Off-diary

I need to find an off-diary story for tomorrow afternoon's 'Practical Journalism' class. Yeah, I should have done it a week ago, when I was actually more clear on what off-diary actually was, but I figured what I would do was take a look at what famous authors would be coming to this fair -- if very rainy -- city. That would be an off diary story, author comes to Leicester. But it seems none are. I am now trawling through the what's on guide to local libraries to see if I can dredge up anything from there -- I figure there has to be something in that, since I had to write up copy from so many local library press releases when I was working in the news room a few weeks back.

I must apologise to you kids for not keeping this as updated as it could be recently, I'm going to be trying to update just as regularly as I was before I left home. It just might take a little while before normal service is resumed.

Things here aren't all that great, but then again things at home weren't either so I can't say I'm all nostalgic for tending bar and living at home. However, I am having my doubts about if journalism is really what I want -- the questions raised in the interview last Spring, about how someone creative like myself would be content in journalism are now troubling me. Back then I defended myself saying art imitates life and there was a place for creative writing in journalism. Now I'm wondering if I really won't be earning a pittance, just writing stories about flower shows and local libraries from press releases.

But what else is there? I guess that's why I'm here. I figure that I need some job, that I can't just be filling supermarket freezers, mopping floors, pumping gas or waiting tables...