Sarah's column: An open letter to the Community Newspapers around Australia

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Posted by Sarah Tabitha | Posted on 4:22 AM

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For this week's column, I thought I would take a bit of cheeky view on things and write about something that has been bothering me for a long time. Looking forward to your thoughts on it...

Dear Community Newspapers of Australia,

It is with much regret to tell you that there has been a word thrown around to describe you in recent times that may come as a shock. That word is BORING. 

This angers me because you have so much potential as you drop into letterboxes for free all around Australia every week. 

Okay so I am 22, what do I know? Basically nothing. However, my fresh eyes see things with a new view of the world and so I am going to voice my opinion. 

I am sick of picking up a community newspaper feeling like it was designed for an old person with a smiling photo of senior on the front. Or some tacky old politican on some attention-seeking antic. 

You are not just a voice for the people ranting about fluoride in the water in the Letters to Editor section.

And your photo quality! Now, I understand that many community newspapers have to multi-skill their journalists to take photos as well, which is fantastic, but could we please have something a little more creative than people standing there like stunned mullets with their arms crossed? People are far more interesting than that. 

I feel like there is this stigma surrounding community newspapers that they feel this need to be boring, dorky and drab just because you are a 'community newspaper'. You all conform to the same unofficial  rules around Australia. You all have a similar layout on the front page and nothing much changes on the inside in terms of content or advertisements. 

Long, draining articles are not appealing anymore. I want to read about things that are entertaining, fun little features, odd spots, interesting photos, fascinating articles, what's going on a little outside the community too, what the local venues are doing for young people (not just the happenings at the RSL), what is cool on the internet, maybe a little bit of gossip, maybe a little bit of scandal, pets, cute things about, health feature, more romantic stories (love makes the world go round remember) and some things that are left of center. I'm over it all being about the local netball club winning the premiership - I know is an important happening but it gets to the point where it is Groundhog Day every week the local paper arrives. Spice it up a little bit, maybe get the netballer's to submit 10 of their favourite things in their life on a page or get them to submit drawings of themselves - just something different - be creative.

And I am sick to my eyeballs of politicians doing things for their own political gain and re-reading press releases by their media people that have been slightly changed into articles - it is enough to put a pack of hyperactive monkeys to sleep. Can there just be a designated page in all community newspapers for their rants and raves?

I say all this, my dear friend Community Newspaper because you are still extremely important.

Who else is going to tell me what is going on in my local community? People are always going to want to know what is going on. I won't go out of my way to find out but if I am sitting in a cafe and a local newspaper is in front of me that is available to read, I will pick it up. Local advertisers also rely heavily on you, please pay them the respect back by offered good content that people want to read so your distribution is not a lie, when half the people are flinging their community newspapers from the mailbox straight into the bin. I couldn't think of a personal friend of mine who claims to read their community newspaper and if they did, they would probably be stirred up for it and I'd feel a little embarrassed for them. 

Many of you have vibrant real estate sections that a lot of people like to read or that most people just automatically skip to read. But hey! While they are there, you should give them some bonus entertainment from the content you can provide. 

And what ever happened to making it cool and colourful like a magazine? Why are you so conservative? Why don't you involve more of your local community with photos and reader interaction? Hence the popularity of blogs and social media, reader interaction is something we all love!

I don't want the internet to beat you...you must live on. 

I hope you have not been offended by any of these thoughts. I just had to get it out there...you need to change. 

Kind regards,

Sarah Lawrence

This letter may seem a little harsh and parts of it are over the top. And I may be viewing the world from limited eyes as I have not seen every community newspaper in Australia (and I am sure some are very good but a lot are better off as fuel for fire). So I would love to know from you: What do you think makes your community newspaper good? Do you think my letter is fair or rubbish? 

Events and Opportunities

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Posted by Sarah Tabitha | Posted on 8:47 PM

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This post is one of a weekly series, which will share various events and opportunities available in the writing and journalism industry. If you have an event or opportunity that you believe will be beneficial to young people who love to journalism and writing, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Please rest assured that there is no conflict of interest; all of these suggestions are made independently.

Jobs, jobs, jobs
International
If you are looking for jobs overseas then this website has a good array of jobs, in particular in the UK and the Middle East. Worth a look - you never know what you might find!

South Coast, NSW
Aspiring writers out there will love the sound of this. Imagine spending a relaxing weekend near the beach while immersing yourself in your favourite passion, writing. Dr Clare Manning visits houses on the South Coast NSW to conduct writing workshops. She loves helping people unleash their creative side and have fun with their writing. You can find out more here.

