Columnists

Birth of a Writer

by JASKEERAT KAUR

 

"The unexamined life is not worth living", said Socrates.

It's interesting how archaic quotes hold so much relevance to the present. Socrates held the belief that observation is important. To examine life is important because it enables us as humans to fully live life and not wander through it obliviously.

Writing is my method of examining my life. The journals I write in, the stories, essays, articles, etc., that I write, are like my lab books. With them, I can productively observe life's affairs. Through the medium of writing, I have been able to accomplish my most outstanding achievement; building a foundation for my career in journalism.            

I followed my first political election when I was fourteen. I was closely watching presidential debates, conventions, etc. with my father and avidly discussing them with him. The sparks I felt while involving myself with such issues encouraged me to further pursue this passionate interest.

That same year, I met one of my best English teachers who gave me the opportunity to write whatever I pleased everyday as a school journal assignment. Instead of using my school journal in a "dear diary" fashion, I found myself making commentaries on the modus operandi of life and writing reviews on bands and music in general.

This English teacher was intrigued by my interest in journalism and introduced me to a wonderful mentor, my journalism adviser who I was lucky enough to work with for the next three years of my high school term.

Upon joining Journalism in the tenth grade, I became editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. My relationship with writing inspired me to run for the position, and it paid off as I was the youngest student to ever become editor-in-chief.

The newspaper increased in circulation and won awards that it never had before. Administrators, teachers, and students, were always pulling me aside to tell me what they thought of my articles and the paper as a whole. I also won awards as the most valuable staffer for Class! Magazine and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

My interest in journalism and becoming a published writer grew as the years passed on. Two years later, two of my essays  -  "Pieces of the Puzzle" and "My Questions and Answers" -  were published on sikhchic.com, an up-and-coming website with a Sikh orientation, which features articles ranging from film and theatre to art, cuisine and sports.

My father is an avid reader of sikhchic.com and also writes for it from time to time. He encouraged me to check the site out and read the articles it featured. I really loved how the website wasn't a promotional website for Sikhs, but a medium for Sikhs and others to express themselves. I really enjoyed how everyone was open about the writings, whether they were the writers or the commentators.

The writers provided innovative musings that made me think and the commentators offered insightful questions, authentic praise and constructive criticism.

My father then encouraged me to submit some of my own essays to be published on the website. I sent them in, and they were published! Both essays received positive feedback and the editor of the website also encouraged me to write more essays and articles and send them to him.

My dad was proud and sikhchic.com thus gave us one more thing to share and bond over.

Becoming editor-in-chief of the paper and making sure I helped put out a quality product, as well as getting my essays published, were daunting tasks for me at first. I was relatively new to both areas of publishing, paper and internet, and found myself not slowly working my way up like a child who wades in the water before he/she actually fully submerges beneath the pool, but jumping headfirst into these tasks.

When journalism elections came around, I found myself running for editor without a second thought and that drive startled me a bit in the sense that it made me realize that I was ready to start taking more risks and start branching out into other endeavors.

However, after I started writing for the paper, I found it difficult to keep news stories interesting and to keep reviews as witty commentary that didn't put people off. I asked myself what I would want to read. Did I want to read a boring article, or worse, a slanted article? Did I want to read an interesting, fresh review or one that was good but still a wee bit rant-like? Asking myself these questions and examining my choices and my situations enabled me to be a better high school journalist.

For a news article, I would always ask myself "Does this tell the story properly?" "Are you interested?" "Do you see any of your opinion in this article?" and answer accordingly. For a review or an opinion piece I'd always ask myself, "Does this have substance?" and "Do you make valid points?"  

I would also read my articles from previous issues to see my growth and to see where I needed improvement. Asking questions and examining my works made me a better high school journalist because I was learning how to look at my articles from all angles.

Submitting my essays to be published was a different type of overwhelming task, as both the essays I had written were more personal thoughts than the articles I wrote for the school paper. "Pieces of the Puzzle" discussed my influences and how they shaped me and "My Questions and Answers" discussed my observations on the origin of life.

When my father first suggested I submit the works, I was a little nervous. Even though I had taken such an interest in reading other people's works on sikhchic.com, it still felt strange to put my own there. There was a difference between being the anonymous reader and being the writer.

However, I soon reminded myself of the reason why I liked sikhchic.com so much. Everybody on that site put himself or herself out there (including my dad) and nothing but good happened. Additionally, because of this risk-taking, everyone has been able to learn from everyone.

I've learned from this achievement as a person and not just a high school journalist or writer. I've matured as a human being. I am able to take more risks now, in the logical sense, and not be so wishy-washy over things. However, on the other hand, I've learned to be less reactive and more proactive. I've learned to think more with my mind and less with my gut by observing and questioning.

Both lessons learned have created a Goldilocks and the Three Bears situation with my personality. I've learned to take the best of both worlds of my being and combine them together, aspiring to make the balance "just right".

 

[Jaskeerat, now 17, is a senior at Desert Pines Magnet High School in Nevada and aspires to go to the University of Southern California, U.S.A. She plans to double major in journalism and business.]  

December 17, 2007

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