Monday, November 26, 2012

Resume for a writer and editor

blog: http://tg-editor-proofreader.blogspot.com/
E-mail: tgilli52@gmail.com or nc3022@yahoo.com

QUICK DESCRIPTION

    •    Currently work as freelance editor and writer; have edited novels and non-fiction books, articles, business writing, lawyer’s work, a doctoral dissertation, even an ebook on hand, feet and nail care.

    •    Good writer, better editor.
    •    Self-starter; need little supervision.


FREELANCE EXPERIENCE

    •    Usually work remotely; my clients have included, among others, a lawyer from Virginia, a doctoral candidate from Canada, and an Australian businessman. I’ve also worked as an independent contractor for two Canadian businesses, a magazine and a comic-book company. I have even laid out newspaper pages remotely.
    •    Have freelanced for the Metro, Sports, Features, Zones and Niche Publications departments for the Winston-Salem (NC) Journal. Among my stories: a man who survived the Battle of the Bulge; Olympic gymnasts/professional speakers Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci; the best wine lists in Winston-Salem; a 19-year-old proposing to his girlfriend during a carriage ride at Tanglewood Park, and features on Olympic speedskaters Joey Cheek and Dan Jansen.
    •    Lately, have been writing for the Journal's Niche Publications department and for its Relish section. Also, have written for Winston-Salem Monthly, another product of the Journal.
    •    Have written for the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Chamber of Commerce's magazine, WS Works, and Spark magazine, another product of the Winston-Salem Journal.
    •    Have authored three books (and co-authored a fourth) and several comic-book scripts on auto racing. In 2007, wrote Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr. (Cumberland House, 2008). In 2012, became a co-author of Then Junior Said to Jeff... for Triumph Books.
    •    In 2006, wrote captions for MBI Publishing's book on Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    •    In 1999, wrote chapters for Beckett Publishing books on Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    •    Have written freelance articles for various magazines, among them Winston-Salem MonthlyNASCAR SceneThe Sporting News' 1999 and 2000 preseason auto-racing editions, Performance Racing News (Canadian)Sports Illustrated (a short basketball feature), Racing for Teens, Circle Track, Stock Car Racing and more.
    •    Have written freelance stories for the Miami Herald (college basketball), the Washington Post (auto racing), the Baltimore Sun (college football) and many other daily newspapers.
    •    Wrote stories for the Ultimate College Football Annual from 2003 to 2008.
    •    Freelanced for the Charleston (S.C.) Regional Business Journal and The Business Journal of the Triad.
    •    Wrote for the iRace, SpeedNet, Worth.com, Boaters.com, the Indianapolis Star's site, and other web sites.
M
NEWSPAPER EXPERIENCE

    •    Have worked at nine newspapers as a writer, copy editor and page designer (and sometimes photographer).
    •    Was sports editor at three newspapers,
one daily newspaper — the now-defunct Surry Messenger — and two non-daily newspaper— Seneca (SC) Journal and Easley (SC) Progress.
    •    From February to May of 2008, was the editor of The Racing Journal, covering short-track racing in the Piedmont of North Carolina and southern Virginia. Handled the writing, editing and photography; also did page design (QuarkXPress) when needed.
    •    Worked as a sports copy editor and writer at daily newspapers in Hendersonville, NC; Wilmington, NC; Charleston, SC; High Point, NC; Winston-Salem, NC, and Mount Airy, NC (Surry Messenger).

    •    Was editor for The Racing Journal, a product of the Winston-Salem Journal.

COLLEGE

    •    BA degree in journalism (3.2 GPA), Radford (Va.) University.
    •    News writer for the college newspaper, junior and senior years.
    •    Writer, Radford (Va.) University Office of Information and Publications.
    •    Intern, Christiansburg-Blacksburg News-Messenger.

EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com  TWITTER: EDITORatWORK

More blog entries by Tom Gillispie
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EDITOR@WORK blog entries

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(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)

Thursday, October 18, 2012

A sweet treat (at a gingerbread workshop)

(NOTE: This story was written for the Winston-Salem Journal in 2007.)
SWEET TIMES: WORKSHOP ATTRACTING FAMILIES

Gingerbread covered with icing, candy

  • By Tom Gillispie, SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL

CLEMMONS -- The children found a sweet situation last week during a gingerbread-decorating workshop at the Holy Family Catholic Church.

A trio of 3-year-olds -- Avinash Sabbagh and his cousins, twins Rebekah and Jordan Sabbagh Robaiotti -- worked Nov. 20 on eating candy and putting pieces to a gingerbread house.

Helping were Caleb Sabbagh, 4, and David Sabbagh, 13, as well as two of the children's mothers, sisters Michelle Sabbagh and Elizabeth Sabbagh Robaiotti.
David is the son of another Sabbagh sister, Carol.

Michelle Sabbagh said she went to the gingerbread workshop last year with Avinash. She said that the Sabbaghs, all from Winston-Salem, enjoy the workshops. "We get to be creative," she said. "And their grandmother (Judy Sabbagh) is in the hospital. This will go to her."
Across the room, Larry duPont worked intently, putting icing on the roof of a gingerbread house, as his wife, Veronica, and son, Hayden, 8, watched.
Then Veronica and Hayden helped him add the candy.
Nearby, the duPonts' daughter, Erica, 16, and her date, Jason Cibelli, 17, put icing and candy on a gingerbread Christmas tree, and there was giggling as some of the icing and candy failed to reach the tree.
"Dad's big on projects," Erica duPont said as she looked over and watched Larry work under Hayden's supervision.
"Dad has a pattern going," Veronica duPont said as she watched duPont, an officer for the Winston-Salem Police Department.
Veronica duPont said that the duPonts, who live in Advance, saw an advertisement for the gingerbread workshop and thought it would be fun.
"We did get to do it last year, and we made sure we did it this year," she said. "It's something we can do as a family."
Veronica said she was glad that the workshop's director, Lettitia Iruela, had built the houses and trees in advance.
Erica and Jason were using everything from Tootsie Rolls, Whoppers and Skittles to Twizzlers, gumballs and Starbursts to decorate their sweet tree.
Erica duPont said she likes the Christmas tree better than the gingerbread house.
"It's fun, very entertaining," she said as she added more candy to the tree.
Other people worked on various gingerbread items, including gingerbread men.
Iruela, who runs the workshops, appeared to be relaxed and watched others work. She said she got hooked on making gingerbread Christmas goodies when she was in college.
She has done the workshops with Girl Scout troops -- this is the fourth year at the Catholic Church. She also conducts workshops at two churches in Winston-Salem.
Why do it?
"Just look around at the kids," she said, sweeping a hand toward the children. "That's what I get out of doing it."
She started the workshops at the church as a way to make money for the church's building fund.
Iruella said she was up until 3 in the morning the night before, baking gingerbread and constructing houses and trees.
"This is probably the most behind I've been on baking," she said. "I'll work 200 to 400 hours over four months, me and my husband (Carlos). That counts buying candy, baking, bagging candy, putting the houses together, and I will decorate houses for this weekend."
Gingerbread lovers and others can attend two more gingerbread workshops this year at the Holy Family Catholic Church, on Saturday and Sunday.
Iruella said that 18 people decorated gingerbread on Nov. 20, but she said she expects 40 to 50 people at the other two workshops.
Iruella said that most people don't eat the houses, and some people might keep them two years before they begin to fall apart.
Erica duPont was asked how long the gingerbread tree will last.

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