Barbara Melville: writing and editing
I'm a writer of fiction, non-fiction, and the stuff that floats between. My projects include a mixture of ongoing columns and one-off assignments, which I've tried to gather up in an online résumé.
My fiction ventures include the MA Creative Writing at Edinburgh Napier University, a programme whose scope includes genre fiction and one-on-one mentoring. I'm currently working on one satirical novel and several million short stories.
Science writing: genetics and astronomy
I write science articles aimed at young adults, adult beginners, and anyone looking for the gist without the jargon. Where possible, I link to related articles so that readers can choose to either go further or step back to cover more basic concepts.
Yes, there are introductory science articles out there already, and that's great. I continue to write because people may respond to my style when they didn't elsewhere. Furthermore, science is a progression, so there is always scope for new ideas.
Food writing and editing
I like mixing ingredients and words together. Unfortunately, web recipes are often the products of well-meaning amateurs. These dubious attempts can lead to recipe rage and wasted food. I anticipate such disasters through recipe testing and editing.
Another issue with recipe writing is that some websites insist on a 400 word minimum for all content. I've worked with other editors to find ways of writing longer food pieces that don't resort to waxing lyrical about the awesomeness of bread.
Search engine optimisation: writing for the web
SEO practices have been an essential component of my web writing assignments. Although a keyword-dense bit of nonsense might get hits, it's unlikely to inspire anyone to return to a site. Therefore articles optimised for search should still be original, relevant, accurate, and accessible.