Becoming a Writer

WARNING: This post consists of random musings and lacks any cohesive opinion or commentary.

OK, so I want to be a professional writer.

What is holding me back? Why don't I just start writing and pitching my work?

After some deep soul searching here is my answer: I'm not a risk taker. I avoid risks because I am highly competitive and I hate to lose. But it is more than just losing; I am afraid of failing. To me, failure and losing are synonymous. To lose is to fail and to fail is to lose...and I loathe losing!

So why do I think I am going to fail?

Because I am not, in my perception, the typical writer. I am not driven to write, I want to write. I have not been compelled to write and be published all my life like some of the more famous writers have been. Maybe it is more of a dream than a desire for me. Something that does not have enough emotional energy for me to surge past the fear of failure.

Or, maybe it is because I am generally lazy and lack the requisite discipline to drive the writing behavior forward and being atypical of other writers is a convenient excuse.

Regardless of winning or losing in my attempt at professional writing, I am following the advise of many professional writers and budding professionals; I am writing. Thus the ultimate purpose of this blog.

Thanks for reading!

The Risks of Web 2.0

After posting my last blog, I began thinking about the risks associated with putting my opinion out there for the world to see. Did I put too much out there? Did I say too much and who is going to see it? What will they think about what I just posted? Whether I like it or not, I will be judged about what I said in my posting. Here is the real kicker...I won't have the opportunity to defend my opinion or reputation with the person judging me. I would be indicted, judged and convicted without the benefit of a defense. Am I comfortable with that??

There are no hard and fast rules about Web 2.0 etiquette yet. What should be acceptable and what is taboo ranges widely with each audience, person, and perhaps each generation. I am discovering younger generations are more willing to share what I consider deeply personal information with the rest of the world. Why is that? Is it because the "cyberworld" is something they grew up with and they do not view as reality? (What happens in cyberspace stays in cyberspace.) Or is it because they have become immune (or attracted) to Internet voyeurism? Or, perhaps, it is the folly of youth, blissfully unaware of the repercussions and unintended consequences of providing too much information to the general public.

While I don't have any followers currently, I am working to land a job. This means anyone doing a simple search of my name will pull this blog up and they will see every comment and opinion I post...and the judging will begin. Unfortunately, the viewer will most likely come to the erroneous conclusion that I am someone who shares this same type of comments and opinion within the workplace and I would become a liability they don't need or want. What they won't hear is that I am a highly professional employee who understands what is appropriate to discuss in the workplace and that I would not be an HR risk.

Here is a brief list of considerations I plan to follow on all future postings:

1. Be prepared to be judged on the content, spelling, and grammar of your message and be willing to accept the consequences of that judgment.
   
2. All control of the content is lost forever when the send or submit button is pressed.
   
3. Whatever is posted or sent on email has the chance of becoming part of the permanent record.
4. If you wouldn't say it in front of someone or to someone, don't post it on the web.
5. Remember the golden rule.

I would be interested in learning from others what they consider to be appropriate to post and what rules they follow in deciding what to publish to the world.

Journalistic Scum

After reading this article today, I am compelled to share my anger. At one time, the profession of journalism was an honorable and respectful (even respected) role in our society. Journalists provided objective reporting of events without injecting political bias or personal agendas into their work. That has ceased to exist in America today, where editorial staff are nothing more than corporate shills, prostituting their craft for the almighty dollar. The AP debased themselves by allowing these photos to be released. In my opinion, they have become tabloid journalists, seeking the most sensational photo to sell the story instead of allowing the compelling human element within the story to sell it for them. Any other photo of soldiers in combat would have added the requisite visual element to the article and satisfied the editor's need to sensationalize the article to draw their reader to it.

This is not a First Amendment argument. I am an ardent supporter of free speech and will argue alonside any journalist and ANY American for the right to express my opinion in a free world. However, any competent journalist should have the ability to tell a story effectively and even dramatically without having to add photos. Photos have become a crutch for sloppy writing skills, lazy journalism, and yes, lazy readers. No, this is an argument about social responsibility and common decency, something in short supply in America today. If the tables were turned and these photos were of someone close to the journalist or the head of the AP, they would most likely fight to block the release of the pictures.

It seems almost trite to make this comment...but one wonders why the media cannot figure this out. As one bastion of liberalism after another files for Chapter 11, I would think they would examine their business model and actually listen to their markets to understand the majority of Americans still retain much of their conservative values; not necessarily "Republican" or "Right-wing" values, but values that are built on decency and respect for fellow human beings. We all have seen and maybe even experienced the results of corporate America setting those values aside (Enron, Bernie Madoff, et al). Maybe the ones that survive will have figured this all out.

My heart goes out to the family of the fallen soldier as they deal with the publicity this story is now generating as they deal with the grief of the loss of their son.