Debrah L
Waskom, TX, USA
“Great writing distinguishes brilliant ideas”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
Bachelor's Degree in Humanities
Favorite referencing style
APA is my favorite. I really like the style manual format and graphics. They are easy to understand and follow. Also, I have participated in three webinars discussing APA and recent updates. After APA, I enjoy MLA, mainly because I became familiar with it during my university and college education experiences.
Why I became an editor
When I was young, my mother and I had an unusual Sunday afternoon ritual. She would choose the longest or most complicated sentences from the newspaper for me to diagram. I have always loved the power and beauty of words and sentence structure, and my mother encouraged this love by submitting many of my poems and stories to be published in newspapers and magazines. Editing lets me continue applying this love of grammar. I enjoy assisting others with their writing, so they can focus on the other areas in their lives without the worry of whether their ideas will be clearly understood on paper. And, yes, I still diagram sentences for fun!
Background and experience
I received my BGS in Humanities from Louisiana State University in Shreveport, became certified and taught advanced English and journalism high school classes, then homeschooled my three children, who are all attending university on full-paid scholarships. For over ten years I have assisted small businesses, non-profit organizations, and agriculture organizations with their white papers, websites, SEO content, blog posts, newsletters, brochures, and marketing materials, while maintaining each business's branding with clear, consistent language.
Why I love proofreading and editing
Whether your writing is online or published, I enjoy ensuring that your voice and ideas are clearly represented. I have always had an eye for detail, because it's the details that distinguish the letter, document, academic paper, or website content.
Favorite book:
My favorite book is "Love Is A Wild Assault" by Elithe H. Kirkland. It weaves the story of a true Texas heroine with the history of one of my favorite places, beautiful yet eerie Caddo Lake in East Texas.
Hobbies:
I own a small farm with horses, miniature donkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, and Gulf Coast sheep, a critically endangered breed that tests my patience. "If it won't hold water, it won't hold sheep" gets proven every day on my farm! When I'm not chasing sheep, I love to hike the hills around Texas and kayak the many rivers around me. Also, I design and sew clothing in my spare time.
Editing tips:
I first read the entire document to grasp the author's intentions. Next, I correct the obvious errors before reading the document very slowly forwards and backwards while paying attention to each word and punctuation mark.
