About Lois Summers and Wordsweave.com

Overview

I'm a writer, editor, and former English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher. I write and edit non-fiction, mainly for websites and sometimes for print. In addition, I can create and maintain basic websites.

My ESL teaching background has helped me organize and present material in ways that are more readable. It's also taught me a lot about English, other languages, and language and culture.

I'm from Canada but now live in Michigan in the US. I know both Canadian and American spelling and the vocabulary differences between the two countries.

Why hire me?

• I have experience, education, and ability in writing, editing, and web publishing.
• When I write or edit for the Web, I optimize my words or yours for search engines (search engine optimization or SEO).
• I can format material for online use, and I can update your website for you.
• I make material easier for native and non-native English speakers to read.
• I'm detail oriented.
• I'm an organizer. I organize sentences, paragraphs, pages, and whole websites.

How I got started

After I got a degree in Creative Writing and became an ESL teacher, I wrote part-time for a while. In the late 1990s, I started learning how to create websites as well as how to write for the Web. I spent time in online web development communities to learn more.

"Critique my site" is a common forum discussion topic. People who ask for for and give feedback are often skilled in the technical and design aspects of web creation. I saw, however, that web writing is a lesser-known area. Other people focused on color choices, coding, and page layout techniques (important topics), and perhaps pointed out spelling mistakes. I saw ways to make sentences stronger and content easier to access.

To add to what I was learning, I took courses in web writing, editing, publishing, and online marketing.

Many website owners were doing everything themselves, and they didn't have all the necessary skills. I saw an affordable service that I could provide. Since 2004, I've been writing and editing for jobs as small as half an hour and for longer and ongoing projects.

See the Writing and Editing pages at this site for more information.

My ESL specialty

Non-fiction writing and teaching have this process in common: present the topic and then break it into digestible pieces.

I taught English as a Second Language (ESL) international students for over 15 years, in classes and in private lessons. I know the typical mistakes that non-native speakers make in English. I understand the differences in writing structure and style in different languages. I've seen how difficult it can be for non-native speakers to read in English. This background helps me make information more accessible to both native and non-native English speakers.

Teaching and writing are complementary skills, and I still offer teaching services to those who need help with English.

More details are on ESL Support.

My background

Relevant experience

Here's some of what I've done:

• Written for websites, email and print newsletters, and magazines
• Edited newsletter and website content
• Designed and redesigned websites and newsletters
• Taught English as a Second Language (ESL) to adult international students

Relevant education

I took these programs in Vancouver, Canada:

• A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, major in Creative Writing, from the University of British Columbia (UBC)
• Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program at UBC
• Writing, editing, publishing, and marketing courses at Simon Fraser University