What Ginger and Steph Said.

Most entry-level writing jobs require collaboration. Some writing professions, like journalism and writing for television, require collaboration even at the most senior levels.

You have to learn to take an edit. And when you do, you'll probably learn to be retroactively grateful.

P-C, retaining 50% of the original is pretty good. Particularly in newspapers, they have to cut to fill the inches they have available, which isn't something they know when the story is assigned.

Oh, well, in this case, it wasn't an issue. There wasn't a whole lot of heavy cutting: in fact, the first draft was 612 words, the fifth draft (which was fine except for not having a source) was 761 words, and the published article was 986 words. In my case, it was that they wanted me to explain more and more, and repeat things frequently to help the reader understand.

And every single time I let someone edit my writing, it ends up much better than it started.

I agree. It's much clearer now, I think, then it was initially. What does get frustrating, though, is having one editor tell you to change this or that, and then having another editor telling you to change it back. The editing process for this wasn't too painful, really. I accepted some changes without question and made my stand for others (especially the ones that were FACTUALLY INCORRECT). And yeah. I know I should get used to it. I'm still annoyed at the final edit, which refers to 1989 as "recent studies" and four labs confirming their discovery as "suggest"ing. And this weird "But" near the end that doesn't follow.

Over time, I came to believe that I was ultimately a better writer from my years of journalism and some of my corporate writing, because my natural tendency is to be more discursive and, well, chatty, but the edited, more focused articles were better.

And I've never had a journalism class. So I'm kind of learning on the fly, here. But it's good for me, and I'll wait for the light at the end of the tunnel. The good thing about this gig is that so far, I'm finding stories that interest me and the science editor's all, "Sure, do it!"

Cause that's what I want to bring to the table, dammit. Me. I don't know if there's even a job like that. Most want you to conform to their specific style. Which, okay, give me money.

IMO, versatility of style is a wonderful thing to develop. While I hope I'm someday a popular enough author to write nothing but fiction, I think it only makes me a better writer to be able to write everything from fundraising brochures to formal business correspondence to magazine articles, all in their appropriate styles. It'll increase your awareness of voice, and help you make your own a carefully honed tool rather than a blunt instinctive weapon.

In the long run, you'll be able to make your work your own no matter what it is. My business letters, board posts, and novels are written in three very distinct styles, but they all ultimately reflect my preferred vocabulary, my sentence rhythms, my idea of good writing.

And I've never had a journalism class. So I'm kind of learning on the fly, here.

Well, if this is what you want to do, then now would be the time to take one.

And I know you mean the fact that you didn't see me in it as a compliment, but to me, it shows why I don't want to write news articles forever.

I didn't think you love the thought , but it was a news article - informational and that's what needed to be there. There are lots of popular science books that have more personality in them. And science essays.

I want a place to write where you can see me.

I think it is really hard to do that well. The whole concept of mary sue came from fiction where you can see the author to the detriment of the story. (the auther's dream self, but still) It is why I can only listen to This American Life occassionaly. Often it is just navel gazing. and even if I found my own navel interesting - no one else's is.

anyway, my point was that takeing yourslef out, is a good skill. And it wasn't flat - it was interesting to read ( not just cause DH was on Bextra for a while and my BIL now has no medications for when his feet will get really bad)

I've never had any journalism classes either, P-C, but I did consciously study journalistic style. My college didn't offer journalism. It considers journalism a trade. So I spent four years at what was at the time one of the nation's best student newspapers and learned a trade. I majored in English and minored in biology.

IMO, versatility of style is a wonderful thing to develop. While I hope I'm someday a popular enough author to write nothing but fiction, I think it only makes me a better writer to be able to write everything from fundraising brochures to formal business correspondence to magazine articles, all in their appropriate styles. It'll increase your awareness of voice, and help you make your own a carefully honed tool rather than a blunt instinctive weapon.

Oh. Yeah. I don't think I thought of it like that before. Thanks. You're very right.

Well, if this is what you want to do, then now would be the time to take one.

This is my last semester, and registration has passed. I wonder if I could sneak into lectures.

( not just cause DH was on Bextra for a while and my BIL now has no medications for when his feet will get really bad)

I think Dr. Fendrick's suggestion of taking an NSAID with a PPI (proton pump inhibitor) to protect the stomach seems pretty sound.

What Noise Said.Well, you know, I also said. :) Interviewing is a special skill, in particular. (And I don't just say that because in school, they thought I had a gift. Really, death is my gift, but it took me years to find that out. You should get a book and read about the libel laws and stuff just in case, if you don't have time for Comm Law, too.(I loved Comm Law...for about five seconds I wanted to go into it, but I wasn't serious enough for, like, law school, so nsm)

This is my last semester, and registration has passed. I wonder if I could sneak into lectures.

Local community colleges, summer session after you are done, etc. etc. If this is really where you want to be headed, then anything you can do to help prepare for it is time very well spent.

I still attend professional lectures, classes, seminars and all sorts of other things and I hold two degrees in my field.

from the sphere page Betsy linked to:

A sphere reflects energy waves from a source within to a spot directly opposite the geographic centre of the sphere. This can be seen from sound. If I rub my fingers together on one side of the centre and have my ears on the opposite side, the same distance away, it sounds like the sound is happening inside my head. When your head is centred in the sphere every sound you make comes back to you. From a healing point of view this is beneficial. All true healing involves getting in touch with yourself. Having every emanation reflected back to you helps

Sounds way too noisy to me.