STOP THE PRESSES

I wanted to go back to school.  I wanted to study journalism. Two obstacles stood in my way.  I did not have the funds to pay for classes. Vocational Rehabilitation assisted in paying for my degrees in social work. They refused to pay for another. I do not have the stamina I used to take several classes. By the time I earned my degree. I'd be close to seventy. Too old to be embarking on a second career.

I have been writing for a local online newspaper for a little over two years. I am paid once a month. My column even made it into the paper's print edition twice. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to write and be paid/ I felt appreciated. My name was listed as a columnist. Toward the end of my writing for the paper, there were times when my columns would be lost. I have submitted the same column numerous times and never received a response.

This blog is extremely important to me. I need to know my work is valued.  Perhaps my blog is not the right fit for the paper anymore. Or perhaps, it's just time for me to move on. Whatever the reason, I am glad to have had the experience.

Writing for The Mac Wire allows me to combine two things I love. Writing and celebrity entertainment news. I am learning so much. The first thing I learned was that to report effectively I have to stop thinking like a fan. I am a journalist reporting news. It has nothing to do with me personally I am learning how to build a story around a celebrity quote, gather additional information to support the quote, and find the right photo to enhance the story.   I am seeing firsthand how quickly news becomes outdated.  

I had a deadline for a story before it became old news. I was tired. I did not know if I could write the story in time. I pushed myself. I did it. I felt like a journalist.

For the young girl inside of me who dreamed of being Rona Barrett, writing for The Mac Wire is a dream come true.