I have been a professional wordsmith for nearly 10 years... and it almost didn't happen.

In high school, I never put much effort into studying English, until I had a very influential teacher, in 11th grade, who challenged me.

I had always been an avid reader, and enjoyed writing poems and short stories as a hobby, but never cared to actually learn to rules of proper grammar and punctuation. This teacher, Ms. Pulliam, coaxed me, almost against my will, into learning the rules ... all the better to break them.

Because of her influence, I pursued English as my major in college and, after graduating, became a copy editor for a newspaper. I have made it my task in life to assist in the creation of clear, concise prose. (And, in recognition of my efforts to that end, I recently was promoted to an associate editor position.)

Language can be challenging and it can be beautiful. Learning to navigate, construct and deconstruct a sentence or an entire novel in a search for meaning can be a rush.

I can appreciate the power of and need for a skilled and patient educator in helping others to develop this skill, and am willing to share my knowledge with whomever may need it.