Editing/Proofreading

During his studies in college, Barry developed an interest in editing, notably during his times in Writing Workshop classes. He participated in group discussions where everyone took turns providing constructive critiques of one another’s work and provided suggestions about writing aspects like structure and content.

During this time, Barry learned about the value of teamwork and collaboration. He learned how to approach written content from an analytical perspective, as well as how to frame writing in the context of important literary concepts such as the suspension of disbelief.

Since his graduation in 2018, Barry has continued to edit and proofread. He has worked on numerous projects ranging from poetry to fiction.

Here are some of the projects Barry has proofread/edited:
Super Sayings to Essential Power, by Kalen Doleman
Becoming Your Own Key, by Kalen Doleman

In addition to his projects, Barry is an English teacher, so he is actively marking and proofreading his students’ work frequently.

Writing & Document Production

Throughout his teaching career, Barry has developed notable organizational skills. His work from schools cannot be shared here due to legal reasons, but he can share documents he uses to prepare his text-based quests for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. Here is the Quest Document for his quest called, “Meemaw’s Medicine,” which prompts players to delve into the depths of a hostile swamp to deliver an elderly woman’s medicine:

Narrative Writing

Below is an excerpt from one of Barry’s 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons quests. It was published within an online, text-based Dungeons and Dragons community.

Velincia scans the clearing. There are some murky pools of water upon which lily pads and white and pink flowers sit, while others are extremely shallow. A toad of notable – but not giant – size sits within the edge of one, looking directly at you. It croaks, sending a short ripple across the pool. Velincia notices a rustling from the opposite end of the clearing. It continues as the cacophony of croaks and ribbits intensifies, like a horrific orchestra. The rustling draws nearer to the tree line. Closer…until a giant toad springs into the clearing ahead of you. It seems to be looking in your direction, and its croak is very loud and deep.

This is an example of Barry’s ability to build tension for an encounter while also engaging the players by putting them in the action.

For a more complete example of Barry’s narrative abilities, we encourage you to check out “Ballad of the Vagabond.” It was published in Mary Baldwin University’s Outrageous Fortune in 2018.