Published Legal Author
Research Writer Interview with Wallace
Hello Wallace. Tell us what you think makes you a good fit for Custom Term Papers as a freelance writer and editor.
Hello. I think the first point, even if it isn't the most exciting one, is that I've had both experience and success with academic writing, so I'll get that out of the way first. I've been very successful academically as a college and graduate student in very writing-heavy concentrations (those being political science, English, and law) and I've also had pieces published in scholarly journals. So if the question is what might make me a useful tool in terms of academic writing, I think the fact that I've done a great deal of it and been rewarded is a good starting point.
So you believe that you're a useful and independent tool.
Yes, that's really very clever.
You said it, not me. Please, go on - what is it about your writing that you think has allowed you to be successful?
For me it's a matter of knowing what I want to communicate, and making sure that everything on the page is doing exactly that. If a word or a phrase or even a paragraph isn't contributing to that, I've lost my way somewhere. It sounds simple but I think we all know that in practice, it isn't. I like to think that I do a good job of, first, having a point, and second, communicating the point rather than getting in the way of it. It's really very easy to get in the way of your point while you're trying to make it.
And how do you avoid that?
Come up with the point first; write second. Another point that sounds really obvious but - speaking from experience - one that's very easy to get away from, especially in an academic setting. My most frustrating papers in school were always the ones that I'd half-completed and then realized at the midpoint that I wasn't sure where to go next. I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable just reliving those moments. There is definitely a way to avoid this. I had a professor once who called it "frontloading," the point being that at the very beginning of the writing process you do all the heavy lifting: think the assignment through to the end, gather your resources, map out the argument, etc. Then write. My experience has been that the more rigidly I adhere to that principle, the better the product is.
What subject areas and topics are you qualified to write about, and which do you enjoy most?
Like I said, I think the best writing is the kind that gets out of the way of the information it is presenting, which means that the important thing isn't how impressive or how smart the author is, but rather the credibility of the sources the author uses. Obviously, though, there's some level of sophistication required, so I'll give a less combative answer: I love writing about literature (which includes a lot more than just written fiction), about criminal justice, inequality, and political topics, and all sorts of philosophical, metaphysical or religious matters. Basically, if it isn't a hard science I'm pretty comfortable tackling it, and if it involves the law I can provide an expert-level analysis.