About Me
Hi there, my name is Matthew, and I am an aspiring writer seeking a career in content writing, copy editing and/or features writing. I enjoy using distinct but concise vocabulary, literary and figurative devices, and clarity of communication to develop text that is emphatic and purposeful. My services and certifications can be found below.
Medium
I am a creative/content writer and I have a portfolio of work at Medium.com. I have written articles on a variety of subject matter, ranging from politically and socially relevant, to more interpersonal subjects such as mental health and gender. I simply have an immense passion for language, and using to connect with audiences.
​
You can access all my work on Medium with the link below.
Skills
Comprehensive Command of Language
Comprehensive command of vocabulary, figurative devices (simile, metaphor, alliteration, assonance), and phrasal and proverbial language
Adaptable Tone of Voice
Dynamic tone of voice, encompassing formal, informal, analytical and informative rhetoric
Professional Grammar and Syntax
Impeccable grammar and syntax honed through years of scholastic and tertiary studies, in addition to spelling and punctuation of an academic standard
Academic Writing
Experienced in academic research, including vetting primary and secondary sources, as well as general forms of academic writing
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Portfolio
Tone of Voice
Below are three examples of tone of voice. For all the examples I used The Lace Frame Galleries as a potential client, a company based in the famed Lace Market of Nottingham, combining the services of an art gallery with those of an in-house coffee shop. The first example is a formal introduction for the company. The second is an informal introduction for potential customers. The third is an analytical introduction for potential clients/business partners.
Example I
Welcome! Step inside and partake of an ambience imbued with history and culture, and accompany all of it with the familiar, comforting aroma of a morning coffee. Come visit us in the famed Lace Market of Nottingham, where before you enter our premises, you already are infused with history walking down redbrick avenues, an architectural embodiment of the Victorian Era with its Derbyshire and Ancaster masonry transporting you there.
​
Once inside, treat yourself to a glorious collection, contributed to by artists from every nook and cranny of Nottinghamshire and from every cultural background, collectively coming together to present you the storied artistry of our county. From historical paintings to visual displays, the variety of talent for you to experience is staggering, and if find yourself feeling overwhelmed, our knowledgeable and experienced staff will be on hand to provide you with the historical or cultural context that you are needing.
​
So welcome to Lace Frame Galleries, and experience the collective creativity of our Nottinghamshire County like you never have before.
Example II
Hey there? Want a coffee on the go with the atmosphere of an art museum to boot? Want the comforting aroma of a morning coffee with the ambience of historical antiquity? Sound good? Right then! Come on down to the in-house Lace Frame Galleries coffee shop and experience the simultaneous boost of morning caffeine conjoined with an infusion of Nottingham history and culture.
​
We have a range of coffee products available, ranging from espressos to lattes to short and long macchiatos, all of which our seasoned team of professionally honed baristas are eager for you to try.
Want an appetizer to go along with it? No problem. Our catering staff will be eager to serve you your every culinary desire from our breakfast menu. And if you have some time to kill, you can take a leisurely browse of our in-house retailer, where a galore of art books and paraphernalia await you.
​
So, just what are you waiting for? Come on down to Lace Frame Galleries and get a great start to your day with the ambience of artistry.
Example III
Welcome to Lace Frame Galleries. We are a professional team of art enthusiasts and salesmen dedicated to presenting our clientele with a contemporary sales gallery. Since [insert year], we have striven to accrue and assort only the most modern and qualitative works that Nottinghamshire County has to offer. Located in the historic Lace Market, we are a business situated in a part of Nottingham that is rich with historical antiquity, which in turn informs our art acquisition processes and our workplace culture.
​
At Lace Frame Galleries, we strive to ensure the most contemporary and up-to-date collections to accommodate for changing markets and consumer interests. Our staff are seasoned in both historical and cultural expertise, with most possessing an academic background relating to these fields. And lastly, we always prioritize the comfort and enjoyment of our clientele with a causal and leisurely atmosphere, ensuring regular and profitable attendance rates.
​
Creative Process Example
Below is an extract of on article that I wrote, being entitled The future of anime gender discourse, and what it can learn from manga. I have divided this page into two columns. The right-hand column is the creative process example (the article). The left-hand column details points of interest that demonstrate my thought processes and patterns when constructing written work. This creative process example will demonstrate how I proceed from a draft, to a minimal viable product and then a finished work.
Points of Interest
Synonyms are a writer's best friend. Repetition is a sign of an amateur writer. It indicates a limited vocabulary and lack of imagination on their part. This is where synonyms come in.
