Writing is easy, journalism is hard...

[MediaMaven]

I'm a procrastinator and a nitpicker, so I rarely attempt to write for the public requests. I was, however, intrigued by the recent request for an article on Michelle Obama. The request asked "The story should take a real hard look at her, not a nicey nice story to appease her fan base." I liked that idea. I liked that a client wanted a story with an angle and not just an informative article stuffed with facts. Well, I liked it until I started to write it. I couldn't "dig up" anything really interesting or substantial to give any "bite" to the article. I found the new First Lady to be about as interesting as a piece of toast.

So that little story brings me to some questions I'd like to generate some dialog around:
- Are you able to write about topics that you don't have any interest in?
- How do you push past the lack of interest and write something compelling?
- Have you ever gotten half-way through an article you thought would be really fun to write, and then fizzled out?

Oh, and I would LOVE to see the final Michelle Obama article that the client picks, but I imagine that will be impossible...

[Ed]

It's possible that, after a break, you'll feel like returning to the article with renewed energy. I think it's about interpreting the facts in such a way that they reveal something about Michelle Obama's personality and potential future.

For example, Michelle Obama's degree in sociology indicates that she is interested in X, and this will help her to Y.
Michelle Obama was criticized for not being more open to interviews (or more open in general) - does this say she is humble? guarded? protective of her family? unwilling to reveal all until her husband had been elected?

Most articles on this topic have been simply the facts, so you may want to give this piece another shot.

Ed

[MediaMaven]

Thanks for the encouragement Ed. I actually decided I would push through and finish the article, and I'm pretty content with the result. I did have a problem with the title when I submitted it; an error that the title was already in use. I just added a bit of text after the official title. I hope that doesn't get it rejected!

It was a grind, but it's done. I'd still love to hear from all you other authors about how you push through a difficult piece.

[CRDonovan]

Interesting questions., Mediamaven. I have written for requests on subjects I wasn't particularly interested in. But as time goes on, I'm less willing to do that. There's a pretty broad market here, and it feels like almost anyone can find a niche. I'm still trying to develop mine, but I'm definitely inclined to write along several topic areas. If requests come in that align with things I know about or want to know more about - I jump right on them. Otherwise, I just keep digging into articles that are interesting and important to me. I enjoy the research, it feels right spending time putting them together, and when (and if) they sell, life is good.

Besides, as you point out, the writing is definitely better all round if you care about your subject. Why fight against that?

[Celeste Stewart]

Hi,
Glad to hear that you pushed through. I am often called upon to write about topics that aren't necessarily my favorites (like mold or venereal diseases). While the topic may not be appealing at first glance, I find that once I get started it's not so bad. When an assignment is particularly grueling, I try to reward myself by writing something fun afterwards.