Week 1 - Introduction

Hey, all!

My name is Allyse Taylor, and my pronouns are she/hers/hers. I am a senior majoring in communication, and am on track to graduate in May. I chose this degree path for a few reasons, but the main one is that I want to be able to use my skills to create a career in a field that I am passionate about. I am a non-traditional student, and have been working in the private sector for the last 14 years. I currently work for a company that has taught me many valuable lessons and given me the opportunity to gain experience and knowledge, but that exists within an industry that I am not passionate about or interested in. I came back to school to open up my options, learn more about how I can use what I am good at to build a career, and to have the education necessary to pursue a different field.

I am interested in editing primarily because I love to read. I would love to edit novels and be a part of the publication process. My husband is an author, and in doing a rough edit of the first few drafts of his novel, I found that I truly enjoy the work and want to find ways to continue to do it, potentially turning it into a profession. In a perfect scenario, my husband and I would be a writing and editing team, but any opportunity to further this pursuit is welcome at this point. Aside from the work that I have done with his writing, I am fairly inexperienced as an editor and am very excited to learn more. Editing, to me, is a whetstone. It is a tool that one uses to sharpen and refine what is already a strong, solid tool. Without something to keep our tools sharp, they can become dull and ineffective. Editing helps writers keep their work relevant, organized, and understandable. Excited to see what this semester holds!