How To Be a Swiss Army Knife
One sports writer's journey to becoming a generalist
This is how a recent day unfolded:
10:30 AM: Write a blog on ransomware attacks
11:30 AM: Schedule social media posts about e-commerce
12:00 PM: Start a case study for a cybersecurity company
1:00 PM: Do some interviews for a story about AI in sports
2:00 PM: Schedule some library time for research for a new book project
2:15 PM: Schedule social media posts about cybersecurity
2:30 PM: Do a radio interview for my first book, about the Olympics
3:00 PM: Write some copy for a shoe site
3:30 PM: Flop on my couch
This type of schedule is never something I imagined. Since I was a kid, all I ever wanted to do was be a sports writer. I followed the steps: write in college about sports, go to grad school, get an internship and job at Sports Illustrated. I was set.
Then, in late 2019, after being one of many to lose their job at Sports Illustrated after an acquisition, I was faced with a choice.
Do I want to be a specialist? Or do I want to be a Swiss Army Knife, one who can do many things? Specifically, do I want to stay only in sports, or branch out to more topics and industries?
In part due to more economic security, in part due to that being the best (and frankly, only) option, I chose Swiss Army Knife, a hired freelance (and in-house) gun.
It was the best choice I ever made.
Now, my days are filled with writing and reporting and research about a wide variety of topics. I’ve found I really enjoy cybersecurity. I’m fascinated by AI and machine learning. And I’ve found, to my surprise, how these topics all intersect. I’ve written about AI in sports more and more, which strengthens my understanding and helps improve my cybersecurity writing. I’ve learned about machine learning in e-commerce, which was informed by my education on machine learning in cybersecurity. It all, surprisingly and wonderfully, connects.
That’s not to say, though, that it doesn’t come without complications. On the days, like above, where I’m writing about all these topics, switching back and forth, my mind can go to mush. One example stands out. When my first book, about Olympic history, came out in May, I was fortunate enough to do a large radio tour. One interview was at 2:25 PM. From 2:00-2:30 PM, I was on a Zoom call for a cybersecurity project. I ducked out at 2:24 PM, received the call from the radio station at 2:25 PM, talked about obscure Olympic history for 10 minutes, hung up, and then went back to writing about ransomware.
I felt a mini-explosion in my mind.
Over the last year or so, I’ve asked myself many times if the mind-melting is worth the joy of writing about varied topics. The answer is yes. I’m a trained reporter. I love finding out new information. The great joy of being a reporter is that you get to talk to people who are experts in their field. You get to learn about new topics and trends before others do. You get paid to seek out knowledge. It reminds me a little bit of my liberal arts college, taking in all sorts of knowledge from a wide variety of sources. There’s nothing better than that.
It’s why I’ll never go back to writing about just one thing. Sure, I will continue writing about sports. My next book project is sports-centered. But it will also involve history, media studies, disinformation and propaganda. Researching, reporting and writing the book will be a knowledge-based endeavor. Instead of laser-focusing on one thing, I’m expanding my mind, my work and, most importantly, my options. While having an expertise is never a bad thing, I’ve found, at least in today’s media climate, it can limit options to the very few. For many, expanding your work simply expands your options.
Being that Swiss Army Knife requires time management, planning and patience. It requires, as I often do, flopping on the couch and watching silly YouTube videos to unplug and re-center.
I have by no means figured it out. I’ve literally been looking for a to-do list structure that fits for 15 years. (Name an app, I’ve tried it. And if you have any suggestions, please tell me!) I have some days where it can feel a bit much.
That said, I’ve learned a few things that have helped me switch between topics without going too crazy. I hope they’ll help you.
Rule No. 1: You will not finish everything. I’ve learned that some days, one project will take a lot longer than anticipated. If that happens, trying to abruptly switch to something wildly different will not result in your best work. Turn off, re-charge and try again.
Rule No. 2: Triage. Which project is due first? Which project will take the longest? Which sector are you least familiar with and will require more research? Tackle the immediate first, the hardest next.
Rule No. 3: Watch out for connections. I’ve been shocked sometimes at how things connect. It could be because I’ve been writing a lot about AI lately, and AI is literally everywhere. But I also think it’s because my mind is open to it. I’m reading new things, seeing things in different lights. Working on one project will spark an idea for another one.
Rule No. 4: Music. I find blasting heavy rock (I’m partial to Foo Fighters, which I’m listening to right now!) really works well to get in a writing groove.
This generalist journey is coming up on two years, now. It’s a far cry from what I thought my career would look like. But, it’s better than I expected. I find that writing less about sports actually allows me to enjoy watching them more. And my curious mind is satiated daily. It’s not a bad combo.
Now, I’ll go from writing about switching topics to actually switching topics of writing. Just another day in the life of a generalist.
Jeremy Fuchs is a writer, reporter and editor. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Indianapolis Monthly, Time, InStyle and more. His first book, Total Olympics, was released in May and you can reach him here for gigs, feedback and your preferred to-do list solution.
Ooooho I love the day breakdown format! This is so helpful!