Really? I thought the Oxford Comma question was the only useful one there. You might have to define the term but it's good at showing basic knowledge of grammar conventions.
Anyway this article has a point that this process isn't effective for finding good writers, but I'll be damned if asking people to write one or two sentences doesn't filter out the illiterate people that wander in your door (think FizzBuzz).
The Oxford Comma question isn't like FizzBuzz, it's like a question on K&R vs BSD brace style.
It's irrelevant trivia. All you're going to do is trip up people who may not have been exposed to the terminology or hadn't encountered both styles yet. Any writer can handle either style and knowing the terms says nothing about whether someone can write.
FizzBuzz is about making sure someone has a basic handle on the actual job. An equivalent for writers would be to ask for a quick poem or three sentence story or something.
A writing sample is a great filter. Any good writer will jump at the chance to write out a quick (and good) piece of text if it means they might get paid.
It's easy to write out a few sentences or a paragraph for something you're interested in. If you really want to test a writer, ask them for their opinion on traditional publishing. There's no "right" answer, but most writers have an opinion on it and shouldn't have trouble writing a little on the subject.
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Really? I thought the Oxford Comma question was the only useful one there. You might have to define the term but it's good at showing basic knowledge of grammar conventions.
Anyway this article has a point that this process isn't effective for finding good writers, but I'll be damned if asking people to write one or two sentences doesn't filter out the illiterate people that wander in your door (think FizzBuzz).
The Oxford Comma question isn't like FizzBuzz, it's like a question on K&R vs BSD brace style.
It's irrelevant trivia. All you're going to do is trip up people who may not have been exposed to the terminology or hadn't encountered both styles yet. Any writer can handle either style and knowing the terms says nothing about whether someone can write.
FizzBuzz is about making sure someone has a basic handle on the actual job. An equivalent for writers would be to ask for a quick poem or three sentence story or something.
A writing sample is a great filter. Any good writer will jump at the chance to write out a quick (and good) piece of text if it means they might get paid.
Why would a good writer be any more likely to do this than a bad writer? Surely it would depend on market conditions?
It's easy to write out a few sentences or a paragraph for something you're interested in. If you really want to test a writer, ask them for their opinion on traditional publishing. There's no "right" answer, but most writers have an opinion on it and shouldn't have trouble writing a little on the subject.