Rant: Writing Clever Journalism

Today I learned how to write clever.

I learned that alliteration is cool and makes you look like a leader in light language. I learned that putting any metaphor--any metaphor at ALL!--into writing makes you Stephen Hawking (smart!--see what we're doing here. Nifty, eh? I thought so, too).

Simple language can be beautiful, and I've heard many examples of this over the course of going on five years in J-School. There's also nothing I hate more than reading some cooked-up, purple-prosed, overwritten piece of artistic drivel, whether it happens to be fiction or non-fiction.

Nor do I want to seem like I'm discouraging metaphor and writing techniques like alliteration in journalism. The CP Styleguide could certainly use the odd little flourish, and too often news writing is devoid of personality. Writing with feelings gives it back.

What I take issue with, in the discussion of trying to write, is that there is a lot more to this craft than throwing a metaphor in or trying a little bit of mood. I'm by no means a great writer, but I know I'd cringe if I ever threw anything into any piece of writing, non-fiction or fiction, without reason or reflection. There is a craft here.

The Weather

Oh, how easy it is to hate the weather.

8 hours in the sun refereeing, burning to a crisp despite high-powered sunscreen. Followed by a hot drive home and a nap in the evening humidity. Now I'm sitting in my room trying to write while ignoring the sweat. Ugh. Fan on setting two. Anything higher will blow the paper on my incredibly disorganized desk around. And that would be bad.

Who am I to complain? There's nothing like (or quite as quintessentially Canadian, really) as complaining about the summer heat after having spent all winter complaining about the cold. In February I'll be able to write a post about how cold and wet everything is and longing for soccer season. But right now, I'm just overheated and longing for hockey season (I noticed the first symptoms of Red Wings withdrawal when the free agent window opened--though for the record I like the Ian White signing quite a bit).

Summer 2011: "Just Smile and Wave"

Says all I really need to say about my summer.

I don't particularly like the movie, to be honest, but after a long day at the office, a rough game, a horrid night of writing, or another guilt trip about the frequency of my posting on various blogs, there's nothing like it.

I invite you to share in the fun, relax on an imaginary faraway beach, smile, and wave.

I'll re-post this whenever it feels appropriate.

How To Make Bad Writing Good Writing in a Good Way (Or: A Rant About the Editing Process)

Rant time. I did mention there might be a few of those. And while we're on awkward openings, I'm falling into the habit of sub-titling my posts. I shall valiantly attempt to stop this from happening as soon as possible.

But it does segue nicely (uh oh) into a topic that's been bouncing around my head only slightly longer than guilt about not posting more frequently:

It's kind of fun--and it can make you sound way more intelligent than you actually are--to talk at length about the editing process like it's some kind of magic bullet. Like you can go from jot notes to polished product with a five (try 250) step plan. Partly it's been banging around in my head because I've spent a large part of my summer in the vicinty of another writer going through this process and all its assorted deadline angst, and partly it was motivated by a question posed to me about what to do with a really bad piece of writing.

Innovation or Originality? What am I Talking About and In What Language?

"'It is really, really hard to come up with solid game concepts and great characters,' said John Baez, co-founder of The Behemoth, an independent video game developer based in California."

That quotation is from a CBC.ca (yes, I'm a journalism student) feature by Peja Bulotovic entitled "Indie games counter sequel-driven market" and published on Feb. 22. That quotation is, in fact, the lead of the article, so right away, you know it has significance. And it does, for all the wrong--but just a few of the right--reasons.