Revisiting My Work

Growth is great, but sometimes it makes it harder to look back at your past work. Early on, I tried to write in every section of The Bridge possible to push myself and become a versatile writer. As much as that helped me expand my skill set, it’s clear at the beginning I didn’t have a full grasp on how to be a jack-of-all-trades writer while still maintaining my voice and journalistic ability.

Linked below is the first entertainment story I ever penned. I wrote what was supposed to be a lighthearted, somewhat comical take on how to stay occupied during boring holiday gatherings. I incorporated way too much usage of second person voice. If I were to write it all over, I would restructure my story, avoiding the use of second person pronouns. I also discussed multiple sources the reader could visit for my suggestions. I should have instead linked the sources for the reader’s convenience.

Additionally, my story missed out on a big opportunity to do something creative with multimedia for this story concept, and my cover photo doesn’t supplement the story well. If I got a do-over, I definitely would have found a way to incorporate creative visual elements into it.

Click here to read “Holiday Gathering Survival Guide”.

Looking back on where I started, compared to where I am today, the most challenging aspect of growth throughout my career was understanding how to create pieces with structure. Starting out, I knew very little about how to properly organize information and ideas in my work. I only said what I felt needed to be said in random order. After acquiring a few years of experience, I now understand any story requires a strong structure to follow in order for it to be effective. I see this lack of organization in my earlier reporting monologues due to the lack of fluidity and substance. I handle standups completely differently than I once did. I not only provide more useful insight but follow a consistent structure in my reporting to prioritize key information now.

Below is the first time I ever stood in front of a camera to report on a sporting event.