Writing sample exhibit A
Recently I was asked to do a writing sample for a email support, work from home venture. After looking up on the internet for clarification on “do I have to use subject and verb in all sentences of a professional writing sample?” (and that is how I entered it in google…almost) I read that “each sentence needs a subject and a verb.”
Now, that is not normally how I write, as you can tell if you read my blogs or text messages. But for the purpose of being in a professional environment, I can definitely do that. Plus, I used to want to be an English teacher back in High School because I really enjoyed my English Teachers (Ms. Lacy, Ms. Kimberlin, Ms. Waller) and actually had a chance to tell the first two about that —well, sometime back.
So proofreading isn’t exactly a favorite but I usually can spot typos while reading things (unless it is my own work, which usually I don’t re-read! Just kidding). Now I am not saying I catch everything. But sometimes I just find enjoyment in looking for mess-ups. In other people’s stuff.
But I digress, the main point of this post was to enter that sample. I was kinda dreading the whole task because it meant sitting down and really thinking about it. Once I got started, I really got in to it. Seems a little elementary though — had flashbacks of 5th grade writing assignments where the topic sentence introduces your 3 body paragraphs and then you tie it all up with a closing paragraph. All with keeping the readers interest in mind.
So without further delay…here is that sample
Autumn is in the air! Besides the obvious color changing and leaves falling, there are three events that I look forward to the most. Those events are Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Shopping. They happen like clockwork and are reliable as the changing of seasons themselves.
More than October 31st, Halloween is an all month affair. From October 1 onwards, children are planning their costumes and scouting houses for candy routes. Costumes range from scary ghosts and goblins to daring pirates and super heroes. An assortment of candy, from chocolate bars to popcorn balls, completes the occasion.
Thanksgiving, like Halloween, also takes quite a bit of preparation. Rather than planning costumes and candy routes for an evening event, families plan vacations to visit relatives and a dinner display that could feed a small country. Instead of a costume of Barbie or Dora the Explorer, pajamas are the apparel for that early morning turkey basting.
Completing my Autumn event favorites are the famous “day after Thanksgiving Sales” which set the stage for Christmas Shopping. Getting up early is a rite of passage. There will be no pajamas for this early morning task, but preferably donning warm clothes, jackets, and a hat. Sales happen at various times during the day so a game plan is involved to know which shops to scout out first.
Signaling the change of seasons, leaves change color and spiral downwards to the ground below. Autumn means different things to different people. For me, it means Trick-or-Treating, Turkey carving, and gift buying.