The Right Way To Write
Over the past three years at Creighton University, I have had grammar, style and writing etiquette crammed down my throat. With that pleasant visual in mind, I must add that as a modern-day journalist, the AP Style Book has become my Bible, my rock, dare I say… my friend? Ok maybe I don’t feel that deep of a connection for my Style Book, but nevertheless it has taught me more than any other book in any other class. Unfortunately, because of this book I have an extreme love-hate relationship. This is because of the uncontrollable cringing it has caused me any time I see incorrect punctuation or tenses used. Sometimes it even makes my stomach turn. The fact of the matter, however, is that aside from logical grammar rules, there is no RIGHT way to WRITE, because everyone has their own style, preference and even personality put into their work.
Personally, I would best describe my writing as creative…no wait, scratch that. How about an occasional stream of consciousness…no that sounds bad too. You see, I tend to write the way I talk, so if you know me well you can basically hear the exact tone I have embedded into each sentence. So, if you don’t understand sarcasm and have no sense of humor, you probably won’t understand my writing, nor me. And that’s your loss buddy.
That’s the beautiful thing about journalism. Any random person can take a simple story and transform it into their very own. If you were to ask five people to cover the exact same story, you still would have compeltely dissimilar work and focuses. It allows you to open up the creative part of your mind and work accordingly, without limits. And creating stories without limits or boundaries, my friend, is the real RIGHT way to WRITE.
