Jessica O'Shea: n. aspiring writer, editing enthusiast
About Me
Around six years old, my mother told me to be a writer. At age nineteen, out of options and staring college in the face, I decided she was on to something. Now I'm a twenty-year-old Writing Arts major with a Bantivoligo Honors concentration and a Creative Writing concentration at Rowan University.
Like most who love pen and paper, the dream I have at night (the one filled with golden light and angels singing and a parade being held in my honor) is that of writing and publishing a novel. After some research, I made the discovery that novel writing was a career for beings who could live off ink and paper alone, not for those of us in need of groceries, heating, or indoor plumbing.
So I set out to discover a new aspect of the writing world that would still bring me joy and fulfillment (and leave some time for a book writing hobby), which I did discover in the skill of editing. Class workshops and a stint volunteering at Rowan's writing center showed me how much I enjoyed carefully dismantling the crafted work of others in order to help them rebuild it better and stronger. (Which sounds much nicer than "ripping apart other's incomplete and incorrect work so that they can do it over again and I can find more problems with it." I thought that might be too harsh.)
Regardless, I've found that the droning task of breaking down sentence structures, diagraming paragraphs, circling odd inconsistencies and being a stickler for correct grammar usage, all come easier to me. (I wouldn't say "easily," but it's not astrophysics.) I enjoy it, and I enjoy the look in a person's eyes when I tell them that everything is fixed, and the red marks on the page no longer outnumber the letters in the words. It's always a rush to help someone accomplish something.
Like most who love pen and paper, the dream I have at night (the one filled with golden light and angels singing and a parade being held in my honor) is that of writing and publishing a novel. After some research, I made the discovery that novel writing was a career for beings who could live off ink and paper alone, not for those of us in need of groceries, heating, or indoor plumbing.
So I set out to discover a new aspect of the writing world that would still bring me joy and fulfillment (and leave some time for a book writing hobby), which I did discover in the skill of editing. Class workshops and a stint volunteering at Rowan's writing center showed me how much I enjoyed carefully dismantling the crafted work of others in order to help them rebuild it better and stronger. (Which sounds much nicer than "ripping apart other's incomplete and incorrect work so that they can do it over again and I can find more problems with it." I thought that might be too harsh.)
Regardless, I've found that the droning task of breaking down sentence structures, diagraming paragraphs, circling odd inconsistencies and being a stickler for correct grammar usage, all come easier to me. (I wouldn't say "easily," but it's not astrophysics.) I enjoy it, and I enjoy the look in a person's eyes when I tell them that everything is fixed, and the red marks on the page no longer outnumber the letters in the words. It's always a rush to help someone accomplish something.
What's New? - Internship/Job Search
I'm now entering the daunting time in my life when I must find a job or internship before I'm out of college and out on the streets. I've finished the hard part, the resume and the basic cover letter outline, so now all that's left is finding a dozen internships to apply to. I know I'm looking at piles of rejection letters and e-mails in my near future, but I am determined and I won't let a little thing like imminent unemployment scare me!
Also, if you, dear visitor, have any information or suggestions that may aid my so-far fruitless search, I would be so appreciative! (There may be a fruit basket afterwards, should your advice result in my poor self becoming less so.)
UPDATE!
I am now a writer for the Toonari Post! :) It's an unpaid internship, but hey, it's something!
Also, if you, dear visitor, have any information or suggestions that may aid my so-far fruitless search, I would be so appreciative! (There may be a fruit basket afterwards, should your advice result in my poor self becoming less so.)
UPDATE!
I am now a writer for the Toonari Post! :) It's an unpaid internship, but hey, it's something!