This website is the next best for aspiring journalists and writers after Doorways...we are biased, of course! On a serious note, this website was launched by lecturers and some students in the same year level as myself at university. They have put a huge amount of effort into it and there are many interesting articles to read as well as job opportunities, events and profiles about journalists. 

Interview: Gabby McMillan, Writer

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Posted by Laura Valerie | Posted on 6:49 PM

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Gabby McMillan is a force to be reckoned with. Successfully marrying her creative spirit with a lucrative writing and editing career, Gabby currently holds a coveted position as staff writer for Weight Watchers magazine, while dabbling in creative writing in her spare time. Aspiring writers, take note: Gabby is an inspiration for those of us who hope to make writing our full-time vocation. You can follow Gabby's career via her lovely blog, which showcases her eloquent prose and sparkling wit, and her uplifting tweets (@gabbymcmillan). Here is Gabby's delightfully unabridged interview with Doorways.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer? Also, please describe your writing trajectory.*
My first piece was published in Pursuit magazine. Seeing my byline in print was spine-tinglingly delightful, so I bragged to friends and flapped copies of the publication in relatives’ faces. Did I mention the piece was a two-sentence book review? And I was in Year 8? And the magazine was about 10 pages long? Still, a girl has to start somewhere.

Fast-forward five years and I ended up knee-deep in a journalism and creative writing degree. Ever the teacher’s pet/gold star student/class geek, I flaunted my writerly wares around Canberra in search of a magazine that would publish an 18-year-old student with no experience (I’d realised my Year 8 byline wasn’t too crash-hot). I began writing for Canberra’s street press title, BMA. It was unbelievable, offering surreal moments like chatting on the phone with Regurgitator in my Ressies room while friends skulled beer bongs in the hallway. By the end of university, I had three years of writing for BMA under my belt – as well as contributions to Lip, Forte, Monitor Online, This Is Writing, All Write and Vive magazine.

After graduation, I nabbed a chief sub-editor job at two Disney tween titles. After two years of subbing features on Zac Efron’s latest haircut, I became the deputy chief sub-editor/health writer at DOLLY (where Zac’s hair still got attention). I also chased freelancing opportunities and was lucky to score commissions from Cosmopolitan and Weight Watchers Online.

A stint as the deputy editor of three parenting titles was a memorable rollercoaster ride. It reminded me of my true passion: writing. So, I moved away from managerial editorial roles in to my current – and more creative – position of Weight Watchers magazine’s staff writer, where I pen stories on everything from nutrition and fitness, to fashion and beauty. Upon seeing my first feature in print, the spine tingles started again.

(The wonderful Australian author Andrew Humphreys, who I was lucky enough to work with, told me successful careers don’t need to be a steep upward climb: they can have many ups and downs. I credit him for bringing me back a notch and encouraging me to do what makes me happy.)

I’m also a passionate creative writer, but I haven’t quite figured out how to balance fulltime magazine writing with working on my short film script, vignettes and novel ideas. I’m sure I’ll master it eventually but until that wonderful day comes, fulltime magazine writing is my priority and creative writing is my playtime.

* I bet you wish you asked for the abridged version. I’ll step off the soap box now, well, in a moment.

What is your writing routine?
It varies. I tend to save a methodical writing routine for my staff writer position – keeping to-do lists, beating deadlines, staying on track etc – while my creative writing is a whirlwind of 6am bursts of inspiration followed by days of nothingness, rounded off with four-hour marathon sessions. (Confession: I can’t write at home without my desk lamp and back pillow but there’s nothing sexy about that, is there?)

What inspires you?
The ridiculous. Walking. Eavesdropping. Fish-out-of-water scenarios. People in my life inspire snippets of stories every day... they just don’t know it yet. I adore meeting new people and finding what makes them tick. Brilliant writing also motivates – and terrifies – me (think: The Book Thief, Arrested Development, Breaking Bad, just to name a few).

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
My advice is simple: if you want to be a writer, write. Write, damn it, write. Get that pen out, turn on your laptop, use chalk for all I care – just write.

Now, I know it’s harder than it sounds, so allow me to share my creative writing confession: I often get ahead of myself – daydreaming about book tours and my short list of book cover illustrators – before I’ve even typed a sentence in Microsoft Word. Nuts. My best work is done when I stay in the moment, focusing no further than a chapter or two ahead, occasionally jotting down ideas for the ending. Once my brain drifts in to ‘Gabby accepting the Booker Prize’ dream sequences, I’m doomed. It means I’ve let the story get away from me and I’ve projected myself to the (unrealistic) end without enjoying the experience of writing.

