A teen wanted to pay me a four-figure sum to write an essay

I want my kids to grow up as ordinary good people, rather than like the misguided teen or those who trample on their values to reach the top

Wong Sher Maine

Updated

Published

Jul 19, 2021, 05:00 AM

The teenager on the line said: "I'm looking for a freelance writer to write an essay for me. Do you do such jobs?"

I nearly dropped my phone. In 17 years of freelance writing, this was the most "wrong" job I had ever been approached to do.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

No contract

ST app access on 1 mobile device

Subscribe now

All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.