My 12 Year Journey to Graduation Part 4: Getting Published
When I first heard we were going to get published, I was excited and filled with motivation. As the class went along on one week after the next, I continually asked myself: What do I want to write? By each weeks passing, I'd slowly walked to the answer.
Throughout this semester, I went back and forth of what I wanted to write. I thought about writing for NUVO because it would be something I haven't done before. I just didn't know what I would write. Then, I thought about doing a piece for the class COVID Blog. I had something to say. I have experience to give to that end. I was working a full-time job at a bank and going to school. There was nothing normal about the COVID effects to daily life. I was torn between the two.
I ultimately choose the COVID Blog due to just having something to say. The class COVID blog was the only idea I had that I was excited for. I am usually bursting with ideas and I do have a few ideas I am working on, but they were unrelated to this class and of writing any type of article.
Through the journey to get published, Professor Tracy Kemp gave us plenty of resources and even brought in some guest speakers.
What really stood out for me and was helpful in the coming weeks came from our guest speaker Joe Shearer. He said to "find the angle" you want to write. The topic could lead to an idea or a direction. This was very helpful when I wrote for the COVID blog.
The most useful of the readings I found was in Kathryn Evan's "Writing Arguments". I am not great at making arguments to the point that my sister calls me a "centrist". I really like seeing all the sides of an issue and work to a unity point. Basically, I like a perfect solution that is balanced on all sides. So this was the most helpful for me personally. I do really appreciate a catchy title like "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" (Evans 44). Making the argument part of the title is ingenious and very noteworthy. I usually make my titles part of the conclusion, but making the title the argument instead makes an article more likely to be read.
In time, I contributed to the COVID Blog with something to say as my publication project. My blog post "Going Cashless During the Pandemic" was done. I had only one round of edits. Tracy helped me to focus and keep me on track. My blog post is about one of the more positive consequences of pandemic— going cashless with debit cards and touch-less payments. I did some research and wrote about my own experience as a teller, banker, and as a student. I also utilized my photoshop abilities to fuse together two non-attribution and copyright free images. The COVID Blog was a good experience and I am happy with the outcome.
Outside of the COVID Blog, I submitted multiple submissions to genesis (IUPUI's literary magazine). I actually haven't submitted to genesis before and I'm in my nth senior year. I graduate this May, so this was my last opportunity to even submit to genesis. I still have two submission that have yet to be denied.
This course has exceeded my expectations. I have learned much more than I thought I was going to. In this class I learned that I need to be passionate about a subject to write about it. I, at least, need something to say. Joe Shearer said to “find the angle,” but I have learned that I need to find the angle that gives me something to say. I am ready now for my next journey in life. See part 5 to find out what that is.
Source:
Evans, Kathryn. Real Questions: Reading and Writing Genres. 1st ed., Bedford/St. Martin, 2013.
