Introduction
My professional and educational backgrounds demonstrate excellence, and my level of versatility is unparalleled. I enjoy various forms of writing and storytelling. I hold a Ph.D. in English, which demonstrates my perseverance as well as my superior analytical, problem-solving, and time management skills.
EDITOR and WRITER
Since 2011, I have been a professional copy editor, developmental editor, and proofreader.
I collaborate with university presses, commercial publishers, authors, and professional organizations. I preserve my clients’ voices and brands while helping them improve their writing and avoid issues that could make them appear careless or unprofessional.
I edit books, articles, essays, court transcripts, graduate papers, dissertations, marketing materials, website content, comics, and screenplays.
I adhere to style manuals such as the Chicago Manual of Style, MLA, and APA.
I am proficient in Microsoft Office, Adobe, Google Docs, and content management systems such as SharePoint, Smartsheet, Seismic, and Microsoft Teams.
I have a five-star (100%) rating on Reedsy.com.
See my Editor and Writer page.
SCREENPLAY ANALYST
Since 2011, I have provided script coverage and script analysis.
Script coverage includes a synopsis and a rating of “Pass,” “Consider,” or “Recommend.” It acknowledges a story's strengths and identifies its weaknesses, such as significant script formatting errors, plot structure issues, character issues, clarity issues, and inconsistencies.
Script analysis is more detailed than script coverage. It is a popular option for writers who want to improve a script before submitting it to contests or producers and for filmmakers who want to polish a script before production.
I have worked with writers, producers, and screenwriting contests such as the Roadmap Writers Top Tier and Accelerator Contests, the University Film & Video Association Conference Screenplay Competition, and the Baltimore Screenwriters Competition.
PROJECT MANAGER
Since 2021, I have guided manuscripts through their publication stages, which include submission, developmental editing, author review, and submission to the publisher's operations team. I have collaborated with a managing editor and a technical editor in this effort.
See my Editor and Writer page.
VIDEO EDITOR
To facilitate and enhance the storytelling, I perform the following tasks: selecting the shots, cutting, arranging the shots, transitioning, titling, adjusting the colors (as needed), and adjusting the audio (e.g., dialogue, interview clips, narration, sound effects, and music).
See my Video Editor page.
INSTRUCTOR and TUTOR
In-person and online, I have taught and tutored children and adults of all education levels in classes, small groups, and one-on-one.
For 10 years, I taught composition, world literature, African American and African Diaspora literature, introduction to literature, humanities, United States history, African American history, African American studies, screenwriting, and film studies at the college level.
I taught high school English language arts and SAT prep for one year.
As an independent teacher, I taught drawing classes for children as well as English for beginners (ESL, ESOL, and ESP) and English and writing for standardized tests (SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS, and GED).
I have tutored college students at writing centers, and as an independent tutor, I tutored middle school and high school students in English language arts.
AUTHOR
I have published academic articles and book chapters, and my book, Nina Mae McKinney: At the Dawn of Black Hollywood Stardom, was published in December 2024.
SPEAKER
I have been a guest speaker at events hosted by schools, churches, and community organizations on the same topics I have taught and written about.
EDUCATION
Graduate Degrees
Ph.D. in English
Morgan State University
Baltimore, Maryland
M.A. in African American World Studies
(including 32 hours of graduate-level history coursework)
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Certificates
TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) 120-Hour Professional Certificate
myTEFL/Footprints Language Education, Ltd.
West Vancouver, British Columbia
Professional Proposal Writing
Grant Training Center
Washington, D.C.
Beginner Spanish II – Intermediate Spanish II
Facultad de Idiomas
Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca (UABJO)
Oaxaca, Mexico
Honors and Awards
Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society
Golden Key International Honour Society
Adele V. Holden Creative Writing Excellence Award, Morgan State University
Caroll Mills Young College Language Association (CLA) Study Abroad Scholarship
Creative Minds in Cannes Internship
Sol Education Abroad Scholarship
University Film & Video Association (UFVA) Graduate Student Fellowship