|
Home::Writing
Being the "Butt" of an Article
Author : Ed Williams
A writer friend of mine just forwarded me an email that someone has just sent her. She’s a brand new writer, has a column going in her local paper, and really enjoys writing. The email she was sent is as follows, only the name of the person sending it has been changed:
“Dear Columnist,
Recently the word ‘butt’ was used in one of your columns. That word is inappropriate, in poor taste, crude, and offensive. The fact that it is used on tv does not change a thing. I appreciate your being able and interested in writing and would like for it to be above reproach.
Best to you.
Ward Cleaver”
She wants to know what I think of it, and what would be the most appropriate way to respond.
As I sit here pondering her request, the full range of potential responses seems to be these:
1. The immature response. This is the one you’d go with if you fired back an immediate, gut check-like response. You’d tell the guy that he should find some “Barney” reruns to spend his time watching and then imply that he must be a real firecracker in most other aspects of his personal life. You’d then close it out with a reminder that this is a free country and that he was free (and encouraged) to read something other than your column in the future.
2. The sarcastic approach. Tell the reader that you’ll try to do better in the future, and that the slip up in the column is easily explainable. Then, go into how you and your friends went out drinking the night before, entered a “Who Can Cuss The Best” contest at a local bar, and that the carry over from that slipped into your column when you wrote it the next day. Promise your reader that it’ll never happen again, as you definitely want to live your life “above reproach,” and then swear to watch twenty episodes of “The Brady Bunch” as penance.
3. The politician’s approach. Take no responsibility for your wording by telling the reader that you actually wanted to use the term “heiny,” “tookus”, or “twin pink apples,” but were prevented from doing so by your editor. Then, go into great detail about your “poor as Job’s turkey” upbringing, adding that it was hard for you to learn proper language usage skills because you grew up in a shack with seventeen brothers and sisters. Close by offering to let the offended reader write a guest column in place of yours the next week, recommend to them some web sites offering free government programs and money, and each Arbor Day from here on out faithfully send them a pine tree seedling.
4. The avoidance approach. Email back a terse two-liner, telling them that you appreciate the feedback but that your schedule is so hectic that you can’t possibly respond to it. Wish them eternal peace and happiness in the closing line.
5. The mature approach. Email your reader back, let them know you appreciated them giving you feedback, and never comment on what you personally thought of their message. Then thank them and close it out. Sweet, simple, and very mature.
It looks like my friend is going to choose the last option, which is certainly the best one to take. But a thought now occurs to me - maybe, instead of these approaches, her good writer friend should just tell her that she’s doing fine, and not to let stuff like this bother her too much. He should also take the time to remind her that not everyone is going to like everything that you write or say, and all you can do is your best and gracefully accept whatever comes along as a result. Finally, maybe her writer friend will simply remind her that her stuff is good, much better than some of the writing being done today by columnists that’s so lame that a South Georgia tree buzzard could do better...
On second thought, I might better leave that last one out...she might start looking at me sort of quizzically after she reads it...
About the Author
Ed’s latest book, “Rough As A Cob,“ can be ordered by calling River City Publishing toll-free at: 877-408-7078. He’s also a popular after dinner speaker, and his column runs in a number of Southeastern publications. You can contact him via email at: ed3@ed-williams.com, or through his web site address at: www.ed-williams.com. Spam emails More free articles Related articles
|
More related feeds |
Blow free job porn. Top teen sex sex n alcohol youth cation nikki ...
A+few+of+the+top+european+porn+girls+from+the+ silvia+saint+blow+job +silicone-free+tits+and+puffy+nipples+as+a+real+bonus+we+drinking+booze+can+help+make+the+world+a+better+place+. Free live porn chat cam porn gifs free anna david ...95 Different Types of POOP
This crap is halfway out then is shot out of your butt like a cannonball by a loud fart. This usually happens when someone is waiting outside the door. Cement block crap The pain of childbirth has nothing on this one: ... The Response
+Kelly+was+acquitted%3F+Watch+your+kid%27s+folks%21%3C%2Fb%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AAnswer%3A+I+more+amazed+of+the+people+cheering+outside.+He+is+a+pedophile+and+his+butt+needs+to+be+locked+up. ... 三级笔译三
... 的动作，其用法如下：hit/pat/slap/strike/punch+sb+on+the+身体部ä½ã€‚æ‹/打æŸäººçš„……部ä½ã€‚ 例： My teacher patted me on the back.è€å¸ˆæ‹äº†æ‹æˆ‘的背。 Slap sb in the face打耳光， punch sb in the stomach打腹部， kick sb in the butt踢臀部ç‰åˆ™ ... ~+bAngkok trip...+~ yeah..i jusT camE back from bKk on sUndaYy ...
A total of 28other members and i waited for Goodwin travel to transfer us from Airport to Hotel and then we wEre check-in into Pathuwan PrinCess Hotel. thE hotel was indeed very Beautiful aS compAre in the interNet. ... Part 2 weiwei!Lim kuku back for more update on SpoongeBob ...
Or else i could show all of you his Sickening and Squarish Face! Hehe! Oops! Paiseh spongy but who cares!! See you soon but i am actually going to be seeing you almost Everyday! SuaY! OMG!!GeeZzz.... My homework from SpoongeBob ... asian girl dating black man
the+back+of+the+%26quot%3BDoghouse%26quot%3B+. Marky Mark Nude. Emily+in+Nagaraj+Silks. Real Estate Class. s+t+y+l+e. Muppet Beach Party. Planetamodelos.com+reporter-model+%7C+Modelo-reportera+de+. Brande Roderick Desnuda. runfree ... russian web cam girl
"But is just thinking it out and being careful and all that enough?" asked Jenny. "I mean, yeah, with six of us someone is going to ask a question if we start doing something really stupid. But are we just fooling ourselves? ... web cam girl friends
She was far more outgoing and personable than I was, however, being in my own house tended to give me courage. We had gotten into several word games in which I managed to hold my own with her fairly well. “You alone, hon? ... hispanic meet single woman
I+%28Heart%29+the+%2770s Pictures Of Adult. Cat%2CBeer+and+a+Flem Guild Wars Beast. DSC_4841-01 Kerry Marie Boobcamp. Moving+on Couple Group Sex. IMG_0299 Very Intimate Pleasures. Wanna+Be+My+Friend%3F Puma Black Anal. Light+Me+Up ...
|
|
|