My boyfriend, who also dabbles in creating writing, is patient with my mad-woman tendencies. He reminds me to let ‘Gabby the writer’ get the words down first, then let ‘Gabby the sub-editor’ fix them later. Until those words are down, ‘Gabby the sub-editor’ needs to be far away, caged in a basement if necessary. If I let her hang around for too long, she confuses matters with her ‘Is this sentence tight enough?’ and ‘I don’t think the intro works’ feedback. ‘Gabby the sub-editor’ is fantastic to have around for editing, but she’s a pain in the butt if she pokes her nose in beforehand. So, that’s it: write first, edit later. You can’t edit a blank page, folks.

Last but not least: enjoy what you’re writing. Good ol’ Robert Frost (and my boys from Boston Legal) once said ‘No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader’. Translation: If you’re not feeling it, no one else will. Take pleasure in words – they’re cheeky little buggers. Play with them. Show them a good time. Have fun.

Oh, the Irony (or, Writers Block as a Greek Tragedy)

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Posted by Laura Valerie | Posted on 7:48 AM

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I am always a little scared to use the word irony in a sentence. People who know the true meaning of irony seem to get awfully angry – or at least sickeningly patronising – when somebody uses it the wrong way. Poor old Alanis Morissette. So I generally try to avoid it altogether.

Nevertheless, I am feeling a little brave today. Irony, according to the Oxford dictionary, is the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect; a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result; and a literary technique (dramatic or tragic irony), originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions is clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character. I think my situation falls within the realm of the second definition. Maybe. To be honest, I don’t really know.

Anyway, what I was going to say, and please don’t crucify me if I have this wrong, was that isn’t it ironic that the day I sit down to write a post about the nonexistence of writer’s block, I have writer’s block? Well? Is that the correct usage? Hm. Actually, don't tell me. I'm sensitive like that.

My intended denunciation of writer’s block was inspired, in part, by Phillip Pullman’s damning dismissal of it:

Writer's block…a lot of howling nonsense would be avoided if, in every sentence containing the word WRITER, that word was taken out and the word PLUMBER substituted; and the result examined for the sense it makes. Do plumbers get plumber's block? What would you think of a plumber who used that as an excuse not to do any work that day?

The fact is that writing is hard work, and sometimes you don't want to do it, and you can't think of what to write next, and you're fed up with the whole damn business. Do you think plumbers don't feel like that about their work from time to time? Of course there will be days when the stuff is not flowing freely. What you do then is MAKE IT UP. I like the reply of the composer Shostakovich to a student who complained that he couldn't find a theme for his second movement. “Never mind the theme! Just write the movement!” he said.

Writer's block is a condition that affects amateurs and people who aren't serious about writing. So is the opposite, namely inspiration, which amateurs are also very fond of. Putting it another way: a professional writer is someone who writes just as well when they're not inspired as when they are.

He’s not the only one. Cyrese Covelli says: Writer's block doesn't exist...lack of imagination does. Warren Ellis opines: Writer's block? I've heard of this. This is when a writer cannot write, yes? Then that person isn't a writer anymore. I'm sorry, but the job is getting up in the fucking morning and writing for a living. My favourite tweeter Steve Martin jokes: Writers block is a fancy term made up by whiners so they can have an excuse to drink alcohol.

Harsh, yes? I think I needed to hear it, though. "Writer's block" evokes the idea of a kind of ailment; one which is out of the writer's control and can only be overcome with time or, as Pullman says icily, inspiration. I think these writers are right when they say that writer's block is an excuse concocted by failing, depleted wordsmiths, whose self-doubts are quelling their creative spirit. Clearly, it is something that needs to be conquered, if I ever want to succeed as a writer.

As superficial as it may seem, however, I suspect that I would feel a whole lot more inspired to write if I were being paid for my troubles. If writing were, as I hope it one day will be, my vocation. Maybe if I were, if not financially compensated, well-regarded. Honestly, I think it would be enough to be instilled with some sort of confidence that I was on the right path. Some assurance that my efforts are not for nothing; that they are leading somewhere worthwhile. 

That is why, I think, aspiring writers tend to be at their best when they are locked inside a little bubble, spurred on by a sudden spark of inspiration that envelopes their being, shielding them from their self-doubts. As much as I write for the love of writing, it often seems fruitless. Which doesn’t make me want to stop writing altogether, but does hinder my completion or commencement of things because, let's face it, it is scary to think that I am expending all my time, energy and passion going about things the wrong way (if there is such a thing). So that is why I continually search for inspiration, trying to look for a sign, attempting to find something unique and brilliant inside of me, which will set me apart from all the rest.

