Introduction

[TheWritingRhyno]

I stumbled upon these forums last week and have spent the better part of the last five days browsing the many different topics. I finally decided it was time to sign-up.

The message at the top of the page told me to introduce myself here so if this isn't allowed, blame the forums. I am a 30-year-old sports writer from Southwest Oklahoma. I cover four local high schools, a community college and some other stuff not worth mentioning. Most of my year is spent covering awful high school basketball, baseball and softball programs, but I do get an opportunity to cover the WOSC Pioneers college baseball team and they are quite good.

As I've been browsing, I've noticed the desire to help others improve their sports writing. That was one of the major reasons I decided to join up. I am an English major. My experience with journalism amounts to one class I took when I first started going to college in 2007. I spent five years as a mechanic before a position opened up here at my local paper. For the last two years, I've been writing sports for the paper and while I haven't heard many complaints about my writing, I know there's always something I could do differently to become better and more entertaining to the people who read.

Anyway, enough with this long introduction. Happy to be here!

 

[Fly]

Instant Rod Allen Second Deck

 

[justgladtobehere]

I stumbled upon these forums last week and have spent the better part of the last five days browsing the many different topics. I finally decided it was time to sign-up.

The message at the top of the page told me to introduce myself here so if this isn't allowed, blame the forums. I am a 30-year-old sports writer from Southwest Oklahoma. I cover four local high schools, a community college and some other stuff not worth mentioning. Most of my year is spent covering awful high school basketball, baseball and softball programs, but I do get an opportunity to cover the WOSC Pioneers college baseball team and they are quite good.

As I've been browsing, I've noticed the desire to help others improve their sports writing. That was one of the major reasons I decided to join up. I am an English major. My experience with journalism amounts to one class I took when I first started going to college in 2007. I spent five years as a mechanic before a position opened up here at my local paper. For the last two years, I've been writing sports for the paper and while I haven't heard many complaints about my writing, I know there's always something I could do differently to become better and more entertaining to the people who read.

Anyway, enough with this long introduction. Happy to be here!

So you took a paycut?

 

[TheWritingRhyno]

So you took a paycut?

Yes, actually, a massive pay cut. But I enjoy this job way more, and my hands, knees, and back will thank me for it in the long run. Plus, my wife says I'm a much more pleasant person.

 

[typefitter]

I stumbled upon these forums last week and have spent the better part of the last five days browsing the many different topics. I finally decided it was time to sign-up.

The message at the top of the page told me to introduce myself here so if this isn't allowed, blame the forums. I am a 30-year-old sports writer from Southwest Oklahoma. I cover four local high schools, a community college and some other stuff not worth mentioning. Most of my year is spent covering awful high school basketball, baseball and softball programs, but I do get an opportunity to cover the WOSC Pioneers college baseball team and they are quite good.

As I've been browsing, I've noticed the desire to help others improve their sports writing. That was one of the major reasons I decided to join up. I am an English major. My experience with journalism amounts to one class I took when I first started going to college in 2007. I spent five years as a mechanic before a position opened up here at my local paper. For the last two years, I've been writing sports for the paper and while I haven't heard many complaints about my writing, I know there's always something I could do differently to become better and more entertaining to the people who read.

Anyway, enough with this long introduction. Happy to be here!

You know, I actually think your time served as a mechanic will help you with your writing. At their essences, they're both about combining parts into a useful, logical whole.

 

[Buck]

Yes, actually, a massive pay cut. But I enjoy this job way more, and my hands, knees, and back will thank me for it in the long run. Plus, my wife says I'm a much more pleasant person.

Depending on how pleasant you were before, this might be damning with faint praise.
Keep in mind that some people reserve the right to maintain their own definitions, meanings and currencies for words despite what everyone else who speaks/reads the same language has agreed upon.
Newspaper work will eventually sap any pleasantness you have and kill all joy in your life.


Best of luck!

 

[justgladtobehere]

I'll get this out of the way for when you are posting to the ""Getting out of the business" resource thread" in a few years:

"You used to be a mechanic. You should look into technical writing."

 

[Buck]

For journalists, it would be much more helpful if we named this place substituteteachers.com.

 

[swingline]

I stumbled upon these forums last week and have spent the better part of the last five days browsing the many different topics. I finally decided it was time to sign-up.

The message at the top of the page told me to introduce myself here so if this isn't allowed, blame the forums. I am a 30-year-old sports writer from Southwest Oklahoma. I cover four local high schools, a community college and some other stuff not worth mentioning. Most of my year is spent covering awful high school basketball, baseball and softball programs, but I do get an opportunity to cover the WOSC Pioneers college baseball team and they are quite good.

As I've been browsing, I've noticed the desire to help others improve their sports writing. That was one of the major reasons I decided to join up. I am an English major. My experience with journalism amounts to one class I took when I first started going to college in 2007. I spent five years as a mechanic before a position opened up here at my local paper. For the last two years, I've been writing sports for the paper and while I haven't heard many complaints about my writing, I know there's always something I could do differently to become better and more entertaining to the people who read.

Anyway, enough with this long introduction. Happy to be here!

What's up with this font?

 

[Buck]

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

 

[Chef2]

Before we dispense with the usual sophomorish shenanigans, let me first ask a few questions of our new scribe.

DH or no?
Does Rush belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
How many toes do you have?

 

[qtlaw]

Golden Rule No. 1: Poindexter Thread - MUST INCLUDE PHOTO

Other than that, welcome.

 

[garrow]

Welcome. Good luck with your pursuits.

 

[SnarkShark]

You know, I actually think your time served as a mechanic will help you with your writing. At their essences, they're both about combining parts into a useful, logical whole.

Come on, now.

Reading good writing and writing will help him with his writing. Time served as a mechanic will make him a better mechanic.

 

[typefitter]

Come on, now.

Reading good writing and writing will help him with his writing. Time served as a mechanic will make him a better mechanic.

Reading good writing and writing will absolutely help him with his writing, more than anything else. They're not the only things that will help him with his writing.

 

[Azrael]

Co-sign.

In many ways, writing is problem solving.

Mechanics are problem solvers.

One of the best writers I ever met thought of himself as a brick layer.

 

[typefitter]

Co-sign.

In many ways, writing is problem solving.

Mechanics are problem solvers.

One of the best writers I ever met thought of himself as a brick layer.

Robert Caro thinks of himself as a cabinet maker. Writing is skilled manual labour in a lot of ways.

 

[Azrael]

Robert Caro thinks of himself as a cabinet maker. Writing is skilled manual labour in a lot of ways.

Exactly.

Writing is in large part a craft. It's not all inspiration and seducing the Muse and the romance of tuberculosis and absinthe and clove cigarettes.

There's a lunch pail aspect to it, and a kind of clock-punching modesty.

 

[Songbird]

DH or no?

It's ALWAYS the first question.

 

[HanSenSE]

It's ALWAYS the first question.

Before or after he buys beers? THAT'S the most important question.

We also trust you know how far it is to Lake Tahoe?