Story Schedules

The main lesson I have learned over the past couple of days is this: always space out the beginning and ends of your stories.

I know what you're thinking. This is quite evident because then you won't get bogged down with tons of interviews and have troubles meeting deadlines. But this is where you're wrong my friend. Dead wrong.

I have no problems juggling interviews and writing times and getting things in when they need to be. I do have problems with something that every journalist knows is outside the realm of their control; getting people to call you back.

Yesterday and today I started on no fewer than six stories, but only one contact person has bothered to get back to me, which makes for a pretty slow day. I've managed to stay sane by editing older pieces and researching my feature for Symmetry, but come on SLAC folks, have a heart for a guy trying to do his job and give me a call back!

And I would ceaselessly call and write emails and show up on doorsteps, but I don't want to be annoying and scare them off of the interview either.

Such a delicate rope to walk.

But by Monday at noon, if I haven't heard from them, I am going to be forced to track one or two all over the site and corner them like a wild, rabid dog. And I don't like going to that place inside myself. It gives me indigestion…