Even if in terms of content you are saying the same thing, it helps immensely with readability to have variety with language.
Notice here that in the first clause I use the word 'maligned', whereas in the second clause I replace it with the word 'disparaged'. In the first I use the word 'nature'; in the second I use the word 'demeanor'.
Even though the meaning is practically the same, the language variety makes each clause feel fresh to the reader.
This is an essential part of how I construct sentences.
Adjectives and adverbs are another tool in a writer's arsenal. They help in writing emphatic and purposeful language, while providing vivid descriptions of subjects, allowing your readers to better visualize your words.
In example a, I do not merely say that manga narratives are subversive, but are abrasively subversive. In example b, I do not merely say that manga portrays male protagonists, but that they are deliberately portrayed. You get the idea.
However, like any good tool it should be used sparingly and with thought. Notice in examples a, b, and c how I only use one adjective or adverb in conjunction with their corresponding noun or verb. Some writers have a bad habit of piling on adjectives and adverbs, but to me this bogs down your writing. Use this tool wisely.
While I think repetition is amateur when it comes to language use, I think it is able to be aptly applied to sentence structure. Notice here how the two sentences share the same structure. I open the sentence with a name of a protagonist (in example d it is Yuuki, in example e it is Ruiji), then the name of the show, then I list the example that relates to the topic. This kind of repetition helps to create a sense of rhythm and direction to your writing, allowing the structure of one sentence to seamlessly lead into the next.
Figurative language is another tool to help visualize subjects for the reader. Human beings naturally respond to visual stimuli more so than abstract concepts, and thus if you are able to conjure imagery with your language, it will make the subject of your writing more palatable and discernible to readers. Looking to example f, gender barriers are obviously not some literal wall that we could touch. However, visualizing them as a surface that we could 'politely tap' helps to streamline the meaning of the sentence into a single image.
I think writing the closer to an article is much like writing an opener: you want something simple, snappy and something that summarizes the subject of the work (some alliteration helps too, I suppose). Notice in this example, I first remind the reader of the overarching subject of the work. This is something that can get lost in the writing of subtopics and tangents that compile before your inevitable conclusion. I also use a simple play on words, transposing the past and present participle of 'gone' and 'go'. Like I said: something simple, snappy and summarily.
Creative Process Example
Shikimori is Not Just a Cutie, the latest release of anime studio Doga Koba, has sparked a renewed conversation on gender expression, and characters that fall outside of gender norms. The conversation has not been a positive one, however, with its female lead, Shikimori, being maligned for her assertive and domineering nature, and its male lead, Izumi, being disparaged for his femininity and timid demeanor.
​
However, turning to the pages of manga, one can find an abundance of narratives that are far more abrasively subversive of gender roles (ex. a). To focus on feminine men as an example, manga titles such as Otome Danshi ni Koisuru Otome and My Husband is a Housewife deliberately portray male protagonists who are not only fine with their femininity (ex. b), but who accept it as a fundamental aspect of their identity (ex. c). (ex. d) Yuuki, the protagonist of Otome Danshi ni Koisuru Otome, enjoys crossdressing and the activities that comprise it, such as wearing dresses and makeup, and embraces these activities as part of who he is. (ex. e) Ruiji, the protagonist of My Husband is a Housewife, enjoys feminine activities such as cooking and sewing, and sees them as a way he brings value to his marriage (such as cooking his wife a meal when she hungrily returns home from work, or sewing her some clothes she might like).
​
This is something that has not really translated to anime. While it is possible to find instances of anime portraying crossdressing or femininity in men, this is usually played for laughs and not taken seriously as a potential aspect of a character’s identity. Outside of rare instances of this in anime such as Otoboku: Maidens are Falling for Me, where the crossdressing of the male lead is taken seriously, for the most part it is used as a comedic punchline.
​
This is the next big step that anime needs to take as a medium, in that it needs to follow the example of manga and advance the conversation surrounding gender, something that recently released shows like Shikimori-san are leading the charge in. However, even this show does not go far enough. Izumi’s feminine characteristics are rarely displayed, and on the off chance that they are, they are never made out as a core part of his character. It is definitely not a show that would ever portray male characters wearing dresses or makeup, or anything equally radically offensive to gender paradigms. It is not really breaking down gender barriers; it is politely tapping on them (ex. f).
​
However, shows like Shikimori-san demonstrate the potential anime has for advancing this conversation, and there a plethora of examples for it to follow in its sister medium of manga. Anime could be a great medium by which to catapult these issues into the mainstream consciousness. It is a medium that, in regards to the topic of gender identity and expression, has already gone so far, but could go further still.
Services
