Disability certainly has its undignified moments. Like this one: I had an absence seizure just as I was going in for a hug and instead aimed my lips at the person. Or not learning until I was in my 30s that my epileptic seizures could be mistaken for rolling my eyes at someone. I’m often a quiet person in a large room, so nothing better than learning you come across as a complete snob.
But writing changes all that for me.
My name’s Lori. I’m a content writer, and I live with a rare epilepsy called epilepsy with eyelid myoclonia, formerly Jeavons syndrome. I'm "absent" for several seconds at a time, dozens of times a day.
You may notice my seizures: fluttering eyelids as I stop talking. But I can also have seizures with no noticeable symptoms and symptoms without seizures.
My symptoms and seizures are, to put it in plain language, fair-weather friends.
But writing and I? We’re best friends.
I trained in the performing arts throughout my youth, helped in the family dealership, received my Hons. B.A. in German with a second general major in psychology in 2000 and my M.A. in German with a focus on sociolinguistics in 2002.
My studies taught me the standards required for successful academic writing. My early jobs taught me what’s needed for purposeful marketing. My performing arts background taught me the importance of audience.
After university, I worked in the arts for several years. In 2008, I moved into tech, and in 2013 found myself back in academia as the administrative coordinator for a research centre. I received my TCPS2: Core ethics certification in 2014 so I could coordinate a cultural and sociolinguistic study.
I started my content writing and editing business in 2008, writing first for trade magazines. That expanded quickly into content writing for businesses, and in 2017, I edited my first dissertation.
What had started as a part-time business became a full-time one. I’ve written about automotive, AI, real-world data and real-world evidence, advocacy, and manufacturing, among other topics.
That background prepared me for the never-ending wave of innovation we see today. Self-driving vehicles? I can write about that. Dancing robots? Pick me! Pick me! Pharmaceutical treatments for neurology? I’ll tear the assignment out of your hands before you can hit send.
(Metaphorically speaking. Anything to help those with brains broken like mine gets me very excited.)
The difficulty with innovation is that innovators can become so excited about their work, they forget they’re talking to someone who probably only cares about one thing: if the innovation will help.
That’s where external content writers like my team come in: we help you distill your excitement about how you’re going to change the world so that your innovation still excites those hearing your message.
If you’re trying to improve the world with your research, I want to help you communicate your research to the world. As a content writer, I specialize in plain language communication, excel at patient stories, spotlight employees in special ways, and understand the challenges of managing a disability and living with a rare disease.
Contact me today via the form in the footer, and let’s see if we can work together.
