Has Being Pissed Off Ever Made You Write A Better Story?

I was having lunch with a former co-worker last week and we recalled a time where, just like the headline says, I was pissed off and because of it, I cranked out a great story.

"You were lucky I had anger management issues," I retorted.

"What do you mean, `had?' he responded.

He's right. I have a couple of other stories to relate, but I want to hear if any of you beautiful people have had a similar experience.

I'll start.

2011. I'm softball contact and we just won the conference tournament and will play at Florida in the regional the upcoming Friday, which just also has to be my daughter's HS graduation.

Baseball is HOSTING conference tournament. The Friday game will be at 2 p.m. No problem, right. Simple flip.

Except ... young territorial baseball contact blurts out "I'm just concerned because you haven't covered a baseball game all year." Baseball coach and administrator back me up. Flip is made. Baseball contact leaves the room.

5..4..3..2..1

"THAT dumb$hit little &*&^## twerp! Does that )*&^# know I covered the (&^$@ Cleveland Indians and the Florida Marlins !?!.... &^$%$Kerry Wood &^%$#Vladimir Guerrero ...Dale Murphy...

Baseball coach and administrator bust out laughing. "We knew you would do that."

Bottom line. Staff ace who was named pitcher of the year throws an eight-hit shutout. Franchise player who ends up batting behind A-Rod during A-Rod's Tampa Yankees rehab and makes it to the show in later years does his thing. I'm out there in plenty of time after a very passable spot gamer and make it to graduation. For the record, softball was run-ruled.

Baseball contact leaves per diem and rental car in mailbox for Saturday return to normal beats. "Good story" was on the note. No anger management issue that time.

Here's my story... look forward to hearing and reading yours... Garner's Good - Very Good - And B-CU Blanks Norfolk State 8-0 - Bethune-Cookman University Athletics

 

The best thing I wrote was my father's obituary, and I was quite angry and drunk when I did that.

 

I'd be much better off in life if I counted to 100 before hitting send ...

 

I've typed a hundred comments on the Trump thread, checked for typos, then deleted the post.

 

I've fired off some seriously excellent angry letters to corporate execs when we've gotten the runaround. It's possible to be polite, make your point and be sarcastic at the same time.

I got one of the senior vice presidents at Charles Schwab to call and personally apologize to Gwen for the letter we got on the fourth anniversary of her father's death, threatening to sue Gwen for not paying fees on her father's estate ... an account that we had closed three years prior.

Writing with an actual passion for the topic usually provides clarity for me. I was a lousy debator in high school and college, probably because of my shyness more than my intellect. But the pressures of daily deadlines helped me tighten up my subject points and argument defense. The columns where I had to defend an opinion were usually my favorites.

 

I'd divide this into two topics: Pissed off at the topic you're writing about, or pissed off at whatever is going on around you at the moment, a la Daytonadan. I can't think of anything in the latter, but have definitely written some pretty decent anger-fueled columns (fine, they were more BLOGGGGGSSSSSSS).

This thread reminds me of another wrote better when... moment. I wrote for the local daily while home on semester breaks and the summer. I started going out wiht my future wife at the end of the fall semester and she came to my hometown to visit for the first time early in January. I took her to a prep basketball game #RomanticAsFuck (not nearly the last time I dragged her to something I was covering) and she came with me to the office afterward. (this was back when there were games to cover and newspaper offices in which to write stories). I banged out 15 inches in about 10 minutes because, well, we wanted to get back to my house where my parents were long asleep. One of the deskers I'd known forever noted he'd never seen me write that fast, and he knew exactly why.

 

Those are good memories, bringing a former or current partner to see the newsroom like it's the fukin arcade.

For me there was always some dim hope the person would be impressed. (And to my surprise often was.)

 

Haha I think she was the only one I brought there, though I was there so long that friends of both genders would just stroll in looking for me. I remember one problem arising and me and two of my friends discussing it in the darkened ad sales office (darkened b/c it was after 5 and they were long gone) until my editor came out and said yo, time to work.

I also went out with a girl in advertising one summer. Never mix editorial and advertising. She had a serious case of the crazies.

 

See "Modell, Art"

 

My late father was a master of writing indignant consumer letters. I was awed by the responses he got. He'd start pissed, but writing the letter was like art, to come off as a hurt loyalist. He almost always got satisfaction. I don't have that skill. Wheedling phone calls are my strength.

 

I think there's a certain talent in dealing with a bureaucracy. Patient, forceful and effective is a tough line to walk during those calls.