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I may have fucked my life up......
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
in Work & Study
....well my working life anyway.
Basically it's taken 23 and a bit years for me to decide what I've wanted to do with my life. For the last six months I've known that I want to write. It probably doesn't show on the boards but I am a good writer. It's one of the few things I'm confident about, in regards to myself anyway.
I think I'd probably want to do something involving journalism, probably video game journalism because I know my games and I can write about them. The problem is that I have NO qualifications, save a higher in English, that are useful in this field.
I have an ordinary degree in a idiot mix of subjects (I hated uni) and I have no real writing experience.
I feel royally fucked. It feels like I'm too old to try and break into journalism and I have no real idea of how to do it anyway. There seem to be people who were writing amazing articles since they were in nappies and I can't compete.
Sorry, I just wanted to rant. I do really do that very often.
Basically it's taken 23 and a bit years for me to decide what I've wanted to do with my life. For the last six months I've known that I want to write. It probably doesn't show on the boards but I am a good writer. It's one of the few things I'm confident about, in regards to myself anyway.
I think I'd probably want to do something involving journalism, probably video game journalism because I know my games and I can write about them. The problem is that I have NO qualifications, save a higher in English, that are useful in this field.
I have an ordinary degree in a idiot mix of subjects (I hated uni) and I have no real writing experience.
I feel royally fucked. It feels like I'm too old to try and break into journalism and I have no real idea of how to do it anyway. There seem to be people who were writing amazing articles since they were in nappies and I can't compete.
Sorry, I just wanted to rant. I do really do that very often.
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
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Comments
Secondly, you're 23, not 63. You're nowhere near retirement age yet, so you've got nowt to worry about!
And thirdly, just because you're 23, doesn't mean you can't go begging local magazines and papers for unpaid work experience Plus, the fact that it's unpaid will look fab on your CV
Good luck x
Self publish a mini pamphlet thing, leave it in the games shops as a freebie on the counter. Make sure there's a prominant web address in pamphlet- your webstats or email newsletter subscription is testament to the power of your writing init... + couple of google ads + friendly forum = passive revenue
Unfortunately, it's like any other media-based career. No-one will give you a shot until you have something to show them you can do it, and you can't get a portfolio together until someone will give you a shot. But qualifications are definitely overrated in the media. It does tend to be full of people who've had articles in the local newspaper or specialist magazines, and edited the school newspaper, that sort of thing. But that doesn't necessarily make them better writers, it just means that they are more likely to get their work read. Focus on getting enough professional credits so that your CV convinces employers to take a look at your work. If you are an employer, then the first thing you look at is the CV. Then out of the best of them, you would take a look at their work, since there wouldn't be enough time to look at a piece of work from every applicant. The main thing they will be looking for, other than wirting talent, is the ability to tailor your work to different age groups and target audiences, so a variety of credits that show this (even if they aren't related to the exact subject matter you will be writing about in the job) will tell an employer that you can do this.
I would recommend going onto the Writers Room on the BBC forums. It's for all different type of writing, but it does seem to have people who know what they're talking about.
Nah ah! Yeah you're right - there are really young successful journalists, but that doesn't mean you can't be one at 23 - A friend of mine dropped a £28k a year sales job (with bonus and company car) to move back home with her parents to do the NCTJ journalism course. She's now a reporter for a regional paper and freelances for The Sun (hey people knock The Sun but it's one of the most competitive to write for, pays really well and you have to be a good writer to get on it.) And you know how old she was when she did all that? 28 years old!
Ok so what you really need to do is your research...
How to start out in journalism
Training
Also look through the Media Guardian on Mondays and you'll see what the requirements for journalism jobs are - mainly NCTJ accreditation is what you'll notice.
Oh and you want some cuttings? Why not submit some ideas to us at TheSite? Check out our Net & Tech section and see if you think there's anything obviously missing.
The age thing is really just a way for me to give up without trying. I'm bad for that.
I think I'm just going to have to write my arse off, learn my craft and try and get things published. I think begging letters/emails to editors and fansites may be the way forward.
I'm not sure about the actual qualifications though. The closest NCTJ accepted centre is Glasgow and they only do post grad stuff. My degree just isn't strong enough. I could go back to Uni but it's another four years and 6 grand......
Hmmm.
Guess I'll just have to be a pain in the neck for the editor of the Scotsman.....
p.s I am also aware of the bitter irony in bragging that I can write then posting the worst written thread in living memory.
.....oh dear oh dear......
Dont panic. If you have the desire then you will achieve what you dream of, otherwise you`ll always be a snizzling wreck!
Like you it took me to finish University to relise that I do not want to spend the rest of my life working in jobs associated with my qualification. I`m off to be a Royal Marines Commando now after 8 months of hard training.
Good luck
Want me to put you in touch with a journalist at GamesTM?
23 isn't old!
23!!!
I've got one degree, I worked for 7 years after that, and I am going back to Uni in September to get another degree, in Civil Engineering, coz i wanna change my career...
Too old....nope
If you are not sure what to do, go on a Media Course...and then opt for Journalism...
You can write blogs to perfect your style and explore it...
And volunteering on do-it.org is a cool idea too!!
PS I don't think there are many 23 year olds who know what they want to do with their life, so you've actually got an advantage!
lol! :hyper:
what lipsy said about the journalism course in london sounds good. ut thrue i go to college and there are students there in their 50's!! so 23 is definately not too old
Thanks for all the replies folks.
Click to see more: That would be awesome. I don't really have anything to show them though.......
That's why I'm not going to churn out some crap in a rush.
I have to hone my craft a bit before I have something good enough to submit.
Oh and Sophia, thanks a lot. That made me blush a bit
you could start on the net, i know people who have really used the internet to good ends to get her DJing promoted. You could start online, try your hand at allpoetry.com myspace.com .
keep an eye out for local workshops and stuff like that, cos they'll have experts in to help ya out.
Take your time mate. Let me know when you've got something you're happy with and I'll make sure someone gets a look at it .
Thanks, it's much appreciated
But on the main point - You might want to check out Retro Gamer, Infinite, some of their writing is superb but a lot feels like by the numbers crap - you might want to consider putting something together for them and sending it in to see if you get any response.
i have no formal education or qualifications and my grammer and spelling are atrocious.
that won't stop me.
laziness might.
it would be wrong to describe it as my life story ...more correctly my life experiences.
it won't be a literary masterpiece but ...it should be a cracking read.