Whistling While I Work

As predicted, this week was rather uneventful. The office was quiet, I was an independent lady and I checked some more things off my list of assignments. Productive, but nothing too exciting.

One thing I'm still really uncomfortable with: doing phone interviews with my boss sitting on the other side of the paper thin cubicle panel. Not that she doesn't have anything better to do than eavesdrop on my conversations, but the office is silent as a tomb and its hard to not hear my voice reverberating down the hall.

I have a long way to go before I'm completely at ease and professional when interviewing and I don't like that I have an audience (the most intimidating audience) while I fumble through an awkwardly phrased question. I usually just wing my interviews because I only need them for 200 or so words, but I definitely plan to formulate more comprehensive outlines for future conversations so that I can stop waiting for my boss to go to the copy room before making an express phone call.

I just finished up the two fall arts previews I was working on. I wasn't as big of a deal as I'd anticipated and it went really well. And now I'm as educated as I could ever be on the 2010-2011 performing arts.

My next big assignment is a feature story for the October "Tweens and Teens" issue. A feature article is kind of a big deal as it is basically of the star of the issue; it is also the only opportunity for an intern to get published with a byline...and get paid! The story I am working on is about teen driving: drivers education/ safety and all that jazz. I have a ton to work with on this obviously, and I have already conducted at least three interviews for it. The final article has to be 1,000+ words and I am sure I will have much more to say about it. Since the article isn't due until mid-September (and I'm leaving in August) I really have the rest of my time here to work on it and it's not at all overwhelming. I'm excited for the byline and to get money for writing...so legit. And as soon as I have an idea I can run with, my boss wants me to pitch her another feature story idea. Yay.