I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad Hurricane Irene knocked out my power for 3 days. Don't get me wrong, I was bouncing off the walls along with my roommates, going insane over the lack of lights and a working kitchen (reheated pizza can only go so far). Without the power though, it gave me a chance to drag myself away from the computer and really let my mind relax and wander, searching for something that I could write about this semester.
I have many interests in today's current events... the political race, the economic situation of the country, the New York Yankees (the kid who caught Jeter's 3000th hit actually graduated a year ahead of me), but these weren't giving me the right feeling of being "the" idea.
Power came back on Tuesday night, just in time for Denis Leary's show "Rescue Me" on FX. It deals with a fictional crew of the FDNY post 9/11, some still living with survivors guilt and learning how to move on. My inspiration had presented itself to me. I want to write about the FDNY this semester, and really pick apart what it means to be a part of that brotherhood.
I've always had a profound respect for the members of the FDNY, even before those terrible events of 9/11 occurred. Anyone who is willing to strap on upwards of 75 lbs of gear on their back (if not more) and run into a burning building full of heat and smoke to save people, knowing that their own lives are at risk... that shows true character right there. That being said, here's what I'm hoping to present to everyone over the next few weeks:
1. What it means to be a part of the FDNY - the application and training process, being a probationary firefighter (probie).
2. Why these people do the job in the first place; what draws them to it.
3. How emotions might be at an all time high right now given the 10th anniversary
4. Survivor stories (there are a few present in the NGC 9/11 documentary "Zero Hour" which I highly recommend)
5. How the department feels about and views the conspiracy theories that are present.
These are just a few ideas to start out with, but there are sure to be more as I put more thought into it.
I like that you made your blog conversational. You start with what is going on your life with the power still being out, the reheated pizza, and how that gave you time to think about the topic…to me you are “talking” more than “writing.” Since much of this is conversational, I don’t feel the same judgments apply here that I would give a formal piece. I’m not sure how to “critique” you.
ReplyDeleteI think you hit upon a good topic, to take us behind the scenes of the FDNY story. I see from your resume that you have personal experience in emergency care as a first responder. You could mention that here to connect this aspect of your life to your interest in the subject.
I also like that you have clearly presented out where you will take this subject. It gives the reader a clear table of contents on what the next seven (now six) weeks will bring.
I have to agree with ad0meliora. It is hard to critique your writing style because of its informal nature. How do you critique someones voice? I am not sure that you can but I do think that is what we are experiencing here, your actual voice.
ReplyDeleteI am also a sucker for lists online. It has been my experience that online users absorb the content of a short, concise list better than any paragraph. Reading becomes almost visual when in list form.
The only thing I can recommend for this pitch would be to elaborate on why you are qualified to explore this topic other than your general interest. Do you have some special background or connection to the FDNY in particular? How will you go about accomplishing the goals on your list?
I can't wait to read more!
Thanks for the comments yankeecandle and ad0meliora! Hope I didn't make it too frustrating with writing informally. Seems to be a habit when I write on a blog - I can't stay in the formal style. If it were an essay I was to hand in and have graded, with a specific page count, I'm sure it'd be fomral. Here... not exactly haha.
ReplyDeleteyankeecandle - good point on why I'm qualified to explore the topic. I'll try to touch on that in a later post. Short answer is that there's a family friend who's introduced us to a lot of firefighters in the city, so that mixed with my own interests kind of set the stage for this. It was either the FDNY or skiing... I'm still debating on if I want to change it or not.
ad0meliora - the comment "talking rather than writing"... I'm curious if this might be a con in my posts. For years at my undergraduate university, we were always told to "show dont tell". What do you think of that rule? Am I breaking it? Is it hindering the blog at all?
Again, I'll try to work on the formal style for the next entry. Thanks again you two!
I use these first two assignments to point out that it’s all memoirs Skier. Everything is personal. Journalists take whatever assignment you give them like good soldiers, but they win Pulitzers when their heart is invested.
ReplyDeleteI’ll accept this as your bio, for now. But if I came here looking for great writing about fire fighting or other adrenalized activities, you already lost me with your daydreaming somewhere last year. I’d rather you just showed me a video of you bungee jumping wearing your brother’s helmet.
Then again, we are concentrating on the words.
Usually students’ second assignments defending their subject end up being the better bio because they focus. Instead of a long and winding road of life –then when I was twelve, I got braces– they have a more focused relevant engaging bio. I chose the FDNY because my father was a firefighter and his father…
You don’t have that either, but you can do the second thing I regularly recommend. Combine the two pieces. I trust your topic choice because I already know you are a young guy running around the world jumping off bridges and mountains. I see the connection there.
And as the reader, I’m making connections wherever I can. If there is more to why you are covering the FDNY, tell us. Concentrate on it. If you are too complicated or distracted, then I’m already distracted by something that is crystal clear.
Focus Mad Skier, like you are about to jump. Stop thinking of formal writing as something you do for term papers and stop thinking of the web as somewhere you post every random thought on your mind.
What you post will last much longer than what you print.
Your resume is no longer what you hand someone on linen, but what they find when they type your name into Google.
You are a communications major. When you edit those movies too, the audience will pay attention when you concentrate their attention.
Harness, like Yankee Chicken said.
And don’t settle for her thinking that your voice is this casual all over the place banter.
You only get one byline in life. Respect your voice by crafting it.
The list of subtopics that you want to cover is great. I’m excited to read more.
Good work.