I suppose, like most beginnings, I should start with an introduction. My name is Seth Houston, and I'm a writer.
My decision to become so is partly documented in a previous blog, "Thoughts of an Undecided Writer," and in various class assignments relating to the subject. If you're interested in reading the blog, you can do so at http://www.usmsethhouston.blogspot.com/. However, my present purpose isn't to give you my history, although I may decide to relate that in the future. My purpose now is to tell you about my current circumstances, my direction, and myself. I was born and raised in the town of Laurel, in the state of Mississippi. Laurel is in the southern part of the state, about three hours north of the coast. I'm currently in my freshman year at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, a small town about half an hour south of Laurel. Right now, I'm inclined towards journalism. I'm taking a Monday/Wednesday journalism class, which means that I write for The Radionian, the school newspaper. I've also applied for an internship at The ReView, a newspaper headquartered in Laurel. If I'm accepted, my two newspaper jobs and 13 other hours of classes at Jones may prevent me from writing consistently.
Now, a little about where I'm hoping to get to. I'm not really sure. I want to follow God's direction as closely as possible, it's just that I haven't received a whole lot of instruction yet. I know that I'm supposed to write for Him. Everything else is up in the air.
I suppose you should know a little about where I'm coming from. After all, what we believe influences the way we look at everything, which influences how we write. This is true even for journalists, although many like to deny it. Journalists say they write only the facts, which may be true, but a lot depends on which facts you choose to present. For example, I once looked at several different articles about the same event, but the perspectives were extremely varied. In late May 2010, a ship carrying aid (food and medical supplies) for Gaza sailed through Israeli controlled waters. In most of the articles I read, the big bad Israeli navy boarded this peaceful aid ship and senselessly killed eight of the crew. I then found an article containing a statement from an Israeli official about the incident. According to him, the ship was sailing through a blockade that the government had set up to stop imports to Gaza. Apparently, Israeli citizens had been attacked with weapons smuggled into Gaza from ships, presumably ships posing as "peaceful," and as a result, the government decided to set up the blockade. This is a completely different picture than the other articles painted. What I'm trying to say is that journalists are biased just like everyone else, and sometimes that shows up in our writing.
You might have guessed from the "pro-Israel" example and my earlier reference to "following God's direction," that I tend to be politically conservative. You would be correct. I don't really plan on writing about politics much, and if I do I'll try not to rant. I just thought you should be forewarned. Like I said before, this blog is mostly about my journey as a writer, and my observations along the way. Until next time, dear readers.
My decision to become so is partly documented in a previous blog, "Thoughts of an Undecided Writer," and in various class assignments relating to the subject. If you're interested in reading the blog, you can do so at http://www.usmsethhouston.blogspot.com/. However, my present purpose isn't to give you my history, although I may decide to relate that in the future. My purpose now is to tell you about my current circumstances, my direction, and myself. I was born and raised in the town of Laurel, in the state of Mississippi. Laurel is in the southern part of the state, about three hours north of the coast. I'm currently in my freshman year at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, a small town about half an hour south of Laurel. Right now, I'm inclined towards journalism. I'm taking a Monday/Wednesday journalism class, which means that I write for The Radionian, the school newspaper. I've also applied for an internship at The ReView, a newspaper headquartered in Laurel. If I'm accepted, my two newspaper jobs and 13 other hours of classes at Jones may prevent me from writing consistently.
Now, a little about where I'm hoping to get to. I'm not really sure. I want to follow God's direction as closely as possible, it's just that I haven't received a whole lot of instruction yet. I know that I'm supposed to write for Him. Everything else is up in the air.
I suppose you should know a little about where I'm coming from. After all, what we believe influences the way we look at everything, which influences how we write. This is true even for journalists, although many like to deny it. Journalists say they write only the facts, which may be true, but a lot depends on which facts you choose to present. For example, I once looked at several different articles about the same event, but the perspectives were extremely varied. In late May 2010, a ship carrying aid (food and medical supplies) for Gaza sailed through Israeli controlled waters. In most of the articles I read, the big bad Israeli navy boarded this peaceful aid ship and senselessly killed eight of the crew. I then found an article containing a statement from an Israeli official about the incident. According to him, the ship was sailing through a blockade that the government had set up to stop imports to Gaza. Apparently, Israeli citizens had been attacked with weapons smuggled into Gaza from ships, presumably ships posing as "peaceful," and as a result, the government decided to set up the blockade. This is a completely different picture than the other articles painted. What I'm trying to say is that journalists are biased just like everyone else, and sometimes that shows up in our writing.
You might have guessed from the "pro-Israel" example and my earlier reference to "following God's direction," that I tend to be politically conservative. You would be correct. I don't really plan on writing about politics much, and if I do I'll try not to rant. I just thought you should be forewarned. Like I said before, this blog is mostly about my journey as a writer, and my observations along the way. Until next time, dear readers.
