A writing sample – what is it, and what is the job market like for freelance writers who specialize in writing samples?
If you’re looking to break into the lucrative world of writing samples, then you might be wondering what exactly those are and whether or not you’ll ever find work. Truth is, you might not know what a writing sample is or how valuable they can be to an employer. Maybe you’re even a little bit intimidated by the idea of pitching an employer on a topic you know nothing about. Don’t let that stop you! We’re going to clear up any misconceptions you might have about writing samples and explain how you can go about securing your first professional writing gig. So, let’s get into it.
What Are Writing Samples, Anyway?
Writing samples are a type of sample essay or test piece used by employers to judge your writing skills. They can typically be found anywhere from business letters to grant proposals and cover letters to magazine articles – basically any place where you’ll see a writing sample in need of attention, you can bet that you’re going to see a bevy of hungry employers looking to hire a skilled writer.
If you look at the job description for a writing sample writer, you’ll see that their responsibilities include — but are not limited to — creating compelling fictional stories, handling mundane tasks, and communicating with the public. What this means is that you can be sure that you’ll at least have one task that you’ll need to master if you decide to pursue this route to financial success. If you’re worried about whether or not you can handle tasks that are both creative and responsible, then this option might not be for you.
Why Should You Pursue this Career?
If you’re looking to break into the lucrative world of writing samples, then you might be wondering why. After all, it can be tricky to break into a field that is already dominated by men. While women are slowly but surely making their way into the field, there isn’t yet much available work for freelance writers. That won’t stop you from trying though.
If you’re worried about your career options, then consider a master’s degree in journalism. This is a field that is both challenging and exciting. You’ll get to work with high-quality material while also getting to develop your skills and know how to pursue journalistic stories. Additionally, a degree in journalism allows you to pursue a variety of career paths. You can become a writer for a business magazine, a newspaper, or even a website. You might also decide to become a radio journalist and cover all sorts of fascinating topics.
If you decide that this is the route you want to go down, then be sure to have excellent grades in English and journalism to make it through the applications process. Beyond that, you’ll need to have outstanding writing samples to stand out among the competition.
The Differences Between a Test Essay and a Writing Sample
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to write a winning essay or a sample, it’s important to point out the subtle differences between the two. A test essay is different from a writing sample in a variety of ways, but mostly in terms of the task at hand. A test essay, as the name suggests, is used for testing your knowledge of a particular subject – whether you’re a student or an employer seeking to hire someone. It is typically shorter than a regular essay, and there is only one right answer.
A writing sample, on the other hand, is like a mini-book or article that you’ve written for an employer and that they have requested. It’s often times referred to as a “body” or a “piece of writing” and can have multiple right answers. The best part is that you don’t need to know the topic inside and out to write a winning sample. As long as you’ve written something compelling enough, you’re good to go.
How Do I Write a Winning Sample?
As we mentioned above, writing a winning sample is actually a lot easier than writing an essay for the test. If you’re seeking to write a novel, you’ll need to put in the time and effort to craft a compelling story. For those seeking to break into the field, all you need is a well-written, action-packed story that will keep your reader engaged. Simply follow the six steps below to write a winning writing sample.
Step one: Set the timer for fifteen minutes.
No, we don’t mean set your watch to alarm fifteen minutes from now. We mean set the timer on your phone or watch to remind you to stop writing once the time is up. If you’ve ever had a class where the professor would ring the bell every hour and a half, give or take, then you know what we mean. When the timer goes off, it’s time to stop writing and move on to the next task.
Step two: Grab a pen and paper.
To start forming your story, write down the following six questions:
- What would you like to accomplish?
- What is the main conflict?
- How are the characters similar to and different from yourself and your friends?
- What is the overall theme of your story?
- How big of a role does the supernatural play in your story?
Answering these questions will help you form a clearer picture of the story you want to write. If you decide that this is the kind of story that you want to tell, then take some time to jot down your answers. Don’t worry if your story seems a bit far-fetched at this point. That’s what makes it a secret, hidden in the shadows. You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to discover who the villain is in your story. Simply take your time and answer the questions as best you can.
Step three: Flesh out the narrative.
After you’ve answered the six questions above, it’s time to flesh out the narrative. Take some time and write down everything you know about the topic – what happened, who was involved, and so on. This part of the exercise will help you develop the story into something more coherent and bring your characters to life. It is also important to make sure that your story makes sense. Remember: your reader (whether you’re an employer seeking to hire or a student seeking to impress your teachers) will be using their own logic and intellect to make sense of what you’ve written. If your story seems incoherent at this point, then you’re probably writing gibberish, and that’s okay!
Step four: Choose an event that you’ll use as the foundation of your story.
Once you’ve got a fairly detailed narrative, it’s time to move on to the next step. You want to choose an event that you’ll use as the foundation of your story. For example, if you’re seeking to write a story about climate change, you could choose a local extreme weather event that is an indicator of the climate change you’re seeking to write about. When you use a real-life event in your story, you are able to more easily create a fictional narrative around it. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, so you shouldn’t expect that all of your stories will be set in real life. Just make sure that you’ve chosen something that will allow you to easily transition into the next step.
Step five: Incorporate details that will help you characterize the characters.
With your event in mind, it’s time to start filling in the details. Choose a character based on a real person you know, or someone you’ve heard of. It’s also important to make sure that your character is somewhat two-dimensional. Remember: your reader will be forming their own opinion of your character based on what they know and what they’ve read. If they have a clear picture in their head, then it’s easier for them to understand what’s going on. There is no such thing as a perfect character. Everyone has some sort of weakness, so make sure that you don’t hide these weaknesses in your story. Let your character have some humanity, and you’ll be able to connect with your reader on a deeper level.