So you think you're ready for J-school

Any advice for a '06 graduate who still needs to sharpen his skills (sentence structure/writing/reporting/storytelling)?

 

same advice for how to get to Carnegie Hall: Practice, practice, practice.

 

More advice: Read, read, read.

 

More advice: Study for the MCAT

 

I definitely read a lot, but I'm unemployed and not writing too much.

 

Why not? Practice your craft even when you don't have a job.

Go find stories in the paper and make them better. Watch a game on TV and write a story about that and then see how the paper handled it the next day. Write a letter to a friend. Start a diary. Good heavens, e.e., get cracking.

 

BLOG!

/had to be said

 

I used to write little briefs about major-league players every day when I was in your situation. It seemed like a waste of time to many people, but it helped me stay sharp with my writing, and it forced me to be more creative. It also forced me to learn about obscure baseball players, which comes in handy sometimes.

 

why wouldn't you be working at least part time?

 

I was freelancing for a website until last month, traveling a bit to cities for basketball tournaments.

Are you wondering why I don't work at a newspaper, or just in general?

 

newspaper. seems as though part-time gigs aren't that hard to come by and it does keep you sharp while looking for full-time stuff.

 

EE,
I'll echo Tom Petty's comment... find a part-time gig. Call the local paper. See if they need prep stringers. Even if you can just find an agate clerk job that you can parlay into the occasional volleyball gamer or short feature story, it gets your foot in the door and keeps you involved with newspapers until something permanent comes along