And here I can use the third definition of irony, which is that of a Greek tragedy. I am the character, you are the audience. Reading this, you are all thinking, "So, aspiring writer, here is your problem in a nutshell: You cannot write, because you want to be a writer, and you are not." The solution is, obviously, to write. Argh! 

I think the best advice I have ever received is from Susan Maushart, in an interview I conducted for this blog. Her advice for aspiring writers: Write as if it were a job, not a hobby (or it always will be). There it is: the key. Whenever I feel myself becoming paralysed by writer's block, I should place myself under a delusional spell. Imagining that writing is my job. Imagining that I don't have an exam tomorrow or a shift at work in an hour. Imagining that people are reading my writing. Imagining that I am being paid hundreds of dollars to write a column. And maybe one day, my imaginings will come true.

Rejection... from The Age - Part 1

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Posted by Sarah Tabitha | Posted on 6:36 PM

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Hello readers, thought I would scare you with a little photo of myself and to make a connection with the post below.
Everyone will tell you when applying for jobs: you have to be prepared for rejection.

I have had my fair share of rejection. I've not made the cut for jobs I've applied for at The Geelong Advertiser, Qantas Magazine, Marketing Magazine, The Adelaide Advertiser, The Echo (Byron Bay), The Herald Sun, Channel 7 and even Cosmopolitan - just to name a few.

Most recently, I received a rejection e-mail for a traineeship at The Age. They were looking for people with both journalism and photographic experience, which I have a lot of (along with a journalism degree and various other experience), so I was hopeful that I would make it to the interview round. I even stretched my contacts far and emailed Caroline Wilson, because my Grandma's hairdresser knows her and said it would be good to get in contact with her. 

Researching some old famous journalists for this blog, I've noticed that many got their good start with a cadetship at The Age, Herald Sun or any other capital city daily newspaper. Knowing that they had received over 400 applications, I rang The Age every second day for two weeks, trying to talk to the HR person so that I could show my interest and beg for an interview. Voice mail seemed to be a common echo as I never actually spoke to the HR person I asked for.

Eventually I spoke to Colin McKinnon, who is the Editor of Training and Development at The Age. He said that, as the email confirming that my resume had been received had said, I would get a response some time in November and we were still in November so I must wait.

Last Thursday the rejection email came through:

"Thank you for your interest and application for the role of Editorial Trainee with The Age. We received many excellent applications. The process of shortlisting and giving each candidate proper consideration is a process that we attach great importance to.

Unfortunately on this occasion your application has not been successful.

We would like to thank you for your interest in Fairfax and take this opportunity to wish you every success in your future career search. Please do not hesitate to apply for any of our future positions that may be of interest to you."

Immediately I felt a rush of motivation (I have a typical left handed person's trait of being quick tempered) that I just must must must call this Colin McKinnon man and try begging for an interview again, ASAP. I really didn't know how to go about this whim and probably went about it the wrong way. When I got through to him I said what first came into my head, something along the lines of how passionate I am for the media, how I've had a lot of experience and love The Age and could I please have an interview even though the rejection email just flew in?

And he said... NO! On this occasion, HR had conducted a thorough examination of the resumes and mine did not make the cut. Try again next time. If I wanted more specific feedback on my resume, call back at the start of December.

So then I tried to tap into my creativity as my mind flew at a million miles per hour. Could I think of a statement right now that could somehow convince him that if I was given an interview, I would prove him wrong? Hmmm... nothing coming to mind. Should I offer to buy him a box of chocolates? He didn't really sound like a chocolate box kind of person. Is there some kind of fantastic lie or truth I can say about myself, like knowing some golden news story information that I could use to trade in for an interview? Hmmm... I am from Essendon but the whole Underbelly scene has been fairly quiet lately and, reality check Sarah, I don't know anything! Do I put on the waterworks and cry? Better not.

Instead, I verbally vomited, "I promise that if I was given an interview and made it to be trainee at The Age, I will be the best trainee you have ever had and work extremely, ridiculously hard and put in huge hours." It was quite possibility one of the worst things I could say as he responded rightly, "Well, yes, I am sure you would but we tend to hear that from a lot of people." He was very right and I felt stupid for saying such a ridiculous thing but I was honestly lost for words.

Does any one else have any ideas of what they think I could have said? Or what they think I should have done?

Nevertheless, what will be will be. Thought I would share that experience with you. There could have been a plenty of reasons why I didn't get an interview. Perhaps more intelligent people applied. Maybe when they went over my resume they psycho-analysed it and thought I wasn't appropriate. There could have been a spelling errors somewhere I didn't know about. Maybe I just wasn't what they were looking for. After all, a piece of paper on a resume is so much different to meeting someone in person - hence why you hear about a lot of CEOs these days tearing up resumes and hiring people based on their instincts. I believe the best thing to do now is just go back to the drawing board and reassess my resume and cover letter, which I will definitely do.

I won't let the rejection bog me down and make me feel terrible. I will get back on my bike and continue to apply for jobs in journalism. Hopefully, time and place will coincide and I will meet a kindred spirit that I will work with in the future.

Part 2 on Rejection will come soon.

Interview: Jason Whittaker, Crikey Deputy Editor

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Posted by Doorways | Posted on 12:41 AM

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Jason Whittaker is a big deal. He is deputy editor of Crikey - the online news website published by Eric Beecher, Chairman of Private Media (Crikey, Business Spectator, Smart Company, Eureka Report) - who has previously edited The Sydney Morning Herald and The Herald Sun. Crikey is now one of the most popular Australia news websites around. While I was at university studying journalism, my lecturers always spoke very highly of Crikey and it was seen as a bit of a renegade publication.

Jason has had an interesting career that has seen him work for a number of different publications within the print and online media spectrum. A friend of mine did work experience at Crikey and described Jason as "a very cool guy and really nice with a good sense of humour".  Enjoy this fabulous interview. 

Why did you decide you wanted to work in the media?
I never know how to answer that question. Truth is, I never wanted to be anything else.

You were previously the managing editor of Trader Business Media, a division of ACP Magazines, what was that experience like? And what kind of things did you have to do in that position?
The experience was eye-opening in many ways. There’s nothing very romantic about working on business publications for specific industries. But what you learn very quickly is how important it is to know who you’re writing for and how to cater to their needs. And as a journalist that’s vital, no matter where you work.
I started as a sub-editor on one title, become more of a reporter, a news editor, a product editor and finally the managing editor of a number of titles across print and online.

What has been the best experience you have had in your career so far?
I would say the opportunity I’ve had to travel. My last job allowed me to visit cities around the country and even around the world, which I was able to exploit.

What is it like working for Crikey? And what is the difference working for an online publication? 
Crikey is quite different to where I was working previous, and in other ways very similar. It is an organisation that isn’t flush with resources and so the job becomes doing the best with what you have. I certainly had experience in that.
Crikey works around the clock in the online environment, but our day is still built around a lunchtime product with a daily deadline. So the pressure is always on. 

You have done a huge amount of writing for a diverse range of publications. Where do you find your motivation and drive to write? 
The drive? Deadlines, pure and simple. They drive us all to get done what we have to get done. But certainly I love the craft of journalism, I’m curious about what’s happening in the world, and communicating that with the best product is always the goal.

Do you think aspiring journalists should be thinking more about print or online media? 
I think aspiring journalists should be thinking about being great journalists, pure and simple. There is absolutely a need for journalists to understand the online space, to be across the latest communication tools (social media, etc) and have a basic understanding of producing multi-media content. Your employability will depend on it. But great journalism is great journalism and great writing is great writing.

What is your best piece of advice for aspiring writers and journalists? 
Write. Write passionately. And, most importantly, write prolifically. Getting a job in journalism has become a self-marketing exercise – it’s essential students and young journalists are volunteering their services on as many forums as possible to build a great portfolio, promote their name, and stand out from a crowded field in a market with fewer and fewer jobs.

November 12: Events and Opportunities

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Posted by Sarah Tabitha | Posted on 11:22 PM

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This post is one of a weekly series, which will share various events and opportunities available in the writing and journalism industry. If you have an event or opportunity that you believe will be beneficial to young people who love to journalism and writing, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Please rest assured that there is no conflict of interest; all of these suggestions are made independently.

Photo by Tamara Voninski


The Walkley Foundation
Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra
The Walkley have a new series of digital training courses coming up in November and December in Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra. The course are focusing on social media, digital media, and multimedia storytelling. For more information, look here.

bwired’s SEO/SEM, Mobile, Social Media & Analytics Seminar 
Melbourne
November 17
bwired’s free website strategy seminar covers web trends and online strategy that will set your website up for success. Understand what these hot topics are all about, and how to incorporate them into your website plan. More information here.

This event is ideal for the aspiring novelists amongst us. Spanning the month of November, National Novel Writing Month (also known as NaNoWriMo) challenges participants to write 50,000 words of a new novel in one month. Writers wishing to participate should register on the project's website, where they can post profiles and information about their novels, including synopses and excerpts. Word counts are validated on the site, with writers submitting a copy of their novel for automatic counting. Laura will be participating as of November 14; please feel free to add her as a "writing buddy" (laura_valerie).

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