nDash.com is a content creation platform that provides brands and agencies with access to the world's top freelance writers.
My areas of focus include storytelling, entrepreneurship, technology, psychology, and entertainment. I am a ghostwriter who specializes in adapting my writing voice to the needs of my clients. In addition, I am a humor writer, capable of working with quirky brands, voices, and characters (see chuckleduck.life). I also write about diversity, inclusion, and belonging, especially around LGBTQIA+.
As a co-owner of our writing and editing business, I often collaborate with my partner Jake Tavares who has worked as a professional business editor at Gartner and DoubleCheck Research, and usually takes the role quality control editor on projects for clients.
Storytelling: I am an award-winning storyteller, who has worked as an editor for Narrative Magazine—named by Esquire as “the gold standard" of international literary magazines.
As a storyteller, I’ve been published and/or received awards and recognitions from numerous magazines, including Narrative, Glimmer Train, and The Yalobusha Review. I have been agented for both non-fiction and fiction, and my freelance storytelling projects have included writing tales of South African entrepreneurs who have found success in spite of hardships, as well as articles for pet bloggers about the art of storytelling. Under a pen name, I’ve also published a novel with Harper Collins.
Technology & Business: I have ghostwritten business blog posts/social copy for private clients, including entrepreneurs like Dorie Clark and companies like DoubleCheck Research. At DoubleCheck, I’ve also written and edited business reports. My topics include win/loss, LGBTQIA+, and diversity and inclusion. I've published on these areas everywhere from BlogPaws (which is targeted at professional pet bloggers) to business magazines like Entrepreneur. I have also coached developing business writers whose work appeared in Harvard Business Review and elsewhere.
Psychology and Mental Health: As a British American with a literacy teaching background, I have UK degrees in both Psychology and English, as well as a masters-level certificate in Education. My mental health publications include recovery narratives and stories of carers. Under another name, I have been represented by Katharine Sands at the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency, and my writing about mental health has appeared in Thrive Global, Psychology Today, and Spirituality & Health.
This is a ghostwritten article: Companies with a diverse workforce are 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability, according to a 2018 McKinsey report. But how exactly does diversity help engineering and technology teams to improve their performance? And what can we learn from leading companies about furthering diversity in engineering and technology?
https://www.codility.com/blog/how-tech-companies-are-paving-the-way-for-diversity-in-engineering/
A strong win/loss analysis program can transform your win rate, but without careful planning, it will likely fail. What you need for success is a strategic structure, and the best way to begin is by gaining buy-in from key stakeholders in four key areas of the business. This puts those with authority and influence at the helm, leverages their knowledge, and drives program adoption throughout the organization. . . .
https://doublecheckresearch.com/news/starting-a-win-loss-program-tips-stakeholder-buy-in
“Coming together in unique ways is what has made us, as a community, strong,” says HR luminary Pat Wadors in her LinkedIn Learning course, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging. “Introverts and extroverts, hunters and gatherers—I mean, you name it, this diversity of who we are makes us stronger as a village, as a tribe, as a community.” This article looks at the importance of creating a sense of belonging, in order to foster diversity and inclusion.
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/classroom-teaching-taught-me-belonging/
Drawing on the experiences of anti-bribery consultant Richard Bistrong, whose career was born after he went to prison for corruption, and Miyanda Maimbo Katiwa, who spent weeks sleeping on a bare floor before she was able to launch Zambia's first H.R. business, I look at how owning our stories is a powerful entrepreneurial facet that can change our lives, as well as those of others, and create powerful business success.
This article, which is themed around Ghostbusters, shows entrepreneurs how to grow their communities via content creation, brand building, and meeting the needs of potential clients.
This article was co-written with Dorie Clark, who approved its content and worked with me on the introduction to the piece. It explains how entrepreneurs can raise their chances of being published by high profile blogs.
The animated series "Cupcake and Dino: General Services" feels very relevant during COVID-19 pandemic. In this essay, I explore why.
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/heroic-general-servicing-the-cupcake-and-dino-way/
It's about being yourself on the page. In this article, I show you how.
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/pro-blogging-tips-how-to-develop-your-writing-voice/
I ghostwrote this article. Running or launching a business in Africa can be stressful for women entrepreneurs. While it is crucial to work hard and commit, you must ensure that you don’t burn out. In this post, I’ll focus on how smart planning and goal-setting can alleviate your day-to-day pressures.
