In high school, I was able to discover how much I love copy editing and learned the ins and outs of journalistic writing. My writing career began years before that when I was in kindergarten writing a story about a golden retriever. Since then, my passion for the written word has only grown.
Boys Town Research Hospital
As a proofreader at Boys Town National Research Hospital’s B.E.A.R Lab, I reviewed and edited research papers and grant applications in various stages of completion. Many of these manuscripts involved behavioral and neural studies of ADHD symptoms in young children.
I discussed edits with Dr. Anastasia Kerr-German and research assistants using Microsoft Word Track Changes and Google Docs, as well as curating personalized writing tips and guides based on previous edits. The goal for me as a proofreader or editor is first to help make the manuscript the best it can be, and second, to give writers the tools to improve their skills. I can format a hundred tables and generate a thousand references, but if I leave someone with no more writing knowledge than before, it doesn’t mean much to me.
While working with Dr. Kerr-German, I also got the opportunity to edit and co-author a research manuscript, “Delays in Neural Attention Network Development Underpins Working Memory Strategy Differences in 2- to 5-Year-Olds With and Without Risk for ADHD,” which is currently under review for a Brain Sciences Special Issue, “Neural Basis of Executive Control.”
Indigo Bridge
Indigo Bridge (formerly Indigo Bridge Books & Cafe) is a local bookstore based in Lincoln, NE. One of the main tenets of their mission was to amplify the voices and works of underrepresented groups.
In September 2020, the executive director promoted me to Inventory Manager/Book Buyer. Among other duties, I wrote several forms of copy for the store’s website and Twitter account such as reading lists, book reviews, and the inventory standards for the store. After developing the marketing strategy and schedule for the store’s official Twitter, I was able to communicate with other indie bookstores, authors, and local businesses along with passionate readers.
Reviews
After being an on-and-off hobby for years, my blog has finally become a regulated endeavor. Often, I review the literature I’ve read (or music I’ve listened to) during that month in a fashion inspired by Nick Hornby’s The Polysyllabic Spree. Sometimes I switch it up with a different type of post to keep the site from getting stagnant, such as monthly fiction short stories accompanying these nonfiction works. Before this, I mainly posted about mental health affecting my life and life affecting my mental health.
Academic Writing
During my four years as an undergraduate English major at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I participated in writing classes almost every semester during which I gained valuable skills by studying the works of successful authors, developing short stories, creative nonfiction, and novels to present in group workshops, and taking advice from the talented writers around me. My instructors have included Jennine Capó-Crucet, Jonis Agee, and Chigozie Obioma—all published, passionate, and intelligent individuals.
Writing Workshop
After going to the highest level of fiction classes, I joined a writing workshop with other former students, and have since joined several others as they morph and change when people move away. Keeping writers around me has allowed me to work on writing two novels centering queer characters that have yet to find their publishing homes. LGBTQ+ literature is a passion of mine, and I cannot wait to contribute my own work to this field.
As Cool As Mint Ice Cream 