There's a first time for everything

Normally, I'm not one to complain about a writing assignment. I love to write. It's my passion. It's my life's breath. That being said, I'd like to go on the record as also saying that this "hard news" article is the very bane of my existence at the moment.

I did finish it, but I am not sure what to think about the end result. It seems to meet the criteria. However, it is so alien from the writing I like to do that I don't feel the swoon; the ghostly, hair-raising, tingly sensation setting my nerve endings on fire and signaling a job well done.

How do I take my imagination and boil my exuberance down into one to two sentence paragraphs with little to no frilly, flashy or fluffy words? I mean, I was afraid to use a thesaurus this time for fear of having my very elegant, delectable phrases torn to shreds by my peers and their ruthless little red pens.

The funny thing is that I've always toyed with the idea of becoming a journalist. I guess I just didn't realize how much of me I would have to leave out to do it. Not to say that I couldn't do it. But I need a lot more practice!