Writing & Editing
I have extensive experience writing on a wide range of science topics for diverse audiences, producing content such as news releases, feature stories, video scripts, image captions, and printed products like posters and brochures.
With editorial experience in science and technology writing for various audiences, I am skilled in developmental and substantive editing, along with copy editing. I spent several years as the editorial lead for JPL’s public engagement team (a managing editor role), providing developmental and structural edits to web content, social media material, and communications planning documents. My four years in the JPL news office involved daily line and substantive editing of news and feature content and press kits.
Currently, I am editing a full-length memoir for a first-time author, providing both substantive and line editing support.
FEATURE STORIES
Feature stories generally have a more relaxed, magazine-like vibe. They tend to be creative writing projects, intended to highlight ideas or personalities, and make connections to thematic ideas. I’ve been privileged to choose many of my own topics for features over the years, including these three.
Writing Samples
EXPLAINER ARTICLES
These are a few public friendly, evergreen articles I wrote, designed to answer common questions. (Plus one prime NASA content hub page on skywatching that I wrote myself.)
NEWS RELEASES
News releases are targeted products, designed to announce new information. They’re written in an inverted pyramid format, with the most essential and important info up front. While I certainly have written news stories about many other topics in my career, none have I covered more extensively than the Cassini mission to Saturn, so my choices here are all from that mission.
IMAGE CAPTIONS
I supported the imaging team of the Cassini mission during the spacecraft’s approach to Saturn and four-year primary mission. During that time I wrote about 1500 image captions, describing the thrilling sights Cassini shared of planet, its rings, and moons, and many wonders never before seen. It was a fast-paced time of true discovery. It was important to imaging lead Carolyn Porco that the captions should hold up over time. She emphasized that we were writing for posterity, and should imagine our words being read by curious minds decades in the future.
