Overview
My background at a glance:
-Master's degree in English with a focus in creative writing
-Writer and editor for Break Magazine, a Tallahassee-based entertainment magazine
-Writer and editor for NC State University's alumni magazine and UW-Madison's School of Human Ecology
-Award-winning English teacher for over a decade
-Freelance editor of fiction novels (Chicago style) and corporate materials (AP style)
As both a writer and editor, I take the time to study the craft from both a creative and analytical standpoint. While earning my master's degree at Florida State University, I studied with writing gurus Janet Burroway (Writing Fiction), Virgil Suarez (Latin Jazz), and Mark Winegardner (The Godfather Returns). I am also well versed in writing and editing theories presented by Robert McGee (Story), Larry Brooks (Story Engineering), Shawn Coyne (The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know), Blake Snyder (Save the Cat!), and more.
NOVELS:
Title: Indian Country
Author: John T. Young
Publisher: IngramElliot Publishing
Genre: Thriller
Title: Ruins of the Fall
Author: Nicholas Erik
Publisher: Watchfire Press
Genre: Adult Dystopian
Title: Where the Leaves Wither
Author: A. F. Hight
Publisher: Nightlight Visions
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Title: Mystery Muffin and Soda Pop Slooth in the Legend of Mr. Creepy
Publisher: IngramElliot Publishing
Genre: Middle-Grade Mystery
Title: Mystery Muffin and Soda Pop Slooth in the Ghost of Crippler's Creek
Publisher: IngramElliot Publishing
Genre: Middle-Grade Mystery
Title: Ms. Mulligan and the Enchanted Ice Cream
Author: Tiffany Elaine
Publisher: IngramElliot Publishing
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy
Title: Gage the Flying Whippet
Author: Darla Desiderio
Publisher: WhippetCreative Books
Genre: Children's Fiction
Title: The Scrapper
Author: Darla Desiderio
Publisher: WhippetCreative Books
Genre: Children's Fiction
Title: The Swan
Author: Darla Desiderio
Publisher: WhippetCreative Books
Genre: Children's Fiction
Title: Clown William (Book 1)
Author: Robin Elno
Publisher: IngramElliot Publishing
Genre: Western/Historical Fiction
Awards: Winner of the Arizona Authors’ Association Literary Award; silver winner in the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards (“IPPY” Awards); bronze winner for Best Fiction Series in the 2019 IPPY Awards
Title: Clown William and the Lincoln County War (Book 2)
Author: Robin Elno
Publisher: IngramElliot Publishing
Genre: Western/Historical Fiction
Awards: Bronze winner for Best Fiction Series in the 2019 IPPY Awards
Title: Clown William and the Wind of Vengeance (Book 3)
Author: Robin Elno
Publisher: IngramElliot Publishing
Genre: Western/Historical Fiction
Awards: Bronze winner for Best Fiction Series in the 2019 IPPY Awards
Title: Profound Secrets
Author: Debbie Griffin
Publisher: Blue Spark Publishing
Genre: Women's Fiction
Title: The Gray Halloween
Author: Madison Stegall
Publisher: Author is currently seeking traditional publisher
Genre: Middle-Grade Paranormal Fiction
Title: Westcott High
Author: Sarah Mello
Publisher: Sarah Mello
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Title: The Shrouded Sword
Author: Owen Minter
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy/Adventure
Title: Snowed In
Author: Tricia Wentworth
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Sweet Romance/Holiday
Title: Yard Art
Author: Sarah Thompson
Publisher: Missing Goat Press
Genre: Children's Poetry/Humor
I hope to give your editing project a professional edge today!
Services
Fiction
Languages
Awards
- Second Place in Florida Honors Council Writing Contest
- Third Place in Open Doors "Short Short Story" Contest
- Honorable Mention: Dr. Stephen Caldwell Wright Poetry Award
- Davidson IB Middle School Teacher of the Year
- First Place in SCC Writing Competition
Certifications
- Master of Arts (MA) in English with Creative Writing focus, Florida State University, 1997-1999
- National Board Certified in Early Adolescence/English Language Arts
Work experience
Self-employed
Proofread or edit fiction novels using the Chicago Manual of Style. Edit, format, and optimize weekly blogs for the TelWare Corporation, a Charlotte-based telecommunications company. Write and edit articles, newsletters, web copy, and professional profiles for individual and corporate clients.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
Demonstrated leadership as the English Department Chair and Language Arts Lead Teacher. Created the annual end-of-year Davidson IB Poetry Slam. Students placed nationally in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Selected as First-Year Teacher of the Year, as well as Teacher of the Year.
Deerfield School District in Wisconsin
Taught ninth-grade English at Deerfield High School using best practices. Organized the Grade 9 Poetry Slam, a competition in which students perform their own original poetry on stage.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Cowrote a five-year impact report on "The School Readiness Project" (SRP) for the School of Human Ecology at University of Wisconsin-Madison. For this year-long project that often involved travel, I interviewed task-force members in ten diverse Wisconsin communities and compiled research demonstrating the ways in which the SRP increased school readiness in young children.
North Carolina State University
Served as a copy editor and writer for NC State, the alumni magazine of North Carolina State University.
Florida State University
Taught Freshman Composition and Writing Short Stories courses for Florida State University's English program.
Break Magazine
Wrote cover stories and a weekly arts-and-culture column for Break Magazine, a Knight-Ridder publication.
Portfolio
