Editorial Assistant Kelsey Graham: I’m from a different world than the usual Cincinnati Review volunteer—I’m a master’s student in professional writing. In my defense (I’m not sure one is needed, but I like to be prepared), I have a bachelor’s degree in art history, so I’ve always appreciated the more creative side of life. Instead of dreaming up characters and writing lines of beautiful and heartfelt prose, though, my days are filled with writing press releases and white papers, along with designing promotional materials.
So, what am I doing here? Well, I’ve found a similarity that brings the world of professional and creative writing together—our love of reading. When I learned that I could donate my time as a volunteer reader for The Cincinnati Review, I jumped at the opportunity. But how was I going to bridge the two worlds and succeed in my new role? Would my love of reading be enough? Would I be asked to resign by February?
When I started reading submissions, I worked with the tools I learned through my writing program. One of the most important ones is knowing your audience, which is everything in professional writing, and I quickly realized how important it is to consider when reviewing literature and poetry as well. It became apparent when a writer was not aware of their audience, which resulted in a lack of control of the story and, thus, pandemonium and subpar plotlines.
Along with needing to know your audience, creative and professional writers can both relate to having to put themselves in another person’s shoes. I am constantly having to write about topics I may not be aware of but have to become an expert on in a short amount of time. Need me to write a white paper on waste management? Sure thing! Need me to write a press release for your company’s upcoming event? Absolutely—let me just do some quick research. Creative writers need this skill as well to write about realistic characters whom the reader can connect with.
This brings me to my next point: writing is about making a connection, whether you are writing a news article, fiction story, or poem. We write to stir up some kind of action, whether that be emotional or someone physically doing something. This is also my favorite part of being a volunteer reader. I love reading new perspectives and stories I wouldn’t typically pick out and stack in my to-be-read pile.
This position has helped to expand my interests in reading and, even more so, my world view. For the true purpose of writing to be achieved, it is essential for the reader to feel the passion and authenticity in a writer’s words. While this is something I have learned through my time as a professional-writing student, my position with The Cincinnati Review has cemented it.
Kelsey Graham is a master’s student in the professional writing program at the University of Cincinnati. She has an interest in journalism, design, and creating a connection through words. Though originally from northeast Ohio, she has come to call Cincinnati home.
