This article by David Beard has some really good ideas for new bloggers and journalists alike. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am not trained in journalism, so any comments I make about the field are coming from a purely outsider view. I write for pleasure, and because fiction writing has never come easy to me,* I write non-fiction, with reviews, commentary, and articles. To me, journalism is non-fiction writing! This is slightly unconventional, but anything that requires research; any analysis; seems to be journalism to me. As newspapers are struggling, more and more, journalism is becoming something that is comprehensive, including writing for all sorts of media and on all sorts of platforms. What is a non-fiction book, other than a really long article? Labels and titles are overrated, and everything in the world is open to interpretation. The only thing holding people back in some cases is their inability to look beyond labels and titles. Journalists don't have to be only writers for newspapers, especially not in this day and age.
The key is, of course, is quality. What ultimately defines a journalist from a casual writer is the quality of the writing. The quality of the reporting. The completeness of the research, and the validity of their sources. As journalists venture away from the newspapers and into other media, it is up to the journalists themselves to police the quality of their writing, especially for those that write on the internet. The editors are fewer and far between, and reporting can be written and posted online in minutes.
For my purposes, Beard's article gave me a few good ideas for promoting my blog. I review enough movies, perhaps there is some way to create a "click-to-buy" feature with reviews, that will link to Amazon, and if a movie is bought that way, I could create a profit. Then again, a lot of the stuff I post, I post with a Creative Commons license, which basically says that as long as I source my material and I do not make a profit off of it, then I can use it on my site. Still, it's something to consider. I have also thought of posting a "Donate" button, that would link to PayPal, which I've seen on some other blogs. This is just a way for people to donate money to your site. The only way that would create a profit is if you have a large following, and again, you could only use that money for site maintenance, or for things that would be posted on the site. I mean, ethically!
*It's not for lack of trying, that's for damn sure. I have a real way with words, I have been told that my writing is "evocative". However, I have a problem with originality. I have read thousands of books and seen thousands of movies (this is not an over-estimation) and every time I sit down to write something, I can't set down a sentence without thinking of something I've seen or read. I'm like Tarantino when it comes to fiction writing. Everything I write is a summation of the many things that have influenced me. It has been frustrating, and eventually I gave up. Anyone who has some tips on how to overcome this, I would greatly appreciate it!
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Finding your own voice is one of the most difficult aspects of writing. We can't help but be influenced by what we have experienced in the past. I would suggest this: don't be ashamed to blend good ideas into your own style. In other words, you don't have to be obsessed with originality - if you own your own writing that will be original enough.
ReplyDeleteAlong the lines of journalism and non-fiction, have you read any of John Krakauer's books? To me, he is a journalist/author along the lines of what Truman Capote did in Cold Blood. I find this sort of writing captivating - it's probably the journalist in me.
I am a dabbler in fiction writing, honestly it is the reason behind me being in TPC rather than English as a program (writing, writing, writing).
ReplyDeleteWriting since the fourth grade, I have written and thrown out so much. But I have never really looked over my work to analyze the elements to see if it is from other works (films and novels).
There are some elements that are always reused and recycled, general themes or the bones of the framework for a story. But if you make the story your own, I see no reason not to continue. It may be similar, but if you are writing it than it isn't the same as the other writer's work.
Originality is hard to come by, some times you fall upon it without meaning to when writing and other times you cannot write because you are consumed by the idea of originality.
I think your last paragraph happens to people, for sure. Don't let that hold you back.
ReplyDeleteLeah, remember that the artist who've inspired you were once influenced by someone before them. As long as your work is an evolution, either in terms of content or structure, than there's no use in worrying about originality.
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