redsoxocd

When I get older I want to be a sports columnist/journalist/broadcaster. Sports, specifically baseball and hockey, are a subject that I am extremely passionate about. So everytime that I write an article, I find myself going into a rant that last for about two pages. With my future career, I know that I cannot coninue doing this. Even with my passion for the subject, what should I do to try to keep myself from going off into rants?

Here is a piece that I am working on now. I've put it on hold for a couple of days because I felt myself going into a rant when I started writing it.




You see them at the games, you see them on the trains…and buses…and walking down the street. Sporting Red Sox hats, Celtic and Bruins jerseys, and every piece of Patriots gear you could imagine. They give you hi-fives, engaged in conversations with you; they even try to argue with you about other teams. But where were these people a few years ago.

A few years ago these same people wouldn’t even look you in the eye if you had on a Patriots jersey. They called you “stupid” for rooting for the Red Sox, a team that up until 2004, hadn’t won a championship in eighty-six years. If you even mentioned the thought of turning on a Bruins game they would look at you as if you had ten heads. But now, these are the people that you see taking over. These people, who wouldn’t dare root for a Boston team ten years ago, are the same people that now feel that they have “birth right” to root for every team in the city.

nacreous

woah, what a singular request. So, you're saying that you want to be a sportwriter, but that you find yourself going off on fair-weather-fans everytime you write? Am I getting this right? Or are you saying that everytime you write a sport story, you find yourself going off on SOME rant? Is it the same rant over and over, about fair-weather fans? Or something different each time?
I'd say, it was the same thing each time. That makes more sense. If you see yourself doing this, you are right, you must get control of it. Nobody will hire that kind of writer. you have to beflexible. You'll get it. Anyone who obviously wants to write as much as you will have the self-control to defeat this little monster. Since you can see it, since you know this thing is there, you will surely conquer.
goodluck.

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nacreous - a type of high-flying cloud which often reflects the setting sun back to the earth long after darkness has fallen on the land.

redsoxocd

Everytime that I write a sports story I find myself going off on some rant. The part about fair-weather-fans is just something that I am currently working on and put a hold on it to try and stop myself from making it another one of my rants.

lin

Force yourself to write a pro-Yankee article for every fanrant you do.

Actually, being a good ranter (you REALLY need to master punctuation first: your first paragraph is a mess, especially the ellipses) is not a bad way to get work as a sportswriter. Howard Cosell, Don Imus, and Jimmy the Greek are just three famous ranters I can think of quickly. The San Diego Union-Tribune's sportswriters are almost all ranters and ravers. (Some of the worst sports dicks in the business, by the way)
One of the best sports commentators, by the way, who I'd suggest you read and re-read, is Greg Cote of the Miami Herald.

People like that talkshow crap, it seems.

If you're going to do it, I'd say number one: do it well. Check out the techniques. Develop a flair for cute similes, a stock in this trade. "Fans were reacted to Selig's announcement like pit bulls at a Michael Vick roast" kind of crap.

And be sure your sports knowlege and ability to communicate it is top drawer. Cosell and Imus knew their onions about sports.

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nacreous

alright, I think I got it now. I think this is serious. we may have to operate (lol). Call House!
No, seriously, my thought are going in two different directions right now. First and foremost, I think you should go back and analyze what rants you have made. Figure out when they started, what was going on in your life then, and when it is worst. When is it easy to write WITHOUT GOING ON RANTS? What helps you reduce going on rants? And, are there any trends or patterns or themes to your rants? For example, are men frequently the subject of the rant, or perhaps republicans? Look for patterns, and they may lead you to some insight. You never know. Writing reveals much about the dark side.
The other direction my mind took was this: Structure. You may need structure in your writing. Outline. Plot. Limit. edit. Structure your work before your even starting the first sentence. Know what you'll be talking about, during each third of the work, before you start writing. that is crucial for a professional writer. They dont have time to sit and meditate on flow and composition. Know what you'll be saying before you say it.
i hope one of these two ideas may help. Please note I was in the mental health field for twenty years, so I tend to think like a psychologist. I'm just nuts, angry about environmental destruction. God-damned republicans.
good luck.

__________________
nacreous - a type of high-flying cloud which often reflects the setting sun back to the earth long after darkness has fallen on the land.