As the school year winds down to a close, so is my job as a writer for 8Forty, at least for now. This semester has been an eventful one for myself, including many events that distracted me, to the point where I have had loads on my plate. Positively, that did not affect my performance as a writer too much, so I completed my tasks early, leaving myself some time to focus on other classes. The main points for myself throughout the semester were pitching positive ideas, efficient writing, and good grammar and punctuation.
On the terms of pitching, there were many, many ideas given by our several writers that got the “green light”, which means that the writer could go ahead and make their article. For my three articles, I did a player profile for an up and coming “superstar”, an article describing VAR, soccer’s newest form of technology, and an article describing a life as a teen entrepreneur. I can confidently say that I did a great job on all three of my articles, since I am passionate about these topics, so I could write well about them. In terms of my pitching technique, I would say my idea, as well as give some details surrounding the topic, so my editors could really get the grasp of what I was attempting to convey. I would say my technique was effective, as three of my four pitches were given the green light.
Being an efficient writer in a class with a fixed time frame is really useful, since you do not want to rush your work near the deadline. If I were to give an example of a time that I was very efficient with my work, it would be on my third article. Giving the pitch in late May, I was slated to give a first draft in early June, leaving myself with a week and a bit to work. Little did I know, I had a provincial track meet coming that weekend, therefore eliminating four days of work time. Upon my return, I grinded out my article in a very efficient manner, leaving myself with time for editing and proofreading.
If you would like to be a great writer, having great grammar and punctuation is a must. If you read an article with a million grammar mistakes, it makes you very confused on what the point is. You would have to think everything through and break the sentence into parts, since no comma or period is there to guide you. Having improved on my grammar immensely, I saved myself a lot of time editing and proofreading, making sure that I start my articles with a “cleaner” look, without any mistakes.
Taking a look back at the semester I had, I am content with my performance. I finished all of my tasks within the given time frame, I gave out great work to post, and I made myself learn more about technology, as well as the topics I am surrounded by, thanking my fellow peers. I know that these skills I have learned over the year will not disappear, but continue to build up and improve, given that I will return to this class for my final year. Overall, I believe that this semester was a very good one, knowing that I contributed in a positive manner, and completing the course before the deadline.
LilPumpJetski 