I gravitated toward editing because I’m basically a puzzle person. Puzzles, to me, are endlessly engaging and deeply satisfying. As a result of this proclivity, I’ve spent many a night up way past my bedtime finishing up the day’s crossword. I’ve also been known to get sucked into jigsaw puzzles for hours on end. On the upside, my kids know who to turn to when one of their Lego projects has stalled.

When something is broken, I feel compelled to fix it. And when something is in disarray, I have an insurmountable urge to put it back together.

Editing, to me, is like a puzzle. It is the act of taking a group of words and moving them around like puzzle pieces to produce something meaningful and cohesive.

Editors, like puzzlers, require intense focus and tenacity. They must follow a strict set of rules, but also be open to bending them in the right circumstances. Editors are often immersed in the minutiae of grammar and syntax, but must also be able to see the forest for the trees. To transform a text, whether through small tweaks or major structural changes, is—like finishing a puzzle—a deeply satisfying experience.

In addition to being a puzzle person, I am passionate about engaging with ideas. I started off my academic career studying Philosophy. As I pursued my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, I regularly grappled with important thinkers and big ideas. Many of the writers I read led me to appreciate the virtues of clear communication.

I went onto law school at Western University, where I edited the law journal. After articling and getting called to the bar, I entered the world of legal publishing. I stayed with the same company for 11 years. During my tenure, I occupied several roles, working primarily in product development and as a publishing manager. All the while, I sought out opportunities to edit, whether it was marketing copy, blog posts, or author manuscripts. I honed my sense of what constitutes good legal writing, and I regularly draw on that knowledge now as a freelance legal editor.

In my spare time, I can be found on the tennis court, in the garden, curled up in my reading nook with a good book, and trying to keep up with my two curious and puzzle-oriented boys, Max and Charlie!