Twenty-two years before I started coaching journalism writers at the University of Texas in Austin, I coached Ward–a fellow freshman–on how to compose his assigned essay.
Wasn’t first time a classmate asked for help. In high school my experience on our student newspaper and part-time job at the local daily established my credentials. I often advised “write about something you know well.”
My suggestion to Ward was write about your hometown. Ward answered, “That’s Katy. Not very big. Only one stoplight in town.”
Smiled. “Good opening paragraph, Ward. Write that down.”
Thought about that description when I was told that I had a blog reader in Katy Texas. He said his grandmother had many pen pals. She wanted to add me to her correspondents. You betcha, I said. I can write about Ward and one stoplight in Katy.
That’s when I thought, Katy’s near Houston, probably grown. Better check the internet. Greater Katy Texas, population 340,000. Inner city only 29,409. Probably where the stoplight needed.
