Writing Samples

Here is an assortment of works showcasing my writing style in different genres.

Journalism

Mason Day Excitement

I visted George Mason University's Mason Day in May 2015. I wrote an article about it for my news writing and reporting course. It's a good example of the change in my writing style for journalism as well as my ability to report on an event.

Excerpt:

Crowds of students and other visitors milled around traveling in groups of three or four to stand in line for an adrenaline rush on simple slide rides like the Magic Carpet or on mechanical rides like Upshot and a scrambler. They could get souvenirs and spray paint free T-shirts, get balloon animals or a caricature, or try to win prizes from games like Wii dancing for a free prize. Live and disc jockeyed music blasted from the stage until 8 p.m. when pop singer Jesse McCartney took the stage to sing to a large crowd of fans.
A Mason sophomore became a first-time visitor of Mason Day after she saw the sign for funnel cake. The treat cinched it. "I came for the funnel cake not the rides," she said, "it was honestly the best part." She brought along her friend, an incoming fall 2015 freshman, to enjoy some too.

Read more here.


King Street Art Festival Success

Every year the King Street Art Festival is held in the middle of Old Town in Alexandria, Va. I visited the event to interview and report on the event. It's another example of my ability to write an article reporting on an event in the area.

Excerpt:

In historic Alexandria, Va., the 12th annual King Street Art Festival kicked off on Sept. 13 and 14, 2014 showcasing original artwork of local and national artists. The festival blocked off King Street from N Washington Street to the Waterfront and essentially became a seven block outdoor art gallery.

Read more here.

Technical Writing

Mandatory GMO Labeling Concerns

Here is a white paper I wrote in research preparation for the GMO food labeling issues proposal below. It shows my ability to research a topic and clarify the controversy concisely.

Excerpt:

The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 and other food labeling laws are at the heart of the GMO controversy. People are divided on GMOs due to health and safety concerns, possible food industry businesses expenses and profit losses, and the possible increase in the price of food. It comes down to two opinions - GMOs are safe and there is no need to further add GMO labeling or GMOs are not safe and American's have a 'right to know' or a 'right to choose' what they are eating (Hemphill and Banerjee)...More than 90 percent of Americans think mandatory GMO labels are a good idea (McWilliams). Consequently, it is the 'right to know' and 'right to choose' foods that alarms the food industry. Another report by the Consumers Union found it would cost an additional $2.30 per consumer each year (Entine). However, labeling costs are a small fraction of what most companies are concerned about. Companies worry GMO food labels will influence customers' perceptions of GMO's and cause them to perceive of GMO's as unsafe, thus causing the customer to not purchase their item and resulting in profit losses (Hemphill and Banerjee).

Read it here.


Beneath the Label: Uncovering the Politics of GMO Labeling

I co-wrote a proposal paper with three other students on GMO food labeling. We had specific RFP guidelines to follow which is why it looks a little different to my other works. The research focus however was chosen from a round robin of proposal ideas. We had to thoroughly research the topic to reach the root of the controversy and to competently and concisely present it.

Excerpt:

Genetically modified foods are produced from organisms that have undergone a procedure which selectively replaces certain genes with DNA from other plants, bacteria, or viruses. They can be grown faster, made to have a longer-shelf life and taste, and better resist bugs, disease, or environmental threats. Currently, approved genetically modified foods grown in the U.S. include alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, papaya, soy, sugar beets, zucchini, and yellow summer squash (Johnson and O'Connor).

Read more here.


Video Advocacy Proposal

This is another proposal paper I co-wrote to make a video about an event or issue of our choice. We were lucky enough to interview and make a video about a local effort to improve public art. The Office of the Arts for Alexandria, VA created a program called the Alexandria Mobile Arts Lab. They drive around to different locations in Alexandria in a bus to introduce art to the public through shows, demonstrations, and workshops. Since I included the video we created in the Design & Video tab it seemed prudent to include some background about the video and its making.

Read the proposal here.


Audience Anaylsis

Audience anaylsis is key in determining what the important issues are and how to convey the problems and possible solutions. I discuss some of Chipotle's tactics in this article below.

Read it here here.


Compulsive Buying Disorder - addiction, compulsion, poor impulse control, or no problem at all?

I wrote this paper for a personality psychology research paper. I work in retail right now and I see a quite a few different attitudes towards shopping. It seemed an interesting topic to delve into. It's an example of my ability to switch writing styles as well as research and speak competently on a topic that is somewhat unfamiliar.

Excerpt:

If you've ever watched an episode of the reality TV show "Extreme Couponing" or the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic", you've seen someone exhibiting some aspects of behavior associated with a personality disorder called compulsive buying disorder (CBD), otherwise more commonly known as a "shopping addiction" or compulsive shopping. Compulsive buyers are more commonly known as shopaholics who will "shop til they drop" and spend more money than they can afford. Compulsive buyers are generally interested in purchasing material goods such as clothing, shoes, jewelry, makeup, kitchen items, and CD/DVDs. Compulsive buying disorder is a chornic, time-consuming and frankly expensive condition than can fluctuate in intensity due to seasonal and/or holiday deals.

Read more here.

Creative Non-Fiction Writing

Pass the Torch

This is a piece I completed for a creative non-fiction writing course. It was a fun piece to write and called upon some nice memories. It's an example of my ability to write descriptively and creatively. Hopefully it takes you on a journey.

Excerpt:

I am a book lover, bibliophile, bookworm, however you want to call it. I just love to read books. While others easily fire off their favorite titles of Harry Potter, The Hobbit, or even The Count of Monte Cristo, my love is unspecified. I love to read from fiction, nonfiction, historical thrillers, mysteries, romance, memoirs, and even manga and graphic novels.
I know it's odd. One of the first-get-to-know-you questions and I always end up explaining my inability to pick just one. It's an impossibility.

Read more here.


The Fanfiction Craze

I initially wrote this article for a journalism course and adapted it for a creative non-fiction writing course later on. It's called The Fanfiction Craze. Fanfiction is a recent writing phenomenon that has grown enormously, especially so with the proliferation and ease of smartphones and the Internet. What is fanfiction? Read my article to find out.

Excerpt:

Have you ever loved a storyline from your favorite novel, movie, TV show, video game, anime or manga, or cartoon so much but wished the author had gone another way in the story line? Or enjoyed the characters so much but wanted to spin the story's canonical universe in a completely different direction? If you love writing and exploring a fandom, fan fiction is a rapidly growing genre for creative expression. Fan fiction (also commonly known or abbreviated as fanfiction, fanfic, or fic) are fictional works created by unpaid writers. It is work based off other original works or their own original work. Fan fiction authors don't write for financial gain, they do it because they love the fandom and want to express their creativity within the fandom's canonical universe. In our digital age, fan fiction has progressed and grown into a phenomenon. Fan fiction writers publish their works online on a variety of websites or forums such as FanFiction.net, Archive of Our Own (AO3), LiveJournal, Tumblr, other various websites dedicated to fan fiction for different fandom's, or even on apps like Wattpad.

Read more here.