Archive
My Goal for 2012
You might be wondering why there’s a photograph of a rain-drenched car at the top of this post. I’ll get to that. But first…
1. A quick look at 2011 on this site
Which, really, is a look at only November and December since I didn’t do any writing in the prior ten months.
Total productivity: 5,870 words and 2 videos in 12 posts (average post length, 489 words)
Your favorite posts, based on total views in 2011:
- My mother’s plan for me to marry a brown girl is doomed.
- Is it Un-American to Ride Public Buses?
- Things I learned in Sweden
(In case you’re wondering, my favorite post to make was this one because I learned something really useful along the way. And of everything on this site, this post received the most views in 2011 – and remains the all-time most-viewed post.)
All that being said, I’m glad you’re reading this site! The site stats tell me that, while I might indulge myself writing about serious things like the bus system’s finances, the fun stories are what resonate with you – so I’ll keep writing them! I enjoy the off-site dialogues that spring from these posts, and I feel great satisfaction when you say that you found a post like this one useful.
2. My Goal for 2012
I have one goal in 2012 as a writer: to write 2 pieces that are featured on sites where I don’t have editorial control.
I’m not 100% certain what I’ll write or where I’ll contribute. I read a few personal finance sites – like Get Rich Slowly, in the sidebar – so, maybe a piece on how to find value in the used car market? (AKA why Saad drives the Crown Vic in that photo.) Or maybe essays about the stuff that everyone relates to, like relationships and dating and social stuff. (Sorta like I did with that piece on marrying a brown girl.) Or maybe fiction like short stories posted in installments. (No ideas yet, just throwing it out there.)
I am open to your suggestions, as well… What do you want to read? Let me know in a comment!
And of course, I’ll keep writing on this site like I always do – experimenting, trying to make things fun, make things sexy.
(In a way, I already write for another site, with my occasional, brief contribution to Em & Lo like this one. But I’m greedy and I want to inform, entertain, and help more people! By the way, bookmark Em & Lo and visit them because you will enjoy their columns!)
Finally, here are a few useful links on how to stick to a new year’s resolution, how to get moving to do the things you really want to do, and how to propose to write a guest post.
Happy new year!
If I Could Write to My 16-year-old Self…
The idea for this post comes from Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self discovered here.
Dear Saad,
Take a break from that Ludacris song to read this. I’m going to tell you what the next ten years hold for you. I’ve got your attention? Good!
While you’re sitting pretty right now with first semester classes, you’ll find out the next five semesters aren’t any walk in park. Example: you’re going to take, suffer through, and then have to retake a class known as Intermediate Orgo. Luckily, you won’t go through these struggles alone. Some of the classmates going into these battles alongside you will end up becoming friends whom you have long after those classes, and college, are finished.
Next year, Mom will ask you to take passport photos and you’ll hate how you look like a goob in the picture. Let it go. That passport’s gonna accompany you to Canada and Mexico–okay okay, starting out slowly–and Japan, the Caribbean, Sweden, Scotland, Denmark, Switzerland, and Germany!!!
You know how you were annoyed by English class in high school? Well, you’ll take some literature and writing classes soon and end up becoming a huge reader and a bit of a writer, too. Don’t worry about how you’ll take your books with you when you travel. In about 6 years, something called a “Kindle” will be invented–it’s like an iPod for books–and the parents will give you one as a present when you finish your PhD. That’s right, you’ll be Dr. Saad! I’m not telling you what you get the PhD in, because it’ll be a fun surprise for you. Right now, you’ve never even heard of the subject. I’ll say this much: you’ll go to an SEC school, get to watch the Gators in person many times, and become pretty good at science.
You won’t have your first kiss this year (sorry, dude) but you’ll come to meet, date, love–and be loved by–some remarkable women. Keep your eyes open to their good habits. You’ll grow and become a better person for it.
Love,
Saad
2011
Effectively think and write about your scientific findings
“Writing a Paper” by George Whitesides is fantastically useful. Only three pages long, it is a succinct guide to writing a cogent, coherent article from the questions, experiments, and data that are swirling in your mind.
The central message is to formulate, early in the life of a project, an outline to direct your thoughts and data collection.
“No project is ever complete, and it saves enormous effort and much time to propose a plausible paper and outline as soon as you see the basic structure of a project.”
