Journalists and PR pros alike have one problem that they all have to deal with.
AP-style. The written laws passed down from the journalistic gods of yesteryear. A style taught and mandated to ensure that editing would be easier for publishers, to streamline the news and breaking stories.
The problem with AP-style, and I know I’m not the only one that feels this way, is that it kills creativity.
As I attempt to write my first feature story, I’m struggling to come up with just that… The story. After two years of being beat over the head and spoon fed AP-style, it’s difficult to find the creativity necessary to develop a story worth reading.
The beauty of the feature, for the Third Wave Fashion October report, is that I have the freedom to have fun, but I’ve been so focused on facts that I’ve allowed creative writing to dissipate as one of my skills. The voice of the story is meant to carry one of old time horror films, a Twilight Zone science fiction feel that plays on the mild fears that every person carries, but would never admit.
So as I search for facts to back up the terrifying reality that is the unknown world of tech, I implore you to go find the creativity that thrived deep inside you when you were in elementary school. The same creativity that was limited in middle school and weeded out of you in high school.
There’s nothing better than feeling fulfilled by the work you do, and writing is something that everyone is capable of. Go have fun, and let writing be more than dry facts and boring words.
THE FREELANCE RIDER 