Saturday, November 12, 2011

What I Didn't Expect To Hear Them Say.


I had no delusions when I started. I already knew that the hours would stink, the pay would suck and that it would be a lot of work. I knew all of that going in. I've accepted it as what comes with the territory in journalism and I'm okay with that. Even though a fat paycheck is nice I've always believed that, in the end, if it's what you really want to do and you enjoy doing it, then those things aren't supposed to what keeps you doing it. Of course, I say again, a fat paycheck wouldn't hurt.

When they said that, often, working well into the night was normal, I wasn't too surprised. When they disclosed the starting salary to me, I still took the job. I was a little daunted at first when they stressed how demanding the job would be, but I said yes anyway. In truth, I mostly expected all of this. What I didn't expect to hear however, when I submitted my first story was, "You write well... but you need to make it simpler. You're going to make the reader have to think too much."

Huh?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that sounds like they're telling me to dumb my writing down. Right? When did I need to dumb things down? I've always thought of my "style" (if you want to call it that) as pretty simple. I'd even go so far as to call it juvenile at times. I'm confused, to say the least.

And another thing, when didn't we want people thinking? I've always believed that one of the problems today was that people didn't think enough. I say, make people think more. Get those cogs in their noggins turning, dammit!

But then again, I guess I should play it their way seeing at they're the ones paying me after all. This is going to take some adjustment. Thank goodness I blog! At least you guys get me, right?

8 comments:

  1. Never compromise your writing integrity for financial gain!
    On the other hand, no sense being a high-principled pauper pushing your collection of cans under an overpass (or over an underpass), either.
    Oh...well, maybe you should compromise.
    But, you can keep it simple here. Along with stick figure pictures. We kinda dig 'em.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ur wordz 2 big 2 reed. need dikshinary....
    Oh gosh..I can't stand to write like that. My kids make fun of me because I use proper English even when texting. Everything is dumbed down now a days. My son reads at a college level in 6th grade but struggles with some of his tests in LitLang since the books are at a level so beneath his reading. He tends to skim through them quickly and miss some of the finer details because he's bored with the book.
    If you must dumb it down to keep a job, then so be it. Write it the way you want than change what they need you to. I think that may end up being your biggest struggle. (dumbing it down.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dumb it down?? I love the way you write..it's like you just sat down next to me and we were having a nice chat...

    So what's wrong with thinking? I happen to like it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @ Al: Not a problem. This is one place where things will remain the same.

    @ hisqueen: I've actually tried dumbing it down on what I wrote there after that. It's a lot harder than I thought.

    @ Sprite: Thanks. Glad you think so. Now that you mention it, next time we have a chat, can we have some more of those cookies you brought the last time?

    ReplyDelete
  5. If they want dumb down that would be my department. I envy your writing. Love how you write.

    ReplyDelete
  6. If they don't want their readers to think too much, maybe they shouldn't expect them to actually read either. You might want to review their demographic...it could be more beneficial for you to submit your cartoons, rather than an actual article.

    Then they could just stare at the funny pictures while someone wipes the drool off their chins.

    ReplyDelete
  7. @ Sprite: Sweet! *rubs hands*

    @ Nubian: You say the nicest things. Well, except what you said about your own writing. Take that back! You rock!

    @ Nari: Yeah! They could give me my own segment. I think stick toons with large boobs might fit in nicely.

    ReplyDelete

Go ahead, say it! You know you want to: