Girl Meets World

Amanda vs. The Clockinator

My one-week fight against the clock began yesterday.

At one moment words seem to be brimming over, and the next, my cup is bone-dry. The Trib Newsroom is a tough place.

A police scanner chucks out garbled nonsense all day long, writers talk about their stories and where they are and what they plan on doing, and a television screen scrolls out the stories of the day unabatedly.

And there I sit with two sentences--one of them a pathetic lead and another that seems to resemble a quote, but all is not lost.

I began writing for the daily news yesterday, and I love it. Not only can I feel my feet all day (the AC isn't as gripping), but I am getting an intense newswriting experience with all the distractions of a fully-functioning newsroom.

This summer I was predominantly sequestered from the newsroom chaos with the investigative team in an adjoining office. To tell you the truth, I was frightened, but it's exhilerating!

My stint will last until Friday. I will be working some odd shifts, but that comes with the territory. If I were hired someday in an entry-level position, I would be working here, so this is great experience for what my life would really be like if I were a fledgling reporter.

I was published twice in yesterday's paper. One article didn't get a byline--a police call--but I am still stoked about getting in.

Last week I agonized about getting the articles finished on-time and if I could perform on a daily basis, but I am, and the best part is that my work is published with minimal edits.

Take that clock--I punched you RIGHT IN THE FACE!

Round three starts tomorrow.