I'm Val. Good to meet you.
I knew I wanted to be a writer from a very young age. Despite my teachers' valiant efforts to get me to train as a nurse, I always knew I would work with words.
I studied journalism at Napier University in Edinburgh and passed my National Council for the Training of Journalists' professional qualification as soon as I could. For nearly 10 years I worked as a reporter and feature writer on weekly, bi-weekly and daily newspapers in the UK, writing about any subject thrown my way - from crime and councils to the environment and entertainment.
A move from the newsroom into corporate communications, combined with study of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Diploma, honed my skills in strategy. I've managed the media and communications functions for a number of complex higher education and government organisations in the UK and Australia. I've also been fortunate enough to work for a number of private corporate clients on strategy, writing and editing projects. I've written scripts for videos, and made a few podcasts too.
I still get a thrill from a perfectly-formed phrase, or from spotting an error in a publication before it goes to print. Have you ever seen a misused apostrophe scored out on a restaurant menu? That was probably me!
Want to know more?
Have a look at my profile on LinkedIn.