I miss London.

Living on the doorstep of London last year is something that I thoroughly miss now, I want it back.

I am living at home whilst I do my NCTJ course which isn't a terrible thing BUT between a 15 Minute journey to Waterloo and an hour and a half journey to Victoria (If i'm lucky) I will always rather the former of the two.

Brighton is ok don't get me wrong, but London, beautiful, hug-like London. I can't on a whim go and see Polly Stenham's new play at the Royal Court now, I can't wonder around Highgate just because I wanted to go to a bookshop that sold Enid Blyton books. Oh! Oxford Street Topshop, The Pleasance in Islington, MY OWN FLAT. Take me back.

Anyway I am going to work my bottom off so I can move back there. The main problem with this is money, I need a job but I also feel like this course is only 14 weeks, I should just embrace it and throw yourself into everything I can.

This week we had a man from Johnston Press come and speak to us and an ex-editor of the Telegraph, both were equally as bonkers as the other. Interesting but a little bit scary.

The first took 5 minutes talking about his experiences with Rolls Royce and told us that Blogs weren't worth anything to potential employers. Which didn't surprise me AT ALL, blogs are very indulgent, not really worth much to anyone except yourself. I'll keep writing on it occasionally because EVENTUALLY I would like to blog like Esther Walker, whom I adore ... http://reciperifle.blogspot.co.uk/ 

The second came to speak to us about feature writing, something I am interested in, one of the many things. We all 'pitched' the ideas we had for the features we have to write for our portfolios; he didn't hold back if he didn't like something. Although I genuinely couldn't tell what he thought of mine, with the others he either said yes or no, mine, he said "Ok" then moved on...WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

ANYWAY...In true stereotypical journalist style, we all went out last night, drinking (Of course). I cannot tell if I am proud or disgusted at myself for doing a vodka shot before drinking anything else but thats obviously what I do now...classy eh?

So today has been watching Breaking Bad whilst snoozing in a warm blanket.

Tomorrow is a shorthand day!

Do you know what journalism is?

"If you want to become a columnist at a prestigious newspaper, you must either be best friends with the editor or be able to give really good blow jobs to the right people"

Do you actually know what journalism is? I know it doesn't pay brilliantly, I know it is full of erratic hours, I even know that it's bloody hard work, but today opened everyones eyes that little bit more.

'Fleet Street Fox'...need I say more?

Her real name is Susie Boniface. This lady right here is a journalist; she is a proper fleet street drinking, cursing journalist and what was the first thing she said to us today? 

"The story comes first, the reader comes second and the journalist is nothing" 

There were about 40 people in this session and with this introduction the room was divided. You were either in the group that liked the no bullshit side to her and subsequently loved the rest of what she had to say OR you hated her from the moment she opened her mouth and then proceeded to ask everyone if they felt the same...

I thought she was brilliant, although apparently my blog is 'sweet' so I should probably say how much I hated her. She didn't sugar coat, she didn't need to as there is nothing to coat in sugar. Wanting to be a journalist is a form of mental illness, only an idiot would put themselves through the barrage of physical and verbal abuse that goes on in this business, BUT that is what makes it all the more exciting!

We were told that no-one would understand why we wanted to be journalists; why we had to keep our phones on 24 hours a day and why we have to run from the Christmas dinner table to take an important phone call, but It is the same as me not understand why someone would become a dentist or a forensic scientist. I wouldn't judge someone for wanting to do these things but doesn't make them wrong for wanting to do it.

"Find the balance between Human and Bastard and DON'T BE A TWAT"

The best way to deal with the barrage of abuse you will face is to know that you haven't done anything wrong. Basically if you have gone about a contentious story in a moral way, no matter how hard it is at the time, then you have nothing to worry about when it comes to criticism (Hopefully)

So, this is what happened at lunchtime today, I sat and took copious amounts of notes because 'Fleet Street Fox' made me think that most things are possible and that you just need to shut up, stop being so arrogant and do what you have to do. No one cares if you have an ego the size of a whale, if you show that to a reader they won't read you again. GET ON WITH IT AND STOP TELLING PEOPLE HOW BRILLIANT YOU THINK YOU ARE BECAUSE NOBODY CARES.

-IF YOU WANT SOMETHING ENOUGH AND YOU ARE WILLING TO FIGHT FOR IT YOU WILL GET IT-

I then went home and bought her book, because I love a good scandal.

NCTJ Excitement and Fears.

We need a new word; One that explains an excessive amount of excitement running along side a vein of nerves. I suppose there could be a word already to explain this, I just haven't read my dictionary thoroughly enough!

So...Today I received the lovely surprise of my 'Journalist Works Journalist Instructions'. I thought because of this it would be wholly appropriate to voice some fears and some reasons why I am so excited.

Understandable Nerves...Enthusiastic Excitement...
-New People. This scares and excites me. I've spoken to a lot to the people on my course and we all seem to be on the same wave length, which is encouraging and will make the course a really good experience for us all because we all want roughly the same outcome.

-100wpm ... Shorthand. This is something that everyone will talk about in their blogs over the next few weeks. I will probably want to cry/throw things/laugh in the face of shorthand, but reading about other peoples experiences it is all about practice, like everything else in life, so this makes me a little optimistic (Yes Emily just used the word optimistic)

-14 Weeks of 9am-5:30pm days. This is one of the things that I am genuinely looking forward too, Yes I can hear you all saying "Oh how sweet, she really has not got a clue" I know I don't but let me go into it guns blazing and then you can say I told you so when I kick a bin for no reason.  I was reading the main 'advice' on the Brighton Journalist Works Blog and it basically says..."Forget about any life you might have had before the course, forget about the television, forget you have friends" Well that's how I read it anyway. But I am ready to immerse myself into the "Adult World" I am bored at the moment, I want to be working and proving myself.

-Exams. No-one likes them, I have never been very good at them, this is going to be interesting!