Writing comes easily to me, and I am grateful for this gift. I never worried when an elementary or high school teacher assigned a written report or a college professor expected every essay to be a minimum of 15 pages - 12-point, Times New Roman, double spaced, with one-inch margins. I edited my high school yearbook and literary magazine, earned an undergraduate degree in journalism, and, before becoming a teacher, worked as a professional writer/editor. More important than a natural gift, I had great teachers. They saw my potential and accepted nothing less than my best effort and more.
I remember my first journalism class at Virginia Wesleyan College. Professor Joe Harkey, also my adviser, taught the Monday-Wednesday-Friday class. He handed out the syllabus to the more than 100 students packed into a classroom that seated 50 and explained the demands of the curriculum - a news article would be due each class period. He announced that if anyone felt as if he or she were not up for the amount of writing required, they could leave. More than half the students left. Of the remaining students, half returned to the next class. By the end of the drop-add period, 10 students remained. Most of the students enrolled in Journalism 101 thinking it would be a "fluff" class. Professor Harkey chuckled when he told me the phenomenon had repeated itself each semester since he had begun teaching the class.
Those who dropped the class are not the only ones who think journalism is fluff. I had a home office when I worked as a free-lance writer/editor. My family, my friends, and my neighbors did not think I had a "real" job. After all, I was "just" a writer who sometimes wrote late at night while wearing pajamas! They thought nothing of dropping by in the middle of the day, and they could not understand why I would not take them to every medical appointment. My church family expected me to join several committees because I had a lot of free time. After all, I was home during the day.
As a high school English teacher, I learned most students consider the revision portion of the writing process to be a death sentence. The student mentality is, "Just give me a grade!" A student would rather accept a "D" than revise and edit a paper. I was shocked to learn many teachers are terrified of teaching writing, which is why they assign projects, not papers.
My grade school and high school teachers taught me that writing is hard work and revising and editing are essential steps of the writing process. My professors at VWC helped me learn to write clearly and concisely - to say what I needed to say with the fewest, shortest words possible; they helped me fall in love with print journalism. Except for Dr. Harkey, the three adjunct professors, Dennis Hartig, Fred Kirsch, and Dr. Bill Ruehlmann, were feature writers for the Virginian-Pilot and/or held editorial positions with the paper - I was learning from the best of the best!
Unlike teachers who return papers marked with red ink, these professionals helped me understand my mistakes and suggested ways to improve my writing. I will never forget that kindness. I followed their lead in my classroom, and I use the same tactic when I tutor students and conduct writing workshops. It isn't enough to tell a student to revise the second paragraph, help them understand why doing so will make the copy stronger.
I attended a law school graduation party Saturday afternoon. One of the honoree's friends is a master chief in the U.S. Navy. He needs to complete one English composition class before he can earn his undergraduate degree. He said he keeps putting off the class because he is afraid of failing. He explained that many of his peers have the same fears. We chatted about why writing causes so much anguish, how it can be daunting - at least getting started. We discussed how to avoid writer's block. I mentioned I had considered holding writing workshops for adults in the business world. Research bears out the fact that poorly written e-mails and internal correspondence limit one's chances of promotion - if, in fact, a cover letter, resume and application warranted an interview!
He said I should consider working with military personnel. He said they want to know the "why" behind the edits. What is an em dash? How does it differ from an en dash? Does it REALLY matter? He also said I need to let them know I am "military friendly." That, he said, means I don't look down on people because they are not proficient writers or grammarians; he added he could tell I am not like that. I appreciate that endorsement!
Using his definition, I am one of the most military-friendly people I know. This BLOG entry is my first step toward revamping my marketing efforts and letting the military world know I can help them pass English comp!
Although writing is a gift I cherish, I consider writing to be a craft - a craft that anyone with the desire and the tenacity to master the tools will accomplish. I blossomed as a writer under the tutelage of Dr. Harkey, Mr. Hartig, Mr. Kirsch, and Dr. Ruehlmann. I am grateful they, and all my teachers, have (or had) a passion for the written word. Thank you, too, Master Chief, for your inspiration and your confidence in me!
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