Behind the Story
Christmas in Montana is always magical. There's the gathering of my family, the small-town charm, the home cooked meals. It all comes together and feels like magic - which I realize I'm lucky to have. Many people fear and dread the holidays like they're the plague.
Over the last two weeks, I've spent time in Montana driving through the snow, eating too much and writing. Usually my Christmas-time writing includes me writing furiously in my journal about the random frustrations I encounter when moving back home for a flash, but this time I had the opportunity to write freelance for the local paper, and it kept my pen (and my brain) busy in the frigid temperatures of the Rocky Mountains.
After writing for my hometown paper, the Independent Record this summer, I was asked to contribute a few articles while I was in Montana this winter. The first was a simple news story on a high school girls' basketball game, while the second two were features: one on the area ski team and the second on the "Male Athlete of the Year," a 20-year-old boxer named Duran Junior Caferro.
It's great for a young writer like me to get such experience. I was busy calling sources, conducting face-to-face and phone interviews, and digging for facts for my stories while putting together pieces that I was happy with. The experience and resume building are enough to make it worth it, and it's nice to put a little cash in the Survive NYC Fund.
Check out the story on the Great Divide Ski Team here: http://helenair.com/articles/2008/12/28/sports/top/50spl_081228_skiteam.txt
And Junior Caferro here:
http://helenair.com/articles/2008/12/31/sports/top/50spn_081231_caferro.txt
As 2009 begins, I'd like to dive back into the blogging world a bit. I'm excited about the possibilities the tennis season holds, but more than anything else, I'm excited about telling stories and finding new ways to share them. I hope to continue this blog and make it as interesting as possible, but I know myself well enough to realize that it may be touch and go for awhile, as a lot of things in life are.
