Now that my time at The Journal has come to a close, I’ve felt an itch to get as much writing out there as possible. It’s why I very quickly went to Muse (though I’m not on the magazine’s editorial board), because it’s an impulse that I can’t shake.
The nice thing about the school paper, like any full-time job, is the guaranteed output. I knew how many articles a week I could write. How many shows I could see. As if to confirm this, a mentor/neighbour who’s also a writer said how relieved he was to have an office job after years of freelance. He’d been at a few papers when he was around my age and a little older.
And I guess I’ve been at a few papers now, my track record is not shoddy but any means. The issue is that it’s never enough. The more writing I put out the more pleased I am. Not returning to The Journal was a little devastating in that sense. But, there are other places I’ve arrived at which help.
One of which is Broken Pencil magazine. I’ve done one review for them and I’ve got two more in the works. For now, check out my take on Chief Laforme’s poetry collection Living in the Tall Grass.
-Clay
Clayton Tomlinson 