I started writing for Odyssey just this past summer of 2015 and I have already learned a ton through this experience. It was summer, and I was only taking two classes, so I decided to seek out some opportunities to boost my resume and exercise my writing skills. Odyssey just kind of fell into my lap, as I’d never heard of it before, but boy did I realize how much I was missing out on. There is a lot of talent among the Odyssey writers and I don’t just mean within our narrative abilities, but also through being successful in all that we do. Here’s what joining the writing team for Odyssey taught me:
Not that I didn’t already know this but writing for Odyssey really nailed into my head the importance of deadlines. Every week without fail, I had to provide content for my article on Saturday by 5 p.m. This sometimes became problematic as I work on the weekends usually well past that deadline, so I learned to plan ahead and write something worth reading so that it wouldn’t be last minute fluff to fill the page. I enjoyed this aspect of Odyssey because it was like a real job, and gave me a sneak peek of what I will be heading into once I graduate.
Another important lesson I have learned is to take a chance writing something out of your comfort zone. For me, that was a news article. I'm not much of a news buff and prefer to keep my opinions of what's in the news to myself, but Odyssey gave me the chance to branch out and try new things which I find to be a valuable opportunity to expand my skill set and what I have to offer future companies I apply for.
I've enjoyed this year, writing for Odyssey, and want to thank everyone who takes part in it and makes it happen, from the editors to the readers. Everyone plays a part in making the plethora of stories come to life.
