Will W
East Sussex, United Kingdom
““Let grammar, punctuation and spelling into your life! Even the most energetic and wonderful mess has to be turned into sentences.” – Terry Pratchett”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
BA in International Development and Economics
University of East Anglia
2014–2017
Favorite referencing style
As I used Harvard referencing in my academic writing while at university, it’s the style I’m most comfortable with. It’s also succinct and allows the writing to flow clearly. However, APA is not far behind!
Why I became an editor
I’ve always had a passion for the written word. Studying international development and economics at university allowed me to hone my grammatical skills. While tutoring and teaching English as a second language, I learned that not all students were as fascinated by the peculiarities of the English language as I was! So, I decided to apply my love of grammar to another career: proofreading and editing. I love helping others perfect their work so their written voices shine.
Background and experience
My professional background is in education. First, I’ve done one-on-one tutoring by helping English students perfect their writing skills in an academic setting and achieve the best grade. Second, I’ve taught English as a second language, which revolves around giving students the grammatical and functional skills to build a strong foundation on which to become proficient in all aspects of the English language.
Why I love proofreading and editing
For me, editing a piece of writing is like solving a puzzle. Helping someone to perfect their work in this way gives me immense satisfaction. I’ve always loved to read a variety of things. Working as a proofreader and editor exposes me to a world of writing that I would never get the opportunity to read otherwise.
Favorite book:
This is a really tough question! At the moment, my favorite book is Feet of Clay by Sir Terry Pratchett. But that’s likely to change as soon as I re-read the next Discworld novel.
Hobbies:
I'm a beach boy, but not the singing type! I love walking, relaxing, swimming, and surfing. But my main pastime is SCUBA diving. Being underwater is my happy place.
Editing tips:
For my final read-through, I sometimes read the document backwards! This helps me to dissociate from the narrative to read purely for any errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
