<p>Most newspaper reporters begin their careers by&nbsp;working the dreaded obituary beat. Like most reporters, that's exactly where I cut my teeth. But it's also where I truly fell in love with&nbsp;deadlines and being absolutely correct the first time. You simply cannot misspell the decedent&rsquo;s name or confuse the order of his or her former spouses who wish to be named in the final document.<br /><br /> I moved on to other beats including news and features, but over the course of nearly 10 years in the news business, I never stopped using my eye for detail and adherence to&nbsp;style.&nbsp;An editor once told me he loved editing my stories because my copy was &ldquo;incredibly clean.&rdquo; Once the Internet annihilated daily newspaper sales and jobs, I applied my skills to a diverse career in corporate communications for a four-year college, hospitals, an industrial supply company and an insurance company.<br /> </p>
<p>To keep things interesting, I've also taught magazine writing on a college level and I've taught English grammar to adults working toward earning their&nbsp;GED. These days, I'm looking for any opportunity to apply my skills to anyone who is committed to crafting vivid, straight-forward and punctilious copy.</p>
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