Who’s that girl

I’m Lara Willard. Pixelsmith since ’08, Wordherder since ’09. (Hi!)

I’m a sculptor of language, pixels, clay.

I’m a gardener speaking tenderly to sapling manuscripts, pruning them until they grow blue-ribbon fruits.

Sometimes while scribbling in margins, I live-tweet self-editing tips @LaraEdits.

See my editor bio on my editing site. See what I’m up to here.

Q: Another writing blog? Another person editing fiction?
What makes this blog—or this editor—any different?

A: Here’s what my blog has in store for you.
Here’s how I can be of service, and why you should hire me.

STRENGTHSFINDER: Input, Communication, Restorative, Ideation, Developer
ALTER EGO: Captain Editorial of the Grammar Avengers (mseditors.com)
HOGWARTS HOUSE: Gryffindor

More about Me

My first love was theatre, but improv turned me on to writing. With improv, I could be any character I wanted. But with writing . . . I could be multiple characters at once. Now I’m greedy for voices—writing them, reading them, amplifying them. My goal as a writer is to make my stories and poetry readable and performable. My goal as an editor is to strengthen the voices of writers.

Publications—Fiction, Comics, and Poetry

  • “Best Dressed.” Group Chat: A Comic Anthology about Friendship and Found Family. POME Press, 2018.
    • Finalist for the 2019 Prism Award for Anthologies
    • Review
  • “Addendum to Nimona.” Addendum Project. Revolver Literary Organization, 2015.

  • “We Lost It up There,” Around-Around. Revolver Literary Organization, 2014.

    • Awarded First Place, Wanted 17 Writing Competition

  • “Missing,” Inkstone, Vol 13.1, 2009.

    • Awarded Third Place, Inkstone 2009–2010 Creative Writing Competition for Poetry.

  • “When Girls Watch Scary Movies,” Inkstone, Vol 13.1, 2009.

  • “I Thought Not of Insignificance,” Inkstone, Vol 12.2, 2008.
  • “Diversion,” Inkstone, Vol 12.2, 2008.
    • Awarded First Place, Inkstone 2008–2009 Creative Writing Competition for Fiction.
  • “Those Mountains,” Inkstone, Vol 11.2, 2007.
  • “Nap Time,” Inkstone, Vol 11.2, 2007.

Presentations

  • “Revise for the Stars: Diction, Rhythm, and Syntax to Garner Starred Reviews.” Hamline University MFAC Residency, St. Paul, MN, January 2020.
  • “An Examination of the Portrayal of Chivalry and Courtly Love in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Sigma Tau Delta International Convention, Minneapolis, MN, March 2009.
  • “Not Solely for Geeks and Kids: Illustrations Are for All of Us.” 2008 Minnesota Honors Collegiate Symposium, St. Paul, MN, April 2008.