Here is a collection of some of our successful Journalist Training Program veterans and what that have to say about the program and their time with GameSkinny!
Want to learn more about the program? Read all about it on our JTP posting!
Michael Falero
JTP gives a young writer a few very crucial tools: topics to write about, a deadline to worry about, and editorial support to rely on when you need it. These three things eliminate a lot of the roadblocks that new writers often face. It’s writing training wheels so you can feel more confident about your job as a writer in the long term.
JTP pushes you to write more content and better content faster than you might feel “comfortable” with. That’s how it helps you grow. I needed the deadlines, but I also appreciated the editors and senior interns for their support and their company. GS can make you feel like you belong to a community of writers, and that you’re not alone.
Mandie M
The JTP program was, firstly, a breath of fresh air after years of copyediting. At first, I struggled a little bit with my newfound freedom.
It was a little something like this inside my brain: “What do you mean there aren’t assigned keywords and lengths? Choose my own topics? Are you nuts?”
But I jumped right into the pool, and lo and behold, I started swimming.
Writing-wise, I learned to tighten up my writing, choose topics, and write to my audience, which is significantly different from writing for my typical audience. It was nice to write a little bit more casually, but my ability to research deeply certainly helped me out quite a bit.
Lauren Puga
Not gonna lie, it’s a pretty great feeling to see something you’ve written published online. It’s an even better feeling when that published something is on the front page. That’s the awesome part about GameSkinny – people actually read your stuff.
Sure, I have a personal blog and sometimes I write things there, but on GameSkinny, I’m a *real* writer with a real audience. That exposure comes with perks too. Since I started writing for GameSkinny, my Twitter following has grown and I’ve been asked to participate in things like podcasts and streams.
I’d say you’d be surprised at what kinds of jobs the JTP prepares you for. Even if you’re not sure about a career in games journalism, you’ll leave the program with so many lucrative skills you wouldn’t have learned otherwise. Who knew my experience using Google Analytics and mastering SEO would land me a job in digital media.”
Nick Boisson
The JTP is a great start for any aspiring writer to enter the vast domain of games reporting and criticism. The staff is always there to help and — no matter how good or poor your writing was when you entered — you will leave the JTP feeling like a professional.
GameSkinny was a great site to help me get back to writing about games.
Michael Arrieta (zoLo567)
The JTP is a great way to get into the video game journalism business. The editors at GameSkinny Will help shape you into a great writer, and teach you what you need to know. They helped me perfect my craft, to the point that my editors did not have to change any of my articles, which they loved. I had come in a seasoned writer, but GameSkinny showed me that there were still things for me to learn to help hone my craft.
Interviewers were able to see the work that I did and were impressed. One thing that the JTP will definitely help teach will be self-editing, which has proven to be a strong skill to have.
Michael Chiu
I think the JTP is a great entry point for people aspiring to be good writers in the video game business.
As many know, gamers are very passionate about their hobby, and the JTP provides an outlet for them to express their opinions and to share their knowledge for just about anything related to video games.
I wish I had more time to participate, and hope to some day get back in. The virtual newsroom is always buzzing with the latest news, gossip, and other exciting tidbits of information in the world of video games, and everyone is very supportive of one another’s work.
As for writing, I have definitely improved through JTP, and have since been invited to be a featured writer in a Taiwanese-American Science & Technology journal, writing about consumer electronics/tech and Internet of Things.
Pierre Fouquet
Just do it! It’s great fun, loads of great people. Even if you don’t think you have the time, it’s fine.
[Writing] becomes a thing you want to do in your usual relaxing time, at least for me it did. Give the JTP a shot, because you won’t regret it.
Greg McGee (CoatedPolecat)
I used to be a musician and always enjoyed the attention, but more importantly I enjoyed the emotions felt creating that piece of music. Much like writing, I feel like I’ve accomplished something with each article posted. The feeling of knowing someone may actually enjoy your art, your opinion, your understanding of the industry – that feeling is like none other. That is what draws me to writing.
Through my head-in-the-clouds feelings ‘n’ all, the JTP kept me grounded. Not to say the editors knocked me down and rained on my parade, quite the opposite. They let me know what I was doing wrong, and how to fix it, daily. Not unlike a teacher, both Jay Ricciardi and Katy Hollingsworth (the only JTP editors [at the time]) were very patient – and still are – with my lack of commas and understanding of proper punctuation.
The importance of taking that extra step shows through so much when writing, from the research you do on the topic to taking time and playing with Google Trends. “What you put in to it, is what you’ll get out of it,” applies to the JTP, the games journalism industry, and life in general.
Brandon Morgan
The feedback I have received on my work in these past few weeks has earned me some new skills with my writing, plenty on SEO, topic choice, editorials and more. Thanks to the work Katy did with me I am more confident in my writing and with the topics I put stock in. I carefully select the right work that will make an impact with the community. While I can always improve upon this, and intend to, I feel I did quite well getting a grasp on it.
In my time in the JTP, I may not have received the most views or comments, but I’m pretty sure I made some waves in the gaming community. My Titanfall rant earned me plenty of hate-fueled comments and began a war between two sides of the gaming community. With around 400 comments and counting between GameSkinny and N4G, I am quite proud of what I accomplished there.
Elijah Beahm
Thank God for GameSkinny, because I couldn’t have found a better place to help me improve my writing and get a new start. The months I contributed here, it was like a breath of fresh air. On most sites, you’re either a full-fledged member of the staff, or at best, you can blog independently amongst the community. Beyond that, only a few gaming sites try to encourage new contributors.
The staff were (and still are) all great here at GameSkinny. I got a lot of helpful feedback from everyone, and I still love the approach GameSkinny has taken to games journalism. There’s no other site where you can write up an idea and within the day, get free editorial feedback and helpful suggestions, and maybe even end up on the front page.
Published: Apr 16, 2015 01:20 pm