Criminal Justice Degrees

Archive for March, 2011

Now I’m no expert on addiction, but I do that it’s possible to get addicted to just about anything or anybody. It’s not just drugs like pot and heroin that cause you to lose your mind; just ask anyone who’s unable to kick the smoking habit and find themselves drawn to the nicotine stick even though they it kills; just ask anyone who hits the bottle every day and is blown out of their minds because they’re so drunk they forget who and where there are; or just ask people who are in unhealthy relationships or who have a fetish for just about anything, from unnatural sexual acts to a gluttony for food – they’ll all swear that addictions are the easiest things in the world.

The point is, we all know that smoking and drinking can cause as much, if not more damage than abusing drugs. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death around the world; it’s so dangerous that even secondhand smoke kills. And alcohol, besides causing cirrhosis of the liver and killing people, also causes death through drunken driving and other accidents that happen because thinking and reasoning are impaired by liquor. Obesity causes diseases like diabetes, strokes and heart attacks which decrease the quality of life and hasten death. Why then are only drugs targeted as the bad guys and deemed illegal? Why not ban cigarettes, alcohol, fast food and other unhealthy foods that are not good for our bodies?

The answer is simple – banning everything unhealthy would lead to an autocratic state, one that goes against the very grain of the democracy that is adopted as a form of government by most nations in the world. So we are given the choice to do as we please as long as we don’t hurt anyone else; we’re free to smoke, drink and eat what we want as long as we don’t disturb the peace or harass or cause harm to anyone. Then why not legalize drugs as well? Why not allow people the freedom to choose to do drugs, just as they are now free to choose to smoke or drink or eat what they want?

Unfortunately, the answer to the ills of this world lies not in banning cigarettes and alcohol or in legalizing drugs. Perhaps drugs are banned because they cause your brains to become addled and bring about chemical changes that could cause psychotic behavior which may be dangerous to society at large. No one sees nicotine and alcohol as problems as severe as drugs, but then, the liquor and tobacco lobbies have become too powerful for any kind of prohibition to come about. It all boils down to who has the most money and hence the most pull in legal matters; it’s the same when it comes to drugs – people kill and commit crimes because at the end of it all, it’s a very profitable business. And in this madness for money, it is health that takes a beating and emerges the real loser.

I’m one of the lucky few who make a living out of writing, and although I love my job dearly and wouldn’t trade it for any other, there are times when I wish it was more routine than the nerve-wracking ordeal it can be. When there is no dearth of inspiration or creativity, everything is gung-ho and you’re on top of the world with the feeling that you have the best job in the world. But when the words are stuck in a place between your brain and your fingers and refuse to flow as well as you would like them to, you end up becoming frustrated especially if a deadline looms not too far ahead. If you hope to make a success of being a professional writer and stay in this business for a long time, here are a few things you must know:

• Writer’s block is not always resolved the same way: There will be many times when you’re lost for words and have trouble writing to your usual standard. Taking a break may help at times but not always. At other times, you may have to push through the lack of creativity and plod along until you find your groove. And then there are times when you find that a change of subject may help jog those creative instincts. So when you suffer from writer’s block, it’s not wise to look for the same solution every time. Instead, use your instincts to determine what would help in that particular situation.
• Deadlines are sneaky: I’ve been guilty of this one myself, so I can give you firsthand knowledge on this subject. When you write against a deadline, you tend to put things off till the proverbial last minute. This happens especially if you have a few years of experience and are confident of your ability to deliver even in a short period of time. But then, you often forget to factor in Murphy’s Law that says – if something can go wrong, it will. So you’re likely to come face to face with a personal crisis or emergency just as your deadline is nearing, and because you’ve whiled away your time frivolously instead of focusing on work, you end up either overshooting your deadline or doing a hurried and botched-up job, both of which don’t do anything for your credibility as a writer.
• Writing as work is different from writing for yourself: I became a writer by accident – a friend discovered through my blog that I could write well and recommended me to a few people who were looking for professional writers. And although I took to the job like a fish to water, there are times when I feel that writing as a profession is a drag when compared to writing for yourself because you are passionate about the craft and the subject you choose to write about. So once you begin writing as a career, remember that there will be times when you feel incomplete and unsatisfied, but as long as you choose assignments with care, you should get used to these moods and get over them quickly.
• Payment discussions are important: Some writers are paid an hourly rate while others charge by the article (or number of words). While the former takes into account the work associated with any number of re-writes, the latter is unfair when you’re asked to redo parts or the whole of an assignment. It’s best you discuss payment upfront with the client before you take on a project and also talk about the mode and method of payment. Don’t short-sell yourself just because you are out of work; good writers are not a dime a dozen, so wait for your worth to be recognized and given its fair due.