When someone sent me a link to an audio clip of an interview with former journalists in new jobs, I was curious to hear it. One ex-reporter found work in a scouting organization he'd excelled in as a youth. Another took his investigative reporting skills and transferred them into private detective work. A third, a former talk show host, is now selling cars.
Two of the three sounded like they missed some aspect of their old jobs, but writing was not one of the things they missed. I can't relate. Chasing stories or scooping someone else didn't excite me. It was always about the writing. My favorite part of the job often happened late at night in an empty newsroom where I was tapping away at my keyboard. Thoughts were flowing and the story was taking shape. In the morning, the story would be scrutinized by a deadline-pressured editor. At night, the story was mine. I could mold it and shape it like a sculptor working with clay. Part of the fun was in not knowing exactly how the story would turn out, and that's what makes this blog enjoyable. Plus, there's no editor to face in the morning.
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