A humorous blog post and app review, which showcases quirky voice use.
https://www.chuckleduck.life/post/duolingo-ducking-awesome-app
Those who are dreading the holidays are not alone. In this article, I share affirmations that can help us through, with love.
Drawing on experimental research from learning psychology, this article explains how social media users are more likely to share and interact when praised for their intentions, treated personally, and more.
This "how to" article shows professionals how to effectively gatekeep their own inboxes, by declining easily and warmly.
How can all of us learn to speak out truthfully, without damaging our relationships at work? I interviewed executive coach Molly Tschang, who shares powerful and specific ways forward.
It’s common knowledge that power breaks are helpful to our work days, but planning for certain types of break can be a smarter strategy. Goal-oriented breaks can actually help us to tap better ideas and solutions, reduce our stress, increase our productivity, and more. By selecting the right kind of break, you can make a powerful difference to your mood and achievements. In this article, I share three types of power break that can benefit your work and life.
https://go.ndash.co/public/content/5d10dd36feeb7d00177630e2
As a writer who used to work as a contest editor at a literary magazine that attracted thousands of entries, I know what it takes to make a story memorable and engaging. In this article, I share tips on how to engross your readers with storytelling.
http://blogpaws.com/executive-blog/how-to-engross-your-readers-by-strengthening-your-storytelling/
It’s no secret that negative assumptions about our potential can sabotage our success. Many of us too easily give up on our personal goals, telling ourselves to “be more realistic,” when this actually often reveals more about our self-confidence than our potential. Want to stop this from happening? Mindfulness offers a great way forward.
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-to-reprogram-your-brain-for-success/
Written under my birth name (I am now known as Star Williams), this blog post shows pet bloggers how to develop a strong voice that compels their readers.
https://blogpaws.com/executive-blog/how-to-blog-with-a-voice-that-will-build-your-following/
Today, Tschang, founder and CEO of Abella Consulting, and member of Marshall Goldsmith’s inspired 100 Coaches initiative, is on a mission to help all of us be ourselves at work. And her popular “Say It Skillfully” videos, which are how I first found her, specifically show us how to speak our truths, both at work and beyond. In Tschang’s own words, “The series helps people create a shared reality in which all voices are heard, including the unpopular ones...."
This article is an exploration of non-normative identities in the Disney movie Toy Story 4.
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/on-toy-story-4s-identity-politics-one-non-binary-perspective/
A personal essay about mental health that shows how some gifts mean more than you know.
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/holiday-gift-unconditional-love-mental-illness/
An interview with Pedro Eboli, Creator and Director "Cupcake & Dino General Services" (Netflix).
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/on-my-quest-for-inclusion-cupcake-and-dino-take-the-cake/
A memoir piece, which broadens into an activist article about transgender and non-binary healthcare rights in the U.S. and beyond.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/united-kingdom-transgender-nightmare_n_61c33376e4b0c7d8b89747f0
I've published novels with Harper Collins and smaller presses, and have published storytelling articles about mental health and LGBTQIA+ topics at venues like Thrive Global, Cosmopolitan, and Spirituality & Health. Plus I've run social media campaigns for a small, popular press. I also blog humorously at chuckleduck.life and am able to bring quirky brands and characters to life with a range of voices.
Company: Harper Collins, Thrive Global, and elsewhere
I worked there from 1/2009 until now
I have often adapted my voice in order to ghostwrite for my clients. I did this for several years for Dorie Clark's brand. I've also ghostwritten for companies DoubleCheck Research for about five years. I've published my own work at diverse venues like BlogPaws, Entrepreneur, and Cosmopolitan. I have also ghostwritten business content for entrepreneurial and win/loss analysis blogs
Company: DoubleCheck Research, private clients
I worked there from 1/2015 until 10/2020
I worked several hours per day for Dorie Clark, managing her brand's social media channels. I created and scheduled content, and interacted with Dorie Clark's online communities by ghostwriting responses. When asked for advice, I often sourced replies from Dorie's extensive library of business articles. I also ghostwrote reviews and endorsements, vetted websites that requested articles from her, crafted blurbs, and proof-read a variety of resources. I have also co-written articles with Dorie.
Company: Clark Strategic Communications
I worked there from 1/2013 until 7/2019
I worked as an editor at Narrative Magazine. Narrative publishes authors like Joyce Carol Oates, Kurt Vonnegut, and Sherman Alexie. While working there, I managed a group of editors, promoting stories to senior editors and sitting on contest finalist panels. I did this work under the name of Sue (Susanna) Williams.
Company: Narrative Magazine
I worked there from 1/2012 until 1/2014