In November, I was having dinner with my good friend Shaun at Cafe Saint Ex in Washington, DC, and I was trying to explain to him my vision for Too Shy to Stop. He had visited the website a few times before, and I can still remember the way he described it: “Reading Too Shy to Stop is like walking through the East Village in New York City.”
Yes! Have you ever been to the East Village? For me, this part of Manhattan is a feast for the senses, and I love the eclecticism, liveliness, colors, and sounds. You can visit any time, and you will never know what to expect.
(Pictured at left: Graffiti on unwanted refrigerator at curb on Saint Mark’s Place)
Justine, one of our writers, recently wrote in an email: “Where else could I write an article about the stock market one week and squirrel birth control the next?” I don’t know; can you think of a publication that would publish these two topics simultaneously?
One reason that I encourage such diversity in subject matter is because I don’t want our contributors to become bored. We currently have no income, and our contributors and I work for free. I want them to be curious about the world, and I want their enthusiasm to show through in their writing, regardless of the fact that they are not being financially compensated for it.
Writer Eric told me, “Writing for Too Shy to Stop has made me more culturally conscious, and I am willing and eager to go outside my comfort zone and explore the unknown.”
Wouldn’t you agree that this world needs more passion and creativity? We want to deliver these things and inspire them in our readers too. We may not cover “hard” news, but we write about things young people care about when they’re not worrying about their future, the future of their government, and the future of their country.
Most importantly, I keep politics out of it. I know that everyone comes to the table with their own political beliefs, but I don’t want our content to be fueled by a specific political agenda.
In the fall of 2008, I interned for a small magazine in Washington, DC, and I felt completely ostracized because everyone in the office would spend lunch hour around a conference table, chatting about their shared political beliefs. To be clear, this was not a political/news publication.
In retrospect, I wish that I had joined the conversation and challenged them, but instead I spent my lunch hour wandering around Dupont Circle, searching for something yummy to eat. As a result of that experience, I promised myself that I would never bring politics into Too Shy to Stop. Let’s admit it: the editorial direction at most publications in America leans toward one side of the political spectrum. We don’t want to be that predictable.
I try to create a sense of community for the contributors, even though many of them have never met in person. They are students at colleges and universities all over the country, but they connect by sharing on our private blog, Too Shy Together, and by commenting on eachother’s articles. On Too Shy Together, I post story ideas, and contributors either borrow from these ideas to form their own visions or they pitch completely new ideas.
(Pictured at right: Ariela, Christine, and “Mermaid,” Too Shy to Stop contributors meeting for the first time at Too Shy Oh Nine)
One thing that really worries me about the Internet age is the lack of face-to-face communication. I fear that too many people accept Internet-induced isolation, and I wish I could meet with each of our contributors every day. However, I also understand that, without the Internet, I probably would have never met these talented and passionate young people.
Says Christine, another writer, “It’s a community of strangers, but we learn from each other. Our individual styles blend perfectly to create a really special project.”
