If Your Reader Has a Cold Don’t…

I'm still trying to figure out what William Faulkner's The Bear was about.

I know that it is about a bear, and a boy and a few other people. Oh and the bear is killed in the end (sorry if I spoiled the story for you…just in case you wanted to read it). The bear's name was Old Ben, I never did figure out what the boy's name was. Maybe the problem was I had a cold when I read it.

As my brother so aptly put it as I expressed my frustration about the book, "But its William Faulkner, you can't really criticize him." Yet I have my likes and dislikes. I'm not saying this shouldn't be a great piece of literature, actually I learned some valuable lessons as I read the book.

The first thing I learned was that I should never write long, complicated and complex sentences if I want someone with a cold to enjoy reading my writing. The second, descriptive passages can make the most complicated and difficult piece of writing interesting. Third, sometimes you have to get through the beginning; no matter how boring or un-interesting it may be, to find the jewel hidden underneath.

I think the final lesson is so important in journalism. So often, a story starts out boring and without anything to set it apart but as one keeps digging and finding out more, the heart and soul of the story is revealed…and that is what is worth telling.