Procrastinating is my Favorite Pass-time

Jynx 2006-11-09 20:25:13 ET I have a paper I should be drafting right about now. It's a fiery little essay about how news anchors/journalists spice up the news for the sake of ratings at the expense of creating false, or at least misguided, public opinion. My evidence? The whole pit bull fiasco, of course. As much as this paper wants to be born, and as much as I want to bear it, it is very difficult to write. I've been hiding from bad dog press because I'm so sensitive to the issue, it almost caused me a nervous breakdown last year after the Faibish incident in SF. The articles are extremely difficult to read because most of the people who write them don't know a damn thing about dogs let alone pitties, and it's infuriating to read the ignorance published in these atrocities they call articles. I know, I know, I should seize the opportunity to write an array of disgruntled letters to the authors of the misleading articles, but I can't tell you how difficult it is for me to say something like "You have been misinformed...", when I really want to say, "You slanderizin' son of a bitch, you take it back -TAKE IT BACK- or I'll tear out your knee-caps!!!" Sometimes it can be difficult to keep it civilized - especially when, in my mind, I am fighting for Ashby. Unfortunately, I have the fury, but not the razor-sharp tongue (although I'm working on that). I just have to figure out how not to be so god damn nice all the time :P Anyway, I'm out of things to say, so I should wander off into the realm of homework. Fun shit, yo. l8!

Femmorpheus 2006-11-10 00:42:12 ET *hug* The hardest things to write are often the ones about the things you are the most passionate about. It doesn't matter how good a writer you are, as soon as hard core emotions start seeping in, all your natural and/or trained talent flies right out the window, and you speak from the heart. On the other hand, that where are all the really good stuff lies. So the key is to read, do a stream of consciousness thing (which will more likely turn into a rant), and then go through and take all the really good ideas and run with that for the basis of your paper. Using this for responses to said articles also works pretty well. The key is to write everything, and then take a break. Cool off, then go through, weed out the good stuff, and run with that. You won't loose your passion, but once you have the good shit already written down, you won't have to reference back to the stuff the REALLY stirred you up until you have to quote. The good news, here, though, is that since it stirred you up so much, you can ignore actually inserting said quote until the end. You know what you are talking about, you remember that bit of the article. So make a note of "quote here" and then move on. That way you don't have to get completely emotionally re involved, but you have enough to go on. Now admittedly, I'm not really a 3 draft person--I write, take a break, revise, done. However, when it is something that emotionally distressing, you need the extra draft. Rant, focus, revise/quote. Notice focus and quote are different drafts--if you quote while focusing, you get too emotionally drawn in. Thats what happens to me, anyway. Just a thought. Good luck hun!

Jynx 2006-11-10 08:35:28 ET Shanks, lady! I think I will end up doing this. I wrote a pretty heated paper last night, and it's my goal to whittle out the anger and just leave the good points/and calm, calculated analysis. I'm doing a lot of paraphrasing, too, so no quotes really needed, thank god. (my teacher feels that stronger writers should be able to paraphrase instead of quote, cus it's extra work).

Femmorpheus 2006-11-10 10:30:30 ET nod, true dat. Well good luck lady!

Jynx 2006-11-10 11:55:03 ET tanku! :]

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