Regardless of your age, knowing your strengths and weaknesses enables you to see where
you need to improve and perhaps identify a career direction. For example, if you are skilled
at explaining facts, details, and issues, then you would probably make a strong journalist or
public relations writer. If you can write inspiring commercial copy, you could be headed for
a successful career in advertising.
But first, we have to build the right skill sets. Do you frequently encounter difficulties with
grammar, spelling, or punctuation? Do you often draw a blank when it’s time to begin
writing? How do you come up with creative ideas when facing deadline pressure? You’ll rest
easier once you begin to work on overcoming these challenges using the strategies that
media professionals employ. Media professionals carefully consider their situations and
audiences as they write news stories, blogs, or advertisements. They identify the facts and
determine what is most important for their readers or viewers to know. Before setting their
fingers to the keyboard, they think hard about how they will approach their writing task.
You can learn these strategies too.
Writing apprehension refers to feelings of anxiety connected with the various phases of
writing. Researchers have connected writing apprehension with trouble getting started,
worry about mechanical skills (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure),
career skills, fear of being evaluated, anxiety about procrastination, and worry about which
ideas to use.