The Written Word

I’ve occasionally received writings from various creative people with a request to read their material and offer my opinion.  I call this “copyediting lite.”  Generally, the writers just want to know how their “first draft” comes across: about the characters (development, likeability, relatability) and if the story development works.  Other questions posed might be, “Is the pacing appropriate for the storyline, was the read enjoyable, instructive, or moving and would it get any “word of mouth” to help it in the marketplace?

Beta reading is a comfortable means for a writer to get feedback and encouragement and can actually promote a close creative cooperation between the author and the reader - and that's the aspect I enjoy most.

Catching typos or grammar oversights or even the syntax of a sentence are probably the most significant facets of editing.  The next step up?  Polish.  When your writing is almost there and looks good enough to publish – or send – you might want to add the little touch of shine that makes it stand out.  It's one of the things I do really well!

Your writing is already high quality and you’re very satisfied with it.  And why not?  You put a lot of hard work and focused thought into it.  Just to ensure that it’s at the level you want, it never hurts to have another pair of eyes enjoy the ride and make sure all the bumps are cleared.

Writing has been one of my creative outlets since I was seven.  I won the school book report contest when I was in second grade and that was all the encouragement I needed to write down the stories my imagination was dictating to me.  So many were popping up in my brain, I had to let them out.  And I did.  And I do.  

While I worked in publicity at 20th Century-Fox, I often wrote publicity releases that appeared in various publications worldwide.

As the International Coordination Copywriter for J. Walter Thompson, Europe (the second largest ad agency in the world at that time), I conceived and executed (wrote) ad campaigns for nine clients in fourteen countries.  One of my campaigns won a Clio Award in 1973.

Let me know specifically what you look for in a script, set me to work reading prospective projects and I’ll tell you whether or not they’re a good match.  My report will be as simple or as in depth as you require.

If you know which level of service interests you – or even if you’re not sure - please contact me so we can discuss how I can be of assistance to you.