Of course, this blog has been very personal during its 13.5 years of existence, but it was never really intimate. That's by design. Don't be offended. There are some things that are simply none of your business, and I'm sure you have some of the same feelings with your personal life.
However, I have to share a couple of fast stories, both of which took place last week. One incident was to my face. The other was behind my back.
I received a phone call from an old friend, who was touched by a blog entry several months ago. She called to let me know. I nearly cried, and I could sense she was holding back some tears. It was great to hear her voice again, even though it was under awful circumstances. The phone call meant a lot to me.
On a happier note, one broadcaster told a friend that she thought I was a very good news writer. It made my day. In fact, it made my week, and then some.
I was taught a long time ago, that the best question is the direct one. The best sentence is the simple one.
I was so lucky, in that I trained under some great radio news people. You learned to write basic and fast. I'm sorry there isn't much radio news around these days. It was a great place for young people to get a feel for the business.
My first television station had a message board that popped up on the screen when you fired up your computer. Apologies for telling this story again, but it's been a while. On the message board, it said "TIGHT WRITING = TOP CASTS." It is true for producers. It is true for reporters. It is true for anyone who site behind the keyboard. The news director responsible for that message board remains a good friend, nearly thirty years after he hired me. I am forever grateful.
Two of my coworkers back in the day should be singled out. David DeCosmo and Kevin Jordan had different styles, but both wrote some great copy. You clearly understood the story when their pieces were over, and that is an exceptionally high compliment. David is retired. We lost Kevin a few years ago.
I later worked for an assistant news director, who really didn't like me. He suggested that when I finish a script, I should walk away for a few minutes and return to take another look. Chances are, I could find a few words that could be removed to tighten up the script and make it move along a little faster. He was right.
Unfortunately, the clock is not our friend. The faster I get the script in to the hands of a video editor, the better it will be. I write, take a proofreading look, and ship it off to a manager for approval. There isn't much time to tinker.
There are times I get what I call "lyrical." The story demands it on occasion. No one does it better than Mike Stevens. He puts words to the pictures. Yet, the whole comes out greater than the sum of the parts. I envy that.
