Break into Print - Writing Test

This Writing Test can be read in about five minutes.

To complete it, including the essay at the end, could require an hour or more. You may complete and submit it right now if you are ready. Or you may find it more efficient to download this test to your computer to work on it and return to this site later to submit it.

Alternatively, you can print out a copy of this test to complete and return to us by mail. It’s your choice, depending on what you are most comfortable with.

General Information About You

*Name:  
		 First			Last

*Street:  Apt. #:

*City:

*State/Province: *Zip/Postal Code:

*Country:
Other Country - Please Specify:
Other Country - Province/State:

*Email Address:

 *Age:

*Education:

*Home Telephone:

*Your Occupation:

Special interests/hobbies:

Which book have you enjoyed recently?

What magazines/newspapers do you read?

*Indicates required information.

Part 2: Why are you interested in writing?

In a brief paragraph, give us some background on your interest in writing. How long have you had this interest? How did it develop?

Part 3: Think like a writer

An essential task for any writer is careful observation. The people you write about must “come alive on the page.” In this exercise, select the important details that distinguish the person you’re describing. In 30-50 words, describe one of the following:

a person in a long supermarket line with an inept clerk at the checkout counter
a member of your family trying to deal with a cantankerous relative
a person telling his/her spouse about a promotion

Tip: Look for facial expressions, gestures, body language, and clothing style; listen for voice inflections.

Example:
Bundled in a hairy overcoat, the man drummed his fingers on a box of oatmeal, tapped his feet, rolled his eyes, and set his lips in a thin straight line. Finally, he shrugged. Muttering something inaudible, he stomped off, abandoning his crammed shopping cart.

Part 4: Tap into your experience

Many beginning writers start with what they know. Over the years, your job, reading, education, training, hobbies, and interests have given you a wealth of knowledge. Capitalize on what you know by turning that information into a how-to.

Write step-by-step instructions to show a reader how to do something that you know well. Choose a skill that can be described briefly, perhaps in 10 steps. Select from the list below, or use a topic of your own.

Suggestions:

how to bait a hook for trout
how to change a tire
how to make a fried egg sandwich
how to prune a rosebush
how to make pastry dough

Tip: You don’t have to be serious. A light touch can be effective and entertaining.

Title: How to

Part 5: Focus on a subject to write about

In this part, you will take another step toward becoming a writer. To begin, think of several events that you have experienced or observed. They can be funny, annoying, or heartfelt.

You may think of your first date, a holiday celebration, a championship game, a childhood escapade, or an incident involving your first car. The person involved may be you or someone you know.

Now, on the following lines, make a list of three to five of these events that you could write about.

Now continue this writing experience in Part 6.

Part 6: Write from your life
Look back at the events you listed in Part 5. Think about how you could write about each of them in a way that would allow readers to share what you experienced or observed. Now choose the one event that you most want to write about. As you think about it, consider the following:

What happened?
Where did it take place?
Who was involved?

Tip: Not all details are necessary. Choose those that will make this event memorable to your reader. (No poetry, please.)

It’s best to outline your idea and write the first draft on a separate piece of paper. Your final draft should be between 250 and 500 words.

We’ll be looking for originality, style, and your aptitude for conveying ideas and feelings. Grammar and punctuation are important, of course, but our main interest in this exercise is how you express yourself.

Part 7: Choose a title

Most aspiring authors spend too much time worrying about a title. Our advice to you is this:

Don’t spend more than three minutes choosing your title for Part 6. Make it a tentative or “working” title. Editors usually change it anyway.
The idea for your title should come directly from the story. In fact, the words for your title can probably be found in the story itself.
If possible, choose a title that makes the reader want to know more.
With this in mind, choose a working title for Part 6, and enter it below.

Working title for Part 6:

Before submission, ensure that all the required data in the “General Information” section is filled in. Also, essay Part 6 & title Part 7 must be filled in.

A Closing Word

Now that you’ve told us about your interest in writing and shown us how you observe, explain, describe, and portray a person or event, you’ll be interested in knowing how we’ll evaluate your responses.

First of all, your responses (and especially the words you use and the way you use them) are all evaluated against many years of making thousands of similar evaluations. We have devised the questions and exercises in your test to be fun for you, while at the same time, your responses will be revealing to us.

Over the years, we’ve accumulated a vast amount of insight, knowledge, and understanding of what it takes to be a successful writer. We believe our experience with thousands of aspiring writers who have become published authors has given us an unusually broad and valid basis for evaluating your writing potential.

We are pleased to do so without obligation—whether you decide to start your training now or at some future date. The decision to start learning how to write and how to market your writing is, of course, always yours.

Long Ridge Writers Group