Writing sample
Please submit a sample of your creative writing.
The key element is to showcase the potential of your writing. We are looking for a sense that you are developing an understanding of the form of writing that you're interested in, that you can use language in a precise, rigorous and effective way, and that you can convey your ideas and impressions vividly and with a degree of imagination. We aren't looking for a particular kind of writing or voice, and chances are that your writing at this point will be stronger in some aspects than others. Accuracy in spelling, grammar and punctuation, and careful presentation, are all positives, but we're looking for something to build on rather than the finished article.
If you have published work, you may wish to include a short piece in pdf format or a weblink.
Length
- For prose writers: 1000 words max. (double spaced, in a standard clear font, between 10 and 12 point)
- For poetry: 3 pages (no word count, formatting appropriate to the form)
- For scripts (film, comics, drama, etc): 5 pages max. (double spaced, in a standard clear font, between 11 point)
Writer’s statement
You may wish to provide a writer's statement to accompany your sample that gives an indication of what you are trying to achieve with the work. If your sample is an extract from a longer work, please give an indication of the intended extent and shape of that longer piece/collection. This statement should consist of one paragraph (max. 200 words).
Submission
We would recommend that you submit your material in pdf form, so that your formatting choices will be retained in the version we see.
