Content writing

Although my training is in journalism, I have many years of experience writing for nonprofits, businesses and governmental bodies. That’s because they all need to communicate with customers, stakeholders or the general public, and the tools of journalism are well-suited to the task. Whether it’s for blog posts, newsletters, press releases or web pages, I use well-chosen words to connect with people and interest them in what you have to say.

Samples:
Educart.ca, for the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
6 Not-to-Miss Experiences Along The Great Trail in Ottawa, for the Trans Canada Trail
Disrupting the Workforce, for Concordia Magazine

Data Storytelling

There has never been so much data available to the public. Yet most of it is lying dormant; the stories it could tell are obscured by an abundance of detail. I’m practiced at mining data, then communicating the most relevant insights. Sometimes, visuals are worth the proverbial thousand words. In such cases, I can work with designers and programmers to deliver an attention-capturing infographic, app, interactive report or illustrated article.

Samples:
It’s My Life, for the Canadian Cancer Society
Earth Insights, for Hewlett Packard
The Shujaaz Report, for Well Told Story

Feature Writing & Magazine Writing

Often, a five-Ws news brief doesn’t do justice to a story. Enter feature writing, a format that takes the time to explore a topic in detail and convey a nuanced understanding. As one of my favourite formats for reading and writing alike, features are the main reason why I was drawn to magazines in journalism school. I’ve also gained a taste for short-form magazine writing, which I like to season with a dash of fun when appropriate.

Samples:
Talk the Talk, for Reader’s Digest Magazine (Canada)
Does Religion Really Make You Happier?, for Broadview Magazine
Love Potions from the Ocean, for Hakai Magazine

Reporting

Journalism is usually around one tenth writing, nine tenths reporting. Without solid research to buttress it, the most sparkling prose will collapse. Having got my start as a fact-checker, I understand the heavy legwork and attention to detail needed to support insightful and accurate non-fiction. I support the work of other content creators — and prepare for my own writing — by interviewing human sources, searching libraries and archives, finding reliable and authoritative web sources and summarizing information.

Structural and Stylistic Editing

I was an in-house editor for Reader’s Digest (Canada) for two years and have since continued supporting them as a contributing editor. I’ve also edited a book-length anthology of newspaper writings. Structural and stylistic editing is the higher-level, “Does this make sense, flow smoothly and capture the attention?” editing that comes before it’s time to get into fine details such as comma placement. (I’m capable of helping with that too, but to be honest, it’s not my favourite way to spend time. If you have a text at that stage, I’d be happy to refer you to copy editors or proofreaders in my network.)

I’m also experienced in selecting content for particular audiences or strategic goals, managing freelancers, adapting texts for different media and word counts, photo research and search-engine optimization.

You’re welcome to inquire about any of these services and how they could help to share the stories and information that matter to you.

Icons by Nicolas-Turgeon Morin.