People who become reporters usually like reading and writing and have a respect for the truth. We’re usually a little more practical than the fine literature writers, and what we write is true (or at least we try to make sure it is).
I like to remember that fine authors like Earnest Hemmingway and Mark Twain started out in newspapers.
Many people in this business have secret desires of writing in a different genre, but they like the steady deadlines and changing topics of newspapers. I, for one, stopped wanting to write things like novels or poetry some time ago, maybe because I’m not very creative and maybe because writing for a living leaves interest for other hobbies.
The interest I still cling to in extracurricular writing is a little racier — I’d like to be the person who comes up with catchy headlines for publications like "Weekly World News," which prints articles on Bat Boy and vampires in the American Southwest.
To get this out of my system, I could be more inflammatory in my own reporting, but somehow I don’t think it would go over well with most of our readers. I don’t think "Crook hands over cash" would be a good headline for a criminal case involving restitution. A couple years ago I could have written "Field of alfalfa divides small town" in my Fledgling Field zoning series.
The writers on Lifetime TV have it almost as nice as the tabloids. Their movies get titles like, "Give Me My Daughter Back," "To Face Her Past" and my personal favorite, "My Step-son, My Lover."
I know it’s not one person who crafts these titles, but if it was, I’d be in line to ask for the job.
Lifetime TV also has themes when advertising their movies. I don’t actually watch many of the network’s movies, but I pay attention during their commercials for upcoming movie events — like "Moment of Truth Weekend," "No Turning Back November," and "Final Justice Friday."
The Star Herald could also advertise themes for county news like "Freaky Farmer February" or "Romancing the Zone" for city of Luverne news. Don’t even tempt me with what I could write about feedlot inspections.
The movie titles usually prove to be more gripping than the plot lines, as are the headlines in tabloids. But like the small businessman who fantasizes of a hostile corporate take-over, some reporters dream of creative writing.
