Author Archives: WestWordArizona

About WestWordArizona

Writer, editor, originally from Berkshire County, Massachusetts, now living in North San Diego County, California.

Editor/beta reader taking a break

Posted on October 24, 2016 by WestWordArizona

I was employed as an editor at nonprofit organization for many years. Now I’m a freelance editor, currently on hiatus for personal reasons. If I return to editing, I have decided that I will edit only very short projects, at least for a … Continue reading →

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Meet my Beach Buddy, The Oceanside Trenchcoat Guy

Posted on September 14, 2016 by WestWordArizona

If you go to the beach in Oceanside, California, you probably will see the man who walks along the Strand wearing a long, dark trench coat. Sometimes he splashes in the water; at other times, he sits on the rocks … Continue reading →

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Sorry, I’m an editor

Posted on September 9, 2016 by WestWordArizona

I’ve read a lot of bloopers in novels and other forms of, shall I say, literature, over the years. Misplaced modifiers are hilarious. Here’s one from a real estate ad: The grounds are well kept and inviting to visitors with … Continue reading →

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Sort of sorry that I abandoned this project, only sort of . . .

Posted on July 29, 2016 by WestWordArizona

In 1995, I wrote a rough draft of what probably would have become the longest personal essay in the history of the written word. I titled it *Al, the Prowler, and the Siege at Dodge Boulevard*. The project was a … Continue reading →

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Not really plagiarism

Posted on July 20, 2016 by WestWordArizona

I hate plagiarism. However, I did not hear or read the recent speech by Mrs. Trump or the previous one by Mrs. Obama. So I can’t comment about the current plagiarism accusations and explanations regarding those speeches that are floating … Continue reading →

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Trying to rework old work

Posted on July 1, 2016 by WestWordArizona

I’m figuratively dusting off some essays I wrote between the early sixties and the mid-nineties. I’m editing them to make the stories flow more smoothly; they were a bit stilted in the original versions. I confess I’m using pseudonyms to protect the, … Continue reading →

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My worst essay

Posted on May 16, 2016 by WestWordArizona

[Talk about being a drama queen; I think I was at my best with this one. Well, at the time; later, I did top it as a college freshman. The writing in this essay is really bad. But what the … Continue reading →

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I enjoy reading e-books, but . . .

Posted on March 7, 2016 by WestWordArizona

I’ve had my Kindle e-reader for about three years. During that time, I’ve downloaded way too many e-books, most of which either were freebies or cost .99 cents. I enjoyed reading some of those free or inexpensive e-books. Thanks to … Continue reading →

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Fun times with the family cars

Posted on January 5, 2016 by WestWordArizona

I’ve had a driver’s license since I was 18, but I’ve never actually owned a car. When I lived with my parents, I drove one of my dad’s cars. Years later, Ken was the one who bought the vehicles (usually … Continue reading →

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Enjoyed writing my first paid articles, but wasn’t too crazy about having them edited

Posted on October 9, 2015 by WestWordArizona

One May morning in the late nineties, a help-wanted ad in the local newspaper caught my eye. Someone was looking for freelancers to write articles for a bi-monthly publication featuring household pets and farm animals. The ad asked prospective writers … Continue reading →

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