Plinco Checkpoint

One of my first jobs starting my career in college was at a local newspaper writing standard obituaries and legal ads. A position that required extreme attention to detail and a sensitivity for getting the facts right. Unfortunately, what I didn’t understand about myself in my young ambition was, that I was not good at picking out important details and staying on the rails of editorial structure. Which resulted in one too many obituary mess-ups and an irate editor who hated my guts and immediately fired me. 

Now, my journey as a writer has come a long way since that experience. And it would be untrue to say that it didn’t shake my confidence in writing. It did. There is something to say about the stringent editors in your life, they’re honest. Knowing your weaknesses, although sometimes wrenching, isn’t a weakness. It’s a starting point - a clean slate of context. How you evolve from your limitations is a strength. The more honestly you have with yourself about your capacity, the less grueling stabs to what might be your delicate idealistic identity. 

So, did that experience (and ones like it) stop me from writing? Yes & no. Writing is nuanced. Kinda like art and mediums. You can expect a certain type of effect from ink and water vs oil painting or even pencil drawing. They’re all very different.  It stopped me from writing about things I wasn’t interested in, while also giving me a heavy dose of pay attention.

The difference between writing for writing’s sake and writing from genuine interest and inspiration is like chewing on a dry piece of paper vs an unctuous dried apricot drenched in sherry and sprinkled with cardamom. It has life.  While the merits of writing well-researched and fine-combed content go without saying. I’ll say it. It’s important to know your stuff before you spread it around. It’s important to care about the details and, its important to have a generous respect for the audience who might be reading your content.

With that said, I’ve learned my medium as a writer. Where my interests are and where I’d like to explore. Trusting that I have enough in me to produce something meaningful is my starting point. And knowing my constraints and limitations gives me a Plinco checkpoint board to filter through as my work develops and a base to develop from.