stories that stick, edits that elevate
Writing and Editing Services
If writing is too daunting a task, or it simply takes too much of your precious time, you’ve come to the right place.
If you need to produce news, share information, tell your life story, sell a product, or promote an artist or event, I can help. Whatever your needs, I can write as an objective reporter and as a results-oriented content writer and copywriter. I can match your voice and tone and ghostwrite your professional and personal projects.
You’ll save time, be less stressed, and be comforted knowing that your writing project is in the hands of someone who cares.
Or maybe you love writing but you’d like an extra set of eyes on your prose?
If so, I’m an attentive reader and can provide detailed copy editing, proofreading, and substantive editing services. I can help you identify your bad habits as a writer and challenge you to get to the heart of your story. I can also help you with structure and flow.
You’ll save time and energy and go from feeling lost to found, chaotic to clear.
No matter your objectives, your writing must be persuasive and concise. This takes time and experience. By hiring a professional, you’ll achieve better results in a shorter time. Let me help you achieve your goals.
You and your message deserve it.
Educational Workshops
Learning is so much easier when it’s fun.
Whether your classroom is made up of adults, teens, or children, your classes must be fun to be effective.
I lead dynamic workshops on various aspects of the creative writing process. If you need help with grammar, voice, setting, word choice, diction, syntax, or structure, I can design a workshop for your group’s needs. (I can even facilitate workshops on songwriting if you’re keen.) My seminars are thought-provoking, inspiring, relaxed, yet challenging.
Your participants will not only learn, but they will also leave my sessions with renewed confidence and a feeling of levity after having enjoyed themselves.
My expertise is a result of over a decade of training, and leading classes for people of all ages. My ease in front of an audience comes from over 15 years of performance experience. I am inclusive and respectful.
What people are saying
“Nancy Dutra is a regular contributor to the SOCAN Words & Music online magazine, where I serve as the Editor in Chief. Her writing is always thoughtful and concise, and the flow of content within each piece is flawless. It’s a pleasure to edit her excellent work, which actually requires very little adjustment at all. I unhesitatingly recommend her for any writing assignment, especially if it has to do with music.”
— Howard Druckman
Editor in Chief, SOCAN Words and Music Magazine
“During a major brand transformation at our company, Nancy helped fill some content gaps and also helped with a number of editing and proofreading requests. It was a time when stress levels were high, but Nancy’s calm demeanour made her a pleasure to work with. Not only that, but her turnaround time was quick and her ability to emulate our brand tone and voice was impressive. I would definitely recommend her as a freelance writer/editor, and hope I get the chance to work with her again.”
— Kathleen O’Hagan
Digital Content Strategist & Writer, Serenia Life Financial
“My interaction with Nancy was very positive. I reached out to her for editing services only a week before an important deadline for a research grant application. She went above and beyond to turn it around in a few days! I was very impressed with her attentiveness and engagement with the project. She is knowledgeable, detail-oriented, prompt, and genuinely interested in helping her clients. Thank you, Nancy!”
— Dr. Chizuru Nobe-Ghelani
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of Waterloo
“Nancy provided critical editing support to a research proposal my team and I recently submitted to an academic funding body. Nancy’s careful treatment of our work helped us to strengthen key areas in our proposal’s structure and organization. This allowed us to effectively and persuasively communicate our proposal to an interdisciplinary audience. Beyond writing support, Nancy’s comments and suggestions were insightful and encouraged further development of the analysis and synthesis of our concepts and plans. As an editor, Nancy was accessible and supportive, she was responsive and provided clear communication on expectations and timelines. I have highly recommended Nancy to my colleagues and peers.”
— Dr. Anh Ngo
Associate Professor, The Faculty of Social Work, Wilfrid Laurier University
“Nancy is a talented and seasoned writer and editor, providing feedback and suggestions in a straightforward yet supportive way. She is not the teacher who hands back a paper covered with red marks. She makes thoughtful and insightful suggestions so that I can simply hit “Accept All.”
Nancy’s keen eye for detail results in her highlighting tiny imperfections I often miss, but that by repairing them, the writing is made far better, and more easily understood. She has a sense of urgency as evidenced by her turnaround times. She is a capable editor in numerous genres – technical work, essays, business writing – she can do it all. And she is a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend her for any editing or writing needs.”
— Alyson Soko
Executive Search Alliance. Partners in Building Leadership Teams.
“Nancy Dutra worked with me as a Learning Through the Arts (LTTA) Artist Educator. She joined LTTA as a singer-songwriter and her work in schools was powerful and transformative for teachers and their students. Beyond her skill as a highly talented singer-songwriter, Nancy is a passionate advocate for the arts. Her ability to articulate the intrinsic value of arts and culture in Canada is superb. Now more than ever we need voices such as Nancy’s to ensure we create a culture of creativity, artistry, kindness, and empathy.”
— Angela Elster
President & CEO, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, VSO School of Music
“Nancy Dutra brings her joy of music to the classroom. Her skill as an artist and her enthusiasm for song writing ignites children in their own creativity. Nancy is a keen learner and consummate arts professional. She is able to intuit the needs of her learners and to adapt her programming to better suit the classroom dynamic.”
— Nicole Fougere
Programs Director at artsPlace Canmore
“Nancy Dutra worked with me as I prepared and submitted my first essay for publication. She brought an important blend of frankness and care that I needed. While we don’t know one another personally, she was adept at identifying a layer of depth I hadn’t yet revealed in my writing, and in fact to myself. With her targeted questions and offered suggestions, I changed my essay considerably; not to the point of the message changing but to make it much more engaging and alive. Her guidance was a major factor in my first essay being accepted for publication by an important US industry blog.”
— Brian Rendell
MFA (Fiction) 2025 Candidate and Retired Financial Executive
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Nancy Dutra 