Ruth McIver
Perth,Australia
Summary
Ruth McIver is an Irish American, Australian-based author and casual academic, represented by The Story Factory. She has since worked with Audible, Hachette and Blackstone (USA) as a prize winning crime fiction writer, freelanced as a manuscript assessor, and taught genre fiction/long fiction. Ruth is a dynamic and talented communications professional, experienced across multiple platforms and industries, engaging, and contemporaneous in terms of diversity and inclusion.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Manuscript Assessor
Queensland Writers Centre
09.2021 - Current
- Conducting Zoom meetings with clients to discuss writing goals and services required.
- Reading synopses and manuscripts
- Suggesting structural changes and outlining issues with structure, pace, characterization, and POV suggestions.
- Assisting writers with improving voice and core writing with direct coaching and mentoring
- Returning works to authors for review with a detailed five-page report
- Working on career goals, including agent selection, cover letters, competitions, and cultivating other works for writing profile
- Conducting structural edits
- Advising authors about social media
University Lecturer Genre Fiction
Curtin University
Perth, Australia
06.2022 - 11.2022
- Delivering genre fiction content twice weekly, creating dynamic presentations, and encouraging in-depth class discussions
- Creating and facilitating tutorial groups where students write and workshop fiction
- Broaden student knowledge of genre fiction with in-depth discussions about readings, supplying students with additional readings
- Explaining core concepts and promoting both critical and creative thinking to assist students with assessments
- Determining student marks based on fair evaluations of class contributions, assessments, and their integration and understanding of group and tutor feedback
- Marking papers to strict deadlines, liaising with supervisor regarding late submissions, and/or CAP plans
- Communicating with students via email and Blackboard.
- Liaising with the Unit Coordinator and assisting students with extensions, mental health concerns, and disabilities.
Lecturer Long Fiction
Open University, Curtin University
Remote, Vic
10.2020 - 12.2020
- Promoting critical and creative thinking and commitment to long-form writing with customized lectures and assignments, including industry examples
- Developing and revising existing teaching materials to improve student satisfaction outcomes
- Delivering lectures and conducting class discussions via remote instruction.
- Meeting with supervisors to discuss student progress, discuss students facing difficulty, and discuss marking
- Designing curriculum changes and program modifications to accommodate changing industry needs
- Mentoring students completing assessments and encouraging external submissions
- Assisting struggling students with extra support and targeted assistance
- Assessing and marking assignments.
Copywriter
International Marketing, La Trobe University (Contract)
Bundoora, Victoria
03.2014 - 05.2014
- Copywriting for print publications using on-brand key messages
- Proofreading and copyediting course guides, both online and hardcopy
- Liaising with the editorial team and graphic designers
- Researching, writing, and editing articles, web content, press releases, and opinion pieces for broad distribution and ad hoc communications duties
- Proofreading and copyediting undergraduate and postgraduate guides to the satisfaction of the editor
- Writing well-received articles and press releases.
Copywriter/Website
Monash Institute of Graduate Research (contract)
Clayton, Victoria
10.2013 - 01.2014
- Rewriting website based on extensive experience with Monash branding
- Conducting an audit of the website using Google Analytics
- Engaging with internal stakeholders to create an on-brand design that met the new Director's design, but didn't compromise SEO functionality
- Rewriting web copy for the site under new wireframes
- Selecting photographs from the image library that reflected brand/sub-brand
- Creating a new web design that fits with the Monash brand, but reflects MIGR's goals and purposes
- Working with the MIGR director and central marketing team on design and layout, creating a compromise between the institution's goals and Monash's guidelines
- Completing website overhaul, redesign, and rewrite within a short time frame, without compromising quality.
Communications Officer
Monash University
Clayton, Victoria
07.2012 - 08.2013
- Developing a communications plan consistent with the school’s strategic plan
- Writing profiles for key researchers and centre websites
- Researching, writing, and editing articles, web content, press releases, and opinion pieces for broad distribution
- Rebranding, rewriting web content, and creating brochures for centres within the school
- Maintaining the website with CMS
- Sourcing and approving photography; resizing and inserting images
- Writing e-newsletters and emails from Head of School (HOS update), rewriting Psych News e-newsletter
- Generating media attention; encouraging academics to engage with media outlets and creating opportunities for expert opinions
- Working extensively on the School's Annual Report.
Writer/Acting Communications Manager
Monash University
Clayton, Victoria
07.2011 - 07.2012
- Selecting content, interviewing academic staff, writing and editing pieces for flagship faculty publication, M3 magazine
- Producing content including website copy, speech drafts, and the Dean's key message
- Constructing press releases targeting external press publications to publicise faculty news and achievements
- Developing and unfolding a new internal communications strategy
- Sourcing and approving photographic and video assets
- Providing advice on communicating research results, advances, and accomplishments
- Working on the Harvest Alliance School for Indigenous Health
- Creating a press release for The Koori Mail, assisting with event management
- Instituting a regular meeting schedule for communication staff from faculty, schools, and institutes to create a more cohesive and centralised communications team
- Creating a student profile database for internal and external communications purposes.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy - Creative Arts
Curtain University
Bentley, WA01.2019
Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing -
RMIT, School of Creative Media
01.2014
Higher Degree: Research Preliminary - Creative Writing
University of Western Australia
01.2005
Bachelor of Arts - English
University of Western Australia
01.2000
Skills
- Author Collaboration
- Copy Editing
- Content Editing
- Character Development
- Story Development
- Story shaping
- Relationship Building
- Editing and proofreading
- Clear Communication
- Group Instruction
- Press Release Writing
- Community Engagement
- Creativity
- Outstanding writing abilities
- Target audience research
- Resource Planning
- Deadline Management
- Social Media Promotion
- Creative Direction
- Script Writing
- Internal Communications
- Content Strategy
- Target Audience Analysis
- Speechwriting
- Partnership Development
- Promotional planning
Affiliations
- Writer’s Victoria
- Australian Poetry
- AAWP (Australasian Association of Writing Programs)
- Sisters in Crime (Victoria)
Workshops and Seminars
Lecture Webinar: 'Teaching Ethical True Crime Inspired Fiction and Crime Memoir'; Victoria Writer's Centre and Queensland Writer's Centre, 2020, 2022, 2023
Publications
- The Sound, Blackstone USA, (Forthcoming, 2025)
- Blackout, Audible, 2022
- I Shot The Devil, Australia, Hachette, Tinder, UK, Blackstone USA (2021, 2024)
- First Time Feelings Podcast, 2018-20, co-creator and co-host (Micro fiction, memoir)
- 'Dialogue with the Dead," The Australian, Aug 29, 2018
- Cordite. 2015-18. ‘The Club’, poetry. Poetry reviews: The Music Our Bodies Can’t Hold; Nothing Sacred and The Year of The Wasp
- The Sunset Club, 2014, self published novel-in-verse.
- The Big Issue. 2010-15, op-ed columns, features and long listed for short fiction prize, 2010-12
- The Sunday Age, regular reviews for M3 Magazine 2010-12
- “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle will survive”, Film Fatales, 2014
- “The Goldfinch”, review for Readings Monthly, 2013
- The Pluck (online) reviews and features, 2010-2013
- The Enthusiast (online) Book and event reviews, 2010
- Mess and Noise (online) reviews and interviews, 2008-10
References
- Dr David Whish Wilson, Senior Lecturer/Unit Coordinator Creative Writing, D.Whish-Wilson@curtin.edu.au, 08 9266 3531/+610439 010 459
- Associate Professor Susan Bradley Smith, Associate Professor of Creative Writing, Susan.Bradleysmith@curtin.edu.au, 61(0)407457
- Dr Lucy Van, Associate Researcher/Unit Coordinator University of Melbourne, lucy.van@unimelb.edu.au, 0407089258
- Ginger Briggs, (Former) Editorial Content Team Leader, Marketing and Communications, Monash, gingerbriggs@gmail.com, 0407 957 153
Festivals
- Margaret River Reading and Writer's Festival, panellist, 2022
- BAD, Sydney 2021 panellist
- Hachette Booksellers Conference, January 2020
- GenreCon 2019: Panellist on ‘Write to Win’ and ‘True Crime: Stranger than Fiction’
- presenterrrf18: Peripheral Visions, presenter
- AAWP Conf17: Climates of Changes, presenter
Accomplishments
- The Richell Prize, I Shot the Devil, 2018
- The Affirm Prize, I Shot the Devil, 2018
- The Banjo Prize, runner up, Nothing Gold, 2018
- Anne Elder Category for Poetry, Commended for The Sunset Club, 2014
- Pitch Perfect, Bloody Scotland, Nothing Gold.
Timeline
University Lecturer Genre Fiction
Curtin University
06.2022 - 11.2022
Manuscript Assessor
Queensland Writers Centre
09.2021 - Current
Lecturer Long Fiction
Open University, Curtin University
10.2020 - 12.2020
Copywriter
International Marketing, La Trobe University (Contract)
03.2014 - 05.2014
Copywriter/Website
Monash Institute of Graduate Research (contract)
10.2013 - 01.2014
Communications Officer
Monash University
07.2012 - 08.2013
Writer/Acting Communications Manager
Monash University
07.2011 - 07.2012
Doctor of Philosophy - Creative Arts
Curtain University
Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing -
RMIT, School of Creative Media
Higher Degree: Research Preliminary - Creative Writing
University of Western Australia
Bachelor of Arts - English
University of Western Australia
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