Writing for the TNH

Writing for the TNH is really nerve-racking. Having one of your pieces published by the experts, and then shown to the whole entire school makes me scared because I don't want people to negatively judge my story or writing. I know it is good to hear feedback, and take that to expand and fix your writing, but sometimes it isn't fun to hear. As a writer you always want to hear that your stories were successful and they are exactly what the reader was looking for. It is hard to hear or see that it was a failure or people didn't like it, especially when you've worked really hard on it. Hopefully taking a piece that the TNH gives me tomorrow night will turn out good. I am really hoping that it will be easy to get the sources and write in an interesting way, so people who get the newspaper will want to read it. Writing a story on a person will be the hardest one I have to do because there are many different ways to get a good story. It can be written through the perspective of other people and what they have to say about the person. Or it could even be written all on the history of the person, there is a lot of flexibility and it will be interesting which way I go about it.

trying to find a story

Covering a requested story is really hard and puts a stunt on my creativity. I am the type of writer that likes to explore many options and plan out the story, before I have to actually make a decision on what I write. When I get assigned topics that I have to develop more and ponder on, it really puts me at a standstill and I struggle explaining myself. This week I have 2 days left to find and write a story, and I am stuck. Do I write on an issue, or do I write on something random, or do I use my free pass to better my research for next weeks story? Doing the issue story would be good to get out of the way, but it is hard to get the sources before the due date. Formulating a story in a short time period is very hard and even though it is preparing me for the real journalism life ahead of me, it is really demanding and I don't like the pressure. As a writer I like to take my time and perfect things, and in this industry it is a task that I need to condense.

Boston Marathon bombing

Watching the news and reading things online about the bombing that happened today at the finish line of the Boston Marathon is horrendous. To see such a tragic thing so close to home, is eye opening. These people that were injured were innocent and had no idea that their life would be flipped upside down in a matter of seconds. It is astonishing that only 2 people died, but it is still very depressing. More than 100 people are also injured, that may be a lot, but there are even more than that suffering. Family and friends of these victims watch the news as their loved ones are hurt. These bombs not only terrorized us, but also put an emphasis on the fact that people in this world are cruel and disgusting. Who in their right minds would kill and hurt random people just because? It is sad to see that people like that are still living in this world, and things like this could happen any day. Prayers go out to the victims, friends, family, and anyone else affected by this tragic event.

Behind the scenes of Cosmopolitan

I thoroughly enjoy each new print of the magazine Cosmopolitan, otherwise known as Cosmo, because it isn't afraid to put risky things in it. Cosmo has become a favorite of mine a few years back and I receive every issue. Each month I first scan through the index and see what story catches my eye first, and immediately read it. I do this because if the title can catch my eye that fast, the story must be equally as interesting. One thing I admire that Cosmo does, and no other magazine dares to do, is talk openly about things that most people feel uncomfortable talking and reading about. The heavy known topic that most readers acknowledge Cosmo for is their juicy deets on the sex life. Talking about sex is almost like a taboo and a closet topic, most people don't openly share their bedroom life, but Cosmo tells all. They let readers in on what is hot, what is sexy, what to do to please a man, and many more vivid and wild attributes to a confident woman. My favorite thing that Cosmo does is bring the readers in with the bright colors, the relatable stories, and funny, inspiring stories. It shows the readers that they can be who they are, and someone will appreciate them no matter what. Cosmo has shown me that daring writing is worth it, and readers will be interested in hearing about the topics that most writing companies are too scared to write about.

Reading the story A Murder in Vail

When reading the story A Murder in Vail, it was very shocking. The way the man just walked into a bar and unleashed his gun among harmless innocent strangers is crazy. The story was written so smoothly and it flows but still keeps the reader interested. When the man was laying on the ground after shooting 2 random men that happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time, it is interesting that no one would try to stop him. This man is old, and is sitting on the floor against a wall, and as he goes to a laying down position someone should have tried to grab him. Also what is pretty concerning about the story is how long it took the police to respond to the scene. According to the story it took the first police man 29 minutes to arrive and address the scene, that is a very long time for someone to be in charge of a powerful weapon against many innocent people. To question if the gun was real, instead of just sending out the police with hope to stop the madness should have been easily the first step. This story is hard to imagine and very upsetting that people were just going about their normal day, and this town known man has to ruin his life after "trying so long not to do it."

looking at the Boston Globe

While looking at the Boston Globe I came across a very tragic story called 2 life trajectories intersect tragically in Lakeville. This story is so depressing because an 18 year old girl on her way back to school during Easter weekend was killed in a car crash with a drunk driver. The drunk driver was double the blood point alcohol and also had been on drugs. The 18 year old girl was religious and had a loving family, with a lot of future left ahead of her. It is very saddening that this happened to this girl because the drunk driver had been in trouble with the police many other times, and should have been held accountable before this happened again. After going to court the drunk driver got charged with homicide, drunken driving, and other driving misconducts. This story caught my eye because things like this shouldn't happen and many people die because of bad instincts of other people. Hopefully after people read this sad news story they learn that they should not drive drunk and save others.

finding my story

This week I plan on writing my story on the upcoming annual slush cup happening at Sunapee mountain this weekend. Every year close to the end of the ski season, Sunapee mountain makes an event known as the slush cup. Basically what this means is a skier or boarder will start on a slope, and as they ride to the bottom of the slope as fast as they can, they must make it as far as they can through a large mass of water and slush. It is interesting to watch and see the techniques behind it and it is challenging to pursue because there are many different ways to be successful. I am interested in writing this story because it is a really awesome event for people to hear about, and I will most likely be attending. My ideal story will portray the skier side of the story because my brother took on the challenge last year, and is planning on doing it again this year, so I would like to share the story through his perspective. Also I will throw in the viewers aspect of watching, and people that go every year to celebrate the crazy event.