Decades into the journalism business, Rick Michal still finds delight in knowing he wrote a good story.
“Being recognized [or] any little comment is rewarding enough,” Michal said. “You need the paycheck to live, but maybe it’s the same with actors where they need the applause and to be onstage, but for writers it’s getting any kind of feedback about a story.”
Michal, 58, is director of Scientific Publications and Standards at the American Nuclear Society in LaGrange Park and executive editor of ANSNuclearCafe.com. According to his LinkedIn page, he began there as a senior editor in 1994, conducting interviews, writing and editing for a nuclear technology magazine before putting down his pen and being promoted to his current position.
Michal’s responsibilities as a director are to work with press releases and media reports to summarize, copy edit and publish research about the nuclear industry.
A Chicago native, Michal has come a long way from his days of being a college graduate who did not know he would become a journalist, let alone a publisher or editor.
Growing up on the Northwest Side, Michal discovered he had a talent for writing early in his life, experimenting with his creative skills as a child. He was active on his high school newspaper and briefly attended the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Michal said going to college right after high school was a mistake, saying he went only because it was what he believed he was supposed to do. The self-proclaimed “disinterested student” eventually transferred to Northeastern Illinois University and received a degree in english.
However, Michal stated the most valuable piece of information he learned in college was taught outside the classroom: even if a person has a gift, he or she cannot depend on that to get by. He said one must never stop perfecting one’s abilities, no matter the profession.
Following graduation, his initial attraction to journalism, what he called a “natural fit,” came from his love of telling stories.
“True stories are some of the most interesting kind,” Michal said. He worked for publications such as the Chicago Metro Golfer and Colorado’s Vail Trail Newspaper covering a variety of general topics, before beginning the master’s program at Columbia College Chicago in 1993.
While obtaining a master’s degree in journalism, Michal began work at what he said was his favorite job: The Daily Herald. Though he was only a metro reporter for a year before going to the American Nuclear Society, it was a “blast” and he would have been satisfied staying there and becoming a Mike Royko-like columnist for that publication, he said.
When asked how he balances family life and a career in the journalism field, the single father of three daughters replied that there’s always time to sit down and write a good article. With the electronic access a journalist has today, Michal said it makes balancing the two easier.
He also wants to inform aspiring writers about the importance of reading in order to find new styles and techniques, something Michal discussed applying to his everyday life.
So what’s next for Michal?
Possibly fiction writing; Michal said he has always aspired to write a book, specifically the next “great American novel.” Michal said it would be humorous and reflect his sarcastic nature.
Michal advises future journalists to never to fear asking questions because there is no such thing as a boring story.
“There’s always something interesting,” he said. “If you’re good enough, you’ll find the angle to make the reader want to continue reading.”
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