Research Writer Interview With Timothy
Helping the Writing Challenged
We Welcome to Custom Papers Dr. Timothy! The writing samples you provided demonstrate writing excellence and I am pleased that you are joining us. I am confident that our relationship will be collegial and mutually beneficial.
Thank you. I am impressed with your organization and the service that is provided to those who are "writing challenged." The organization and structure of the system and the process is excellent.
I like to get to know something about our writers and their writing background and accomplishments. I would appreciate it if you would briefly describe your background and comment on how it contributed to your development as a freelance essay writer.
Some people say that writers are born, and not made. I believe that there is some truth in this statement. Creativity is not something that can be taught and seems to be something of a gift or talent. It goes without saying that writers of poetry, novels, and other fiction are in a creative class of their own. Clearly, a pedantic style certainly has a place in scientific, technical and some other writing, but an element of creativity can make a written piece flow and develop in a way that holds the reader's attention. Creativity in word selection and sentence structure is also important when the purpose is to relate complex ideas and relationships in a concise manner that can be easily understood by those without in-depth knowledge of the subject. Nevertheless, development of the craft of writing is more the product of persistence and hard work.
My family environment had a huge impact on my development as a writer. I grew up in a home where reading, writing, and verbal expression were highly regarded. My mother was a high school English teacher and insisted that her seven children use proper grammar. She was a delightful, warm hearted and generous lady who insisted that the use of correct grammar and correct pronunciation is a sure sign of refinement, sophistication, and a well educated person. My brothers and sisters and I took this to heart and went so far as to make a game out of catching and correcting each other when the incorrect tense, number or agreement use used. Mother abhorred the incorrect usage of lay and laid, and incorrect use of personal pronouns.
My father was an attorney and one of the smartest men that I have known. He had an unbelievable store of background information and his vocabulary was extraordinary. He was a master of crossword puzzles and dearly loved the Sunday New York Times puzzle. One of my fond memories is his kind admonishment on the use of the word "hate" by his children. "Surely, your vocabulary is better than that!" he would exclaim, suggesting abhor, detest, loath, despise, and numerous other alternatives.
Both of my parents were great readers and greatly encouraged their children to read. There was no television in our home but lots of books. As a result my brothers and sisters and I became voracious readers and acquired large vocabularies. In addition, we learned to observe and enjoy a writer's style and sometimes tried to adopt it, unsuccessfully, needless to say.
Thank you, what an interesting home that must have been.
Yes, there was never a dull moment.
Please describe the role writing has played in your professional life.
As an academic, writing is one of the most important tools of my trade. As I'm sure you know, publishing is essential to tenure and promotion, as well as status and the regard of one's colleagues. For the past twenty years I have served dual roles as an administrator and a teacher/researcher. Dual roles can be difficult to manage. If allowed, administrative responsibilities can easily consume all of one's time and sap all of one's energy. Therefore, I have always been certain to include time to write and work on research projects in my schedule. I am happy to say that I have numerous publications as lead or second author. Advanced research and writing skills, as well as a reputation for tenacity and perseverance, made me a good collaborator on research and other projects.
Another hallmark of a successful academic career is success in obtaining grants and other external funding. An essential element of "grantsmanship" is skill in writing very high quality letters, reports, proposals and other documentation. Documents and manuscripts must be clear, concise and display professionalism. In many cases, it is also necessary to be persuasive. I am proud of my success in this area.
Do you enjoy essay writing and research?
I do enjoy writing "wordsmithing" as I have heard it called. Yet, writing can also be a "magnificent agony." All writers experience times when the words just don't seem to come, and great frustration in just not being able to express an idea in a way that makes sense.
I also suffer from the curse of being somewhat of a perfectionist. Whenever I read what I have written, I notice phrases or sentence that don't seem quite right and should be changed. Sometimes a completely new (and better?) way of presenting information occurs to me and one or more paragraphs must be re-written.
In organizational psychology, one of the important variables considered in the study of motivation is "need for achievement" (nAch). Need for achievement is clearly a significant motivational factor for me. Writing a difficult article or research paper gives me a great sense of personal achievement, especially when the work is praised by colleagues and is accepted for publication. I also like to simply consider something that I have written and know that it is very good.
Why are working as an academic freelance writer now?
Two years ago I was forced to retire from my position at the University of Florida due to a disability. While my mobility is limited, I am able to write and work on my computer. For the past year, one of my engagements has been writing practice test items for students preparing for the GRE or GMAT. This is a very difficult and complex writing task and can be "mind boggling." Sometimes, I even confuse myself! Writing academic papers and guiding dissertations is very engaging without the nerve-wracking struggle of composing complex and difficult test items.
Thank you Dr. Timothy.
You are most welcome. I look forward to our association.