Writing Samples

My portfolio draws from a broad range of clients, from arts festival blogs to SEO firms to local newspapers. I’ve written ad copy for the Web, technical documentation for information management systems and associated user portals, profiles of local bands, scripts for travel podcasts, and even trivia questions. Since I’m trained as a journalist, it’s relatively easy for me to research, write, proofread and copyedit a project with relatively little turnaround time.

I’m currently blogging for LA Metblogs; click here to see what I’ve written for this excellent local blog.

Below you’ll find samples of my work. Feel free to contact me if you’d like to see more; there’s plenty to go around.

SEO

I do quite a bit of search engine optimization writing, and I approach each task with readers in mind — not just search engines. Instead of simply creating dull articles stuffed with keywords, I make it a point to inform each client’s audience by providing a useful resource. Here are two samples; one is on the threat of black mold in the home, and the other is about library marketing.

Like all mold, black mold releases spores to reproduce. If we inhale or swallow them, these spores can wreak havoc on our respiratory and digestive systems. It might not be the stuff of Stephen King novels, but for many Americans living in substandard housing or working in old, run-down buildings, toxic black mold is a real problem.

Library Marketing Technique #3: Lists. Sort of like this one. Why not make a Halloween list of the 50 greatest vampire stories ever told? Or a list of the 50 more unforgettable characters in modern fiction? Or 25 books you’d probably like better than “The Da Vinci Code?” Post these on your website – and don’t forget to tell everyone where they can find the books on the list.

Travel and Arts

I’ve blogged professionally and written travel podcasts for clients that include Toronto’s annual Luminato arts festival and Orbitz.com. Here’s one sample blog post (view my entire Luminato blog here) and two podcasts.


For a show that represents a city so primevally venerable, Christos Hatzis’ Constantinople is stunning in its adept use of varied and modern media. Like Norman, its predecessor on St. Lawrence’s main stage, the show projects images onto multiple screens; also like Norman, it’s unclear from where the images are projected, or why the projections don’t interfere with one another. But that’s where the similarity ends.

Podcast: Sports, Bar None
This is one of several podcasts I wrote for Orbitz.com. This one describes LA sports bars outsiders might enjoy.

Podcast: Three Hours in LA
Another Orbitz.com podcast, this time about what to do if you’re only in town a few hours.

White Papers and Technical Writing

For netStride, a web development and design firm, I created a white paper outlining the benefits of hiring an outside SEO firm. Below is a link to the PDF.

I’ve also written tech documentation for the International Institute for Restorative Practice’s content management system and its associated student and faculty portals. Copies of this are available to interested parties upon request.

Search Engine Marketing: Do It Yourself or Hire Professionals?

Writing on Writing (And Other Communication Media)

As an instructor of journalism and essay writing, I’ve been asked in the past to blog professionally on matters related to writing and electronic communications. I’m proud to have worked with PureBlogging, a site “designed to be the ultimate source of blogging information for bloggers of every skill level.” Here are three samples:

You Are More Powerful Than Zack Morris Himself: How is the editorial process like “Saved By The Bell?” It’s closer than you think.

Shoot Video Like a Pro: A few simple tips on giving your videoblogging efforts the professional edge.

Five Creative Thinking Methods That’ll Send Writer’s Block Packing: Exactly what it says on the package.