Telling subjects the story you wrote about them won an award

[BillySixty]

Does anyone do this? Obviously if it the story comes through regular beat reporting you wouldn't, or if it's a story about someone that has his or her name in the paper on a regular basis.

But what about people off your beat that don't get written about all the time? Do you think they even care?

 

[HejiraHenry]

Hmmmm.

I suppose if the story developed because of unusual access or co-operation with an interview/feature subject, then a thank-you would be in order.

A second thank-you, really, because if somebody provided you with "unusual access or co-operation," you should have wrtten a thank-you note to start with.

 

[fishwrapper]

No one cares.

 

[Pringle]

I always feel weird doing it, so I don't.

"Hey, your misery won me acclaim, while you still have to live with it, day-in and day-out! Whoo-hoo!!!"

I think it can come off as tainting the purity of your mission, in their eyes.

 

[Angola!]

I always feel weird doing it, so I don't.

"Hey, your misery won me acclaim, while you still have to live with it, day-in and day-out! Whoo-hoo!!!"

I think it can come off as tainting the purity of your mission, in their eyes.

Especially if it is the tired stories about people with cancer or their dad is in Iraq.
Thanks for your life being screwed up for the next however many years I won an award at my newspaper, let me know if your brother plays sports and comes down with cancer also. That would be a great followup.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

Because I have yet to win a major writing award, I usually call the subjects of the stories I have entered in contests after the results are announced and chant, "Air ball! Air ball!" until they hang up on me.

That may seem a little odd and cruel. But, if I don't hold their feet to the fire, how can I expect them to improve enough to become award-winning material.

 

[Tom Petty]

Because I have yet to win a major writing award, I usually call the subjects of the stories I have entered in contests after the results are announced and chant, "Air ball! Air ball!" until they hang up on me.

That may seem a little odd and cruel. But, if I don't hold their feet to the fire, how can I expect them to improve enough to become award-winning material.

forking nice.

i like your approach.

 

[write then drink]

i did this, after much consternation

it meant a lot to her

I'm glad I did

I actually ended up inviting her to APSE

 

[sartrean]

I don't give a fork about writing awards. I'll be the first to say my writing sucks. It doesn't get better with age, it just lingers around like mold.

I do wish they'd sauce up the prestige of some awards with a trip to Vegas, a couple pounds of coke and two five star, high-dollar whores. When they do that, then I'll be busting my hump to win.