Brenda M Michaelis

Headline

Get to Know Your Editor: Brenda Michaelis

Biography

For Brenda Michaelis, a world without reading or writing is a world without color. Her search for great writing has taken her to college in Mississippi and to graduate school in Washington state. After lots of blood, sweat, and ink, she has acquired a Master's in Literature. Since her sophomore year of college, Brenda has been helping writers achieve their full potential. First, as a writing tutor and then as a teaching assistant. In every piece of writing, there is a unique story and a voice capable of persuasion in its own way. Her favorite non-writerly saying is that “what does not kill you will only require a few years of therapy to fix.” As a writer, her favorite piece of advice is that “you should write the books that you wished existed, but no one else has taken the time to write yet.” Her personal promise is to help writers achieve their potential, one piece of writing at a time.

Previous experience, degrees, and qualifications

After a lot of blood, sweat, and spilled ink, I graduated from Central Washington University with my Master's in English. My degree provided me with experiences of a wide variety of writing and the ability to break down complex texts into simpler parts. In the past, I have worked as a writing tutor in-person at my undergraduate school, Mississippi College, and currently work online through Links System international. I have assisted a wide variety of learners from graduate student level to middle school. All of these experiences make an ideal editor.

Interests and hobbies

Writing, duh. Specifically, I like to write mysteries and thrillers, which also happens to be my favorite genre to read. The occasional fantasy novel like Jim Butcher's Dresden files or Charles Stross's Laundry files can also catch my eye, though. I also play volleyball, though, not very well.

How I'd describe my personality in two sentences

Creative and rational may seem like antonyms, but these are the two words that describe me the best. I love to explore what makes me curious and use that knowledge in unique and fun ways and I also enjoy seeing how something complex works and figuring out mysteries.

How I'd describe my approach to my work

While my attention to grammar is minute, I believe in letting all choices that do not have to do with correctness go to the writer. I also think that writing is specific to an audience and that the ultimate goal of any writing is to reach that audience, not reach some arbitrary standard of perfection. Finally, I believe in finding the potential within a work and drawing it out so the writer becomes better rather than only ending up with a good final product when finished.

Why should you choose me for your project

Any other editor will make your writing correct, but I strive to help you improve your writing overall. My wish is to help my clients grow as writers and as readers.

Portfolio

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