An Unexpected Experience: The Journalist Training Program

There aren’t many internships for creative writing students, so I was feeling resigned about looking for a journalism internship. I clicked through the results on Internships.com, looking for something that would get me professional experience in writing and wouldn’t bore me to death. Then I found GameSkinny.

Growing up with a brother who was a huge video game fan kind of predisposed me to loving to game myself. So an internship that involved writing about video games? Sign me up.

Over the past four months, I have learned so much about writing. Some of what I learned can even be applied to my fiction writing, and I wasn’t expecting that. I learned what people responded well to and what didn’t go over so well. I also learned how to write engagingly and how to draw readers in. As I hope to be a novelist, attracting a readership is vital to my future success.

I have also gotten to try my hand at editing. This has been especially beneficial to me as I have been considering the possibility of going into the publishing industry as a book editor. By editing the writing of others, I have been able to determine the best way to give feedback in a way that is courteous while still getting my point across.

Aside from helping with my writing and editing, I have also learned a lot about the video game industry. Previously, I only knew bits and pieces, mostly things my brother had told me or what I’d read in Game Informer. Now, however, I know a lot more and can hold entire conversations about topics that were previously unknown to me.

Participating in the Journalist Training Program has been invaluable to me, and I am so glad that I applied. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.