Hearing a professional speak about your chosen field of study is always a treat in the college world. Here for Olivet chapel Mar. 26 and 27, Jonathan Merritt was able to take time out of his busy day to sit down with the Beat Journalism class for a visit.
Ever the storyteller, Merritt came prepared with advice for up and coming writers - both journalists and otherwise. These are The Ten Things Merritt Wished He Had Known as a Beginning Writer.
1. Every word matters. Writing can always be made tighter and more concise. In the digital era, our audience is not captive, but we are capable of captivating them.
2. Good writers are good readers. I've always known this to be true, but Merritt made the point that not only should you be reading good literature, but you should also be reading news from and about your field and books about writing. Reading on writing is important to "honing your craft."
3. No one writes to everyone. Choose an audience. Picture your audience. And write in a way that will speak to that audience. Merritt said, "If you fail to know your audience, you'll end up with out one."
4. Storytelling is as important as smarts, probably more. People don't remember statistics, but they'll remember a good story. Merritt said stories are sticky and they're haunting. When incorporating actual persons, places, and events, readers have an opportunity to connect with the story you are telling.
5. Learn how and when to use word magic. Merritt defined "word magic" as metaphors, imagery, repetition, or any other literary devices.
"Most people make one of two mistakes," Merritt said. "They either are blasé writers who just appeal to sort of the cognitive sensibilities of their readers, and it's just flat out boring. Or they come to discover metaphor or imagery or repetition, or any of these other literary devices, and it's like their first sniff of cocaine. And their writing becomes so larded with all of this junk that it's hard to read. It's like coffee that has too much sugar in it."
Mark Twain said, "You thunder and lightening too much and the reader will cease to get under the bed."
6. Don't just focus on material, focus on movement. Instead of asking yourself what you want to say, ask yourself, what do you want people to feel, to do, and to become?
7. Structure matters. Structure your story based on who your audience is. Write to appeal to your audience. Merritt said to illustrate or demonstrate and then tell them what you were teaching them. Write inductively; lead with a story.
8. Don't fall in love with your work. This might be one of the hardest points for me. When I like what I write, I love what I write. My writing has come to define who I am. However, according to Merritt, when you work under editors and simply to better your writing, sometimes your favorite sentences have to go.
Don't fail to be teachable, he said, people won't always value what you value. "Instead of falling in love with your work, as followers of Jesus focus on the one who has called you to it," Merritt said.
9. Simplify, simplify, simplify. This goes along with writing concisely and not falling in love with your work.
George Orwell wrote the "Six Rules of Writing" in one of his essays. He said, "Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech that you are used to seeing in print. Never use a long word where a short one will do. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Never use the passive where you can use the active. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous."
10. You are the plan. It would be easier to believe after four years of college that your degree will land you your dream job, but according to Merritt, talent doesn't cut it. More important than that, you must outwork everyone else. Listen to the Whisper of God's voice guiding you. In Merritt's case, this Whisper lead him to move to New York. (If that same Whisper told me to move to New York I would drop everything in a heartbeat and go!)
These ten points are true, important, and something that we all must discover ourselves as we grow as writers. What stuck with me the most from Merritt's words, however, was that he felt the calling of God to be a writer.
When hearing missionaries speak about their calling, or pastors, or any other position esteemed in the church, it's difficult not to wonder "What about me?" I've asked myself time and time again if God called people to other careers - nurses, doctors, football players, maybe? And although I think I've always believed it so, hearing Merritt say he was called by God to be a writer struck home for me.
God has a beautiful, wonderful plan for our lives. It might not always be easy - no, I can assure you it won't be, but it is His. Our lives are not our own. I don't yet know where journalism will take me, but I do know that with God all things are possible as long as we trust in Him and His perfect and pleasing will.
I could go on and on about all I learned from Jonathan Merritt this week, but I won't bore you with what's been laid on my heart. Mr. Merritt, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance.
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