Hello to all my visitors! I am The Wordsmith, and I smith words. Do you have an essay you are sure could earn you an A, if you could only get another person to look it over and smooth out the rough spots? Are you in need of a skilled linguist to craft proposals, letters, and documentation for you and your work? Could you use an assistant, helpfully collecting information over the internet and putting together forms for you? If so, you may have need of me!
I can do most things relating to words and computers, and I am adept in using programs such as Microsoft Office, Word, and Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. I may not have mentioned your specific need here, but if you need anything linguistic-based or having to do with user interfaces, feel free to ask. My talents are many and varied, and it would be rather pointless to attempt to list them all here. ^_^
Why blog? Why now?
I have been giving people my name and number, trying to build my Wordsmith business, but after much rumination I have decided that the best thing to do would be to create a centralized website for all of my clients to be directed to, as well as to spread word of my business across the internet. I’m trying to earn money for my first year of college, which starts in September, and I have a rather lofty goal that, if I should reach it, will pay for all of my studies for the first year! This blog is still under heavy construction, so check back often for changes. I’m looking into adding a chat feature, as well as a thermometer-type measurement to display how far I am towards reaching my goal.
Current Projects
This week, I am editing an unpublished manuscript for a client and a friend of mine with an eye towards overhauling the entire structure of the book to create a more compelling story. In addition, I am providing technical advice and generally helping out. I just finished reading the work and now I’m hoping to make an appointment with him to discuss it and get started on the first wave of improvements. I find it’s easier to take these things in stages; if I try to completely rework the entire book all at once, it becomes an incredibly daunting project that neither I nor my client wishes to take on. However, if we attack the project in sections, it is much more bearable and overall a fun piece to work on.
Wednesday, I spent several hours researching and putting together a letter for another client of mine, who has requested confidentiality. I transcribed his dictation into a letter and found information on the web and in numerous files for him. For me, confidentiality is not a problem, because I always keep client names and the specifics of my work with them private unless they specifically give me permission to share it on my blog with you.
My semi-regular job is starting up again, as the office took a break for the fourth of July. Happy Independence Day, Americans! They’re back now, and I look forward to getting started. I work for an office near my house by collecting hard copies of patient contact information and typing it up into Excel worksheets, then sending it through Dropbox.com back to the office. I’m learning to use the ten-key number pad and I’m gaining more experience reading wildly varied handwriting through my work with them.
Word of the *Insert Time Frame Here*
Defenstrate; verb; the act of throwing something or someone out of a window. First coined during the 1618 Defenstrations of Prague, during which two Imperial governers and their secretary were all thrown from an upper window in Prague Castle. Previously, the mere act of throwing someone out of a window was popularized by throwing seven town officials out of the same castle in 1419, an act which helped ignite the Hussite War. More information on this exciting historical term can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenestration.
