This is a Test

I took a writing test yesterday for a potential client. This is the first time that I have ever had to do this--usually my work speaks for itself--but I figured I had nothing to lose. Besides, it was Friday afternoon.

The challenge was straightforward: write a 250 word arcticle for the organization's newsletter using the facts they provided me. The tricky part was that I had one hour to do this. I could use anything I found on the web or on their website about the subject; I could even make up quotes where I thought it would enhance the story. But I had to send it back within 60 minutes and the clock was ticking even as I read the assignment.

The story line was interesting but I needed a little background info as to why it might be important in the larger scheme of things. My first instinct was to peruse the web for 10 minutes. I found some factual nuggets I thought I could use and began to craft the piece. A title popped into my head but I waited until the end to make sure it would fit with the finished story.

I wrote a lead and then plunged in, only to realise that 250 words is not very much. So I erased the lead. Went with my second paragraph and concentrated on the facts--all of which were actually hard to fit in. With about ten minutes to go, I edited, added the title and pushed send one minute before the deadline.

Was it good? Absolutely no, but it wasn't bad. It had the facts, about two lines of clever prose, and virtually none of the info I had gleaned from the web--well, actually maybe one little nugget.

In retrospect, I realised that I had probably wasted ten minutes of time researching when I should have been writing. Yet I somehow needed to put the story into a larger frame of reference in order to tell it more convincingly. I'm not sure anyone else would have approached it the same way.

In the end, I wonder what the actual purpose of the exercise was--leveling the playing field between all the applicants is one thing but I would rather do a complete job on my terms than play beat the clock.

Regardless, it was a good exercise at figuring out what was really important in the grand scheme of relaying facts and if I ever teach nonfiction writing, you can bet I will use a similar one.