Ramblings-n-Writings

Nothing turns me off faster than an ill-informed writer. I know that sounds a little harsh, but it’s true. I think I’ve taken more notice of the problem since I began reading an occasional article on Associated Content.

It actually cracks me up how many articles with inaccuracies are published on AC. Do the editors not care about false statistics, misquoted information, or just plain wrong details?

As an English teacher, I tried to emphasize the importance of research before writing. (The kids didn’t always like the research assignments, but I know it taught them necessary skills.) Research is especially important in non-fiction writing where others depend on what you’ve written for their information. When writing some articles about hypothyroidism for AC (links are in the sidebar), I made sure I included accurate information from credible sources. I didn’t want to lead someone else down the wrong road when she was searching for a solution to her problems. No matter what type of writing you do (fiction, non-fiction, corporate, articles), making sure your facts are accurate will lend credibility to you as a writer.

One of the problems young writers (especially students) have is knowing what makes a credible source for research information. The internet contains a wealth of information on any topic imaginable, but is every site a reliable source? Books are also readily available on most topics, but how do you determine which book to read and if the author is a credible and reliable source?

Stay tuned over the next couple of days for the answers!

The idea for the above series of posts actually came about as a result of Paula Abdul’s “mistake” on American Idol last night. Isn’t it weird where we get our information from?

So how did her “mistake” give me the idea? While watching the show, her mistake of critiquing a contestant’s two songs when he sang only once at that point seemed honest to me. The whole format of the show was strange, as Simon said at the end. I didn’t care for it. Of course, Paula’s mistake caused the blogosphere to light up with theories and reasons. I do have to agree that she has seemed particularly flighty or not all there this season, but now (after a little research) I understand why. On tonight’s episode, Ryan addressed the entire situation with some ambiguity but also sternness against those theories and reasons (she’s drunk, she’s on drugs, she’s a psycho, the show is scripted, etc.)

What did my research reveal? She is on medication (no surprises there as this has been rumored). But to me, the surprising part is what she is on medication for. Please understand that I really haven’t followed Paula’s career and life that closely so maybe a lot of people know this. Paula and my husband suffer from the same disease – Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD).

Paula has had RSD since she was 17 – she’s in her 40s now – however, she wasn’t diagnosed until 2005. She’s also being treated for arthritis.

RSD has no cure. Once you get RSD, you have it for life. This horrible pain disease can go into remission after treatment, but a patient with RSD will forever be on medication.

RSD is a chronic illness. It is debilitating. It changes your life. It alters your sleep pattern. It makes simple tasks difficult. It wears on you mentally.

Compounding the problems caused by the disease are the problems resulting from medication. Even though RSD has been medically documented by name since the Civil War, no medication is designed to treat just RSD. The closest medication at this point is Lyrica (which was really created to help fibromyalgia patients).

Instead, a person with RSD is given a cocktail of meds to take – anti-inflammatories (typically more than one kind), pain medication, neuropathy meds, anti-depressants for sleep – all in hope of controlling the pain. And then there’s physical therapy, topical medications, injections, blocks and more.

These medications can change who you are. Seriously. We’ve actually refused to continue some medications because of what they did to my husband. One of the medications completely changed his personality. He didn’t notice it, but I sure did! It was weird. No more of that med. Another made him seasick – except he wasn’t on the water. He was on solid ground. He spent over a year working on an off-shore fishing boat so I trust him when he says he’s seasick. =)

Based on personal experience and research, I believe that Paula’s mistake was truly a mistake caused by her RSD, medication, the change in format and all that goes with it. Her odd personality this season on AI could also be explained by a change to a different medication. This, of course, is just my opinion.

I hate to repeat myself but isn’t it odd where we as writers get our inspiration from at times?

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