told the story of a woman he knew who took advantage of rainstorms to conduct interviews so she'd look pathetic by the time she made it to their front door. He also reminded me that details make the story - a guy who was arrested for cocaine possession had been at a bar earlier that night and played Eric Clapton's Cocaine on the jukebox - and to think of 30 ways to say "How do you feel?" to a victim's family without saying those words before ever asking the question. Reporter Rick revealed the secret of getting the family of a suspect to grant an interview. Photographer Cindy assured me that the sheriff is media-savvy but generally honest. And Reporter Andrew already took me on a drive to the jail. Depressingly, people in Polk County are no more versed in public records laws than Alachua, but we'll work on it.
Briefly, 2006 in review:
-got first professional job (with the company I aspired to work for one day)
-lived alone for the first time (and down the street from a Starbucks)
-lost weight
-gained a boyfriend (six months this past 20th and obscenely happy)
-fell in love with TV again, namely Battlestar Galactica, SG-1 (all seasons on sale for $20 at Best Buy NOW), Gilmore Girls and Studio60
-became addicted to Sudoku
-went back to DragonCon
-finally did Halloween at Disney
-became a Mac owner
-rediscovered gaming (thanks Nintendo Wii! We got a kick out of the three unsold PS3s at Best Buy AND Target tonight, but no Wiis or its accessories in sight.)
Crisis of professional faith aside, I toast it!
