What I’ve learned in 11 years working at the Chicago Tribune
In my younger days, I was an insufferable colleague (some would argue with “was”). I was dismissive of other people’s ideas. Maybe it was because I was an incorrigible 23-year-old, freshly hired at the Chicago By God Tribune, and thought I was hot shit. Nope.
Soon I would be humbled and put in my place. Today, I tell my dear colleagues I’m most thankful for their patience. I wished I could have told that 23 year old however high of a pedestal he places himself, he really has so much to learn. I would have pulled that kid aside and told him a few things, and it might have saved him — and the people he work with — a lot of grief.
That was the very reason I decided, in 2013, to begin helping the young interns who entered our newsroom. I was hoping to reverse the bad karma I sowed. Many were new to the city, living in some far-flung neighborhood and scared shitless when they stepped into our office. (I was that intern in the summer of 2003.) Maybe I could recruit some like-minded colleagues to be the friendly faces they needed to see.
I’ve had 50-plus interns over the last three years. We’ve taken improv classes together, ate cheezborgers at the Billy Goat Tavern, toured the city aboard a water taxi and watched the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Working and staying in touch with these kids have been the most fulfilling thing I’ve done at the Chicago Tribune. And now, as I depart the newsroom after 11 years (the only job I’ve ever held), I want to pull those kids aside and tell them a few things.
- Never seek praise. Seek criticism.
- Write thank you notes. No one else does it.
- Write to your heroes, and tell them what they mean to you.
- Don’t be the person on Twitter who scolds other people, or believes snark is an attractive trait. Everything you post on social media is permanent.
- So what if the other person doesn’t follow back?
- Don’t work for people obsessed about going viral on the Internet.
- On time means five minutes early. And then, firm handshakes.
- If you get the chance, leave the country for six months.
- Be prepared to have your heart broken at least three times.
- Embrace your eccentricities. Then become the expert writer on those subjects. I used to be ashamed of being the geek who liked pro wrestling and card tricks. All these years later, my best stories have been about wrestlers and magicians, because no one can pitch and write those stories with authority like I can.
- The 4.5 most important skills for a journalist in 2016: 1) Write pithy sentences. 2) Take great photographs. 3) Learn how story structures work. 4) Become an expert at something. 4.5) Build websites and learn to code.
- Exercise the muscle that generates ideas. Ideas are currency.
- For food writers: When you first start reviewing restaurants, you’ll think mediocre food is awful and decent food is amazing. It’s easy (and dangerous) to exaggerate your opinions. This doesn’t strengthen your writing. Actually, it does nobody any favors.
- For writers in general: Your most authentic writing voice comes when you’re penning e-mails. To trick my brain, I’ve written stories in Gmail that begin with “Dear Mom…”
- For feature writers: I used to obsess over the beginnings of stories. Now I’ve realized endings are far more important.
- Along the same lines: If you’re having trouble with the ending, take the first paragraph of your story and make it the last. It works more often than you think.
- One-line writing tip: Focus on strong verbs and put your best stuff at the end of a sentence. (Thank you, Steve Padilla.)
- Always choose clarity over cleverness.
- Instead of watching TV, spend two nights a week auditing classes on iTunes U. The fact you can take free classes from Harvard, Yale and Stanford is pretty amazing. Everyone recommends “Justice with Michael Sandel,” so I will too.
- Invest in yourself. If you can spend $50 a month at a gym, why not take a writing class? A history course? I never knew I loved boxing and painting until I took a class.
- Why did I leave an amazing full-time job with nothing lined up? Because I was no longer doing my best work. And I believe your best work comes out when you’re against the ropes.
- Be open to failing.
- But come out swinging.
- Above everything, my God, be grateful.
13 books that taught me to write
“Up in the Old Hotel” by Joseph Mitchell
“King of the World” by David Remnick
“Beyond the Game” by Gary Smith
“Civilwarland in Bad Decline” by George Saunders
“Ant Farm” by Simon Rich
“Jesus’ Son” by Denis Johnson
“Intimate Strangers” by Bill Zehme
“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
“The Sex Lives of Cannibals” by J. Maarten Troost
“Spunk & Bite” by Arthur Plotnik
“Hiroshima” by John Hersey
“The Essays of E.B. White” by E.B. White
“The Man Who Ate Everything” by Jeffrey Steingarten
The five favorite stories I’ve written at the Chicago Tribune
His Saving Grace
The Magician and the Boy
The Japanese Obama
Are Funny Women Intimidating?
Hole In My Heart
Kevin Pang spent 12 years with the Tribune Company, first at the Los Angeles Times and since 2004, at the Chicago Tribune. He is now the food editor at The Onion’s A.V. Club, and contributes to The New York Times and Lucky Peach. He also directed the documentary For Grace, which premiered at SXSW 2015. Contact him at mail at kevinpang dot com or on Twitter @pang
