Although clients have often associated Patty Zevallos with making media projects look good, and understanding the techology involved, she does much of her most effective communications via the written word.

Her focus is first on making text clear and easy to understand. But when she has the opportunity, she aims far higher than that, on making the writing special.

Patty has adapted to a wide range of audiences and media, writing newspaper and magazine articles, technical documentation, government publications, ads, brochures, informational and promotional web sites, radio and TV commercials, TV programs, plays, catalogs, press releases, and proposals. She has had to master a variety of subjects, sometimes within a day, and can write in any style. Always she is very aware of what will work—what will convince, entertain, or sell.

The following links show a few samples of her work.

Green Living. Patty wrote and produced this popular blog that explains, step-by-step, how to live on $10,000 or less per person per year. The site provides a detailed how-to on managing household finances, cutting expenses drastically, installing solar, and growing food. It explains what is really happening in the economy today, and what to do about it. To produce the site, Patty installed Drupal, set up the site, then altered the CSS file, theme, and modules. She created images with Corel Draw and Gimp photo editing. She then arranged that excerpts from the site appear widely on the internet, including on blogs focused on consumer education, public policy, economics, and the environment, and on FaceBook and LinkedIn pages. She used search engine optimization and web analytics to promote the site and track response. She also participates in online forums on the subject. She regularly hears from readers who positively comment on the writing, how easy the site is to use, and how they benefited from the information on the site.

"Healthcare reform can start now with no high price tag." Article published online February 11, 2010, and distributed widely via blogs focused on public policy (including those published by the Tea Party movement), consumer issues (including Consumer Reports), economics, and healthcare. It was also featured on LinkedIn and FaceBook pages. The article received attention during the congressional debate on healthcare reform, becoming distributed well beyond the sites where Patty originally placed it. It explains exactly what healthcare reforms can be put in place right now with little or no cost to the taxpayers.

"Why your web site will probably fail, and how to stop that from happening" Article published online March 12, 2010; distributed widely via blogs focused on business management, marketing, and web design; and featured on LinkedIn pages. This practical yet controversial article on how to make web sites effective spurred a lively response from readers. It explains underlying problems with sites that you don't hear elsewhere, and challenges conventional wisdom in a down-to-earth, humorous way.

U.S. Agency for International Development. Sample pages from a book on threats faced by aquatic wildlife in Africa. She reorganized and rewrote the text, using information provided by the agency.

Impact Advertising, Inc. Radio commercial for Iverson Mall.

The Arts Journal. Article on the Mountain Folk and Dance Festival.

Commonwealth Scientific. Text from a catalog selling scientific/manufacturing equipment.

Dyna Rep Distributors, Inc. Page from a catalog selling computer peripherals used in engineering and computer