Before taking this class, I thought that the only thing I would ever want to write about was sports or be a sports news reporter but since I was able to branch out and try out other topics, I have realized I might be interested in writing a book one day or even writing for a magazine. Writing for the lariat, the only topic I ever wrote about was sports, so this semester I was really able to utilize this class and improve my writing on other subjects. I learned how to write and how to interview people in a totally different way. I never would have thought that I would have had the opportunity to have my article published in Focus Magazine (which I’m still pumped up about) if it wasn’t for this class. I also know now how to write a query letter and restaurant review properly. I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and all my notes I will probably keep forever. I know I’ve still got a lot still to work on, but I feel like overall I improved my writing and am confident as a writer and that’s what I wanted to accomplish. My favorite quote was when professor Darden said that it’s when we create that we are closest to our creator and that really hit home with me. That quote will still with me forever now and it was just a small reassurance that this really is what I am called to do.
Empire Seed
There were so many differences between writing my first paper for Focus and with my one for Texas business. One thing I noticed was it was a lot more difficult to get interviews from the workers and owner of Empire Seed because they were so busy with their work and they weren’t as interested in the story. Which I totally understood because they have more important things to worry about, but this second time around it was harder for me to get the type of quotes I wanted. Their time was limited because business was so crazy and people were lined up eager to purchase some of their pecans and feed. I had to do phone interviews with two of the interviewees because they didn’t even have 2 minutes to speak with me. I also noticed that since it was about their work and not about them like it was for Zavier, they weren’t as willing to participate or eager to answer when we planned interviews but everything ended up working out. I learned a lot by doing this story, and it was really interesting to see the behind the scenes warehouse of Empire Seed. Owner, Craig, was in the back on a tractor and cutting wood, covered in dirt. It made me respect their business because they do everything on their own and it’s more of a hard labor type job. Instead of paying people to load everything up and package everything up, like Wal-Mart and Lowes, Empire seed does everything on their own.
restaurant review
For my restaurant review, I chose to do Buzzards Billy’s because it is one of my family’s favorite restaurants here in Waco. So during homecoming week I knew we’d eat there once or twice. Being from Lubbock, we don’t really have many places that offer crawfish since we are so far from the coast, so my family definitely gets their fair share of good quality Cajun cooking when they come down. The menu has so much to offer at Buzzard Billy’s so I hope I can incorporate enough of the items without sounding like I’m just listing off the choices. My family loves Buzzard Billy’s not only for the quality but also for the prime location. We have always loved sitting on the deck over the water and feeding the ducks our extra rolls. So my family and I are definitely contributors to the plump ducks on the river. Sitting on the deck with the prettiest view of the Waco Bridge when the suns going down, proves that Waco does have its perks.
query letter round 2
For my second query letter, I chose to write for the online, Texas Business Journal. I was torn between two of the topics listed, but I chose Empire Seed on Elm Street. When I visited the old timey store, I noticed there was not a wall or box on the floor that didn’t have a cobweb attached to it. But the spider webs gave it the exact “feel” that it is. It has been around since the 1940’s and It makes you feel like you have gone back in time. I knew when I met the owner, Craig Baggett, and his workers that they knew what they were doing because they all had dirt underneath their fingernails. A regular customer, Joe Davis, is at Empire Seed every single day. He is “anti-Wal-Mart” even though he worked in grocery for years. I want to elaborate in my story how they have managed to stay in business over the years.
I am a little intimidated writing for the Texas Business Journal because of the need to supply business and economic background. And both of those topics are not my strong suits. I am a little confused on how to find all the information I need. I want to be able to apply the facts but also share the stories that make the store what it is today.
you can’t sugar coat real life.
Whenever I found out that I was going to write for Focus Magazine I had a great plan for my story idea. I contacted the right people and scheduled interviews but everything fell apart when I had to write my query letter with hardly any quotes because all my interviews were no shows or they tried to reschedule.
So I started out a little worried if I would ever be able to find a story in time. I met with the editors of Focus and told them about my passion for sports. They recommended starting to find a story idea by emailing the counselor’s of high schools. So I did. I literally went home and emailed every single high school in Waco, and actually found a lot of potential stories but one stood out over the others.
The story I chose was about a football player who had broken his neck and was told he’d probably never be able to walk again, much less play football.
But he made a miraculous recovery and rehabbed back to 100 percent capacity. He had high hopes for his sophomore season but then during the second game of the season he tore his ACL and the question “what else?” over took his thoughts.
Then in a matter of a year, he lost his uncle in a motorcycle accident, lost his younger sister would dealt with heart tribulations all of her life, found out he was the product of a rape, his biological father went back to prison for his 6th felony, found out his grandmother had a brain disease, got a girl pregnant, left home and moved in with a friend and dropped out of high school.
At first I thought my story would be one way, which was mainly about football and Zavier’s recovery, but there was so much more I had to add in. All tragedy and struggle through Zavier’s life I thought would really the story.
I had a hard time for a while contacting Zavier, and he missed a few planned photo shoots because he doesn’t have a phone but we managed to figure it all out and get the pictures we needed.
I was thrown for a loop when I contacted the head coach of Midway for another source and he said he had no response, and informed me of a couple of things about Zavier from a different perspective. But on my next meeting with Zavier I asked him questions regarding the head coaches response and he really opened up to me, told me his side, and brought my reasons for doing this story back again.
I have really enjoyed doing this story, it has opened my eyes to how you are always going to have different perspectives but that doesn’t mean it’s not still a good story. I have also been able to meet and engage with so many different people and in ways I grow a little bit more as a person the more advanced I become in my writing.
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