Irene Kavanagh

I hold a cinema-studies degree from the University of Toronto. Like film, words create moving images, and stories are best served when editing is seamless and supports the narrative flow.

Words remain our best currency for attracting, connecting with, and holding the interest  of our intended audience.

My editing work  (stylistic/line, structural/substantive, and copy editing), aims for clear, effortless readability. Services include:

Fiction and subgenres (mystery, fantasy, science  fiction, historical, magical realism; novels, short stories, children’s stories, women’s fiction)

Nonfiction (memoir, family history, biography, self- help, motivational topics; creative nonfiction)

Manuscript and screenplay evaluation

Articles and newsletters

Websites and business reports

Copywriting and rewriting

My editing and writing experience spans arts, academic, legal, and business environments, giving me a practical understanding of varied professional and personal writing styles.

“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.” ~ Elmore Leonard 

As an editor and writer, I treat words as currency and strive to balance commerce and creativity. I value writing as both an intuitive skill and an act of mind and heart.

The right words can shift meaning the way music in film steers emotions. The richer our use of the  subtleties of language, the more effectively we connect, which is the whole point of writing.

“I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.” ~
James A. Michener

I maintain professional development through Editors Canada webinars on writing and publishing, along with ongoing personal research and reading.

I regard writing as the liveliest, most personally engaging of the arts, capable of making us feel, think, and surrender to the heart of the story or message.

Final Writes helps both emerging and published authors define and refine their unique voice and style.

“As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colours.” ~ Rhys Alexander

(But maybe not all at once.)

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