Journalistic writing, podcast, team building, and more

Hello! I hope everyone is holding on.

This week I wrote a news story on how teenagers are contributing to the community during COVID – 19, for example, grocery shopping for senior citizens, teaching them how to stay socially connected via Zoom, volunteering, etc. I don’t have much experience with journalistic writing and my first draft wasn’t substantial enough, so I did more research with the guidance of my team. I felt a little defeated at first, but then I realized this doesn’t say anything about myself. It only means that I have a lot to learn, which is never a bad thing. I also wrote down ideas I have for future posts so I won’t have to start from scratch every time.

Monday was the first deadline for our team. As usual, it was a struggle to get everyone to submit on time. Especially during this pandemic, I want to be understanding and check in with people just in case they need some support. But I also need to hold people accountable. We had a couple of more meetings and finalized the posting schedule. I made sure everyone can log into the website and that the editors’ works are manageable.

On Tuesday night, we recorded the first episode of our podcast. It was honestly really fun. We discussed how coronavirus is affecting people, our experiences with online classes, and advice for fellow teens who are stuck in quarantine. We also messed around and made jokes to lighten the mood. I like the dynamics of team, and I am glad get to know my teammates more.

I enjoyed getting to know people in The Incandescent Review in general. None of them is my close friend from the Kenyon Review Young Writers Program, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to build deeper relationships with them. We stayed up talking about politics, religion, and mental health and kept each other company during quarantine.

We are launching our first issue tomorrow! I strongly recommend you to check out our website, the art/design team put a lot of work into it. Link: https://www.theincandescentreview.org/

In the past week, I also tried to implement what is happening right now in my novel: in a fictional world, there is also a global pandemic going on, and my protagonist is trying his best to keep his school safe. I have also been journalling a lot. I tried to focus on the positives and be extra kind to myself.

Stay well and have a great weekend!