Entering my sixth week as an intern, this week was more about quality than quantity. Getting to work at Paste this week as more fulfilling as I built on what I did last and mixed more of “me” into my articles. I was on my P’s and Q’s this week as I tried being more aware as a writer of not only what I was saying but how I saying it. Internet research was my best friend this week I constantly had to search and hunt for leads so not to be called out. For the first time in weeks, I actually socialized with my fellow interns. Being able to share such a special experience with others fed my need for acceptance.  Last week’s shoutout in the newsletter motivated me to do my best despite some distractions.

Being my diligent about researching my subject was something I had to tackle this week. Earlier in the week, I was called out for not going above and beyond to find my source for an article. Inside, I was like “Man, I looked for about fifteen minutes for the original source”, but I knew my editor was right. Research has always been a double-edged sword for me. I felt like a research pro after umpteenth research papers written, but I believed research fatigue set in leading to some lazy internet surfing. While I like being about to find multiple sources, it can be a little tedious and boring for a fast-paced personality like myself. This week was a much-needed wakeup call to be a more efficient writer during this internship and beyond. Even though I want to be a stellar, world-class writer now, I must have patience when taking part in the writing process. Hopefully, this mindset will help me tackle my mental roadblocks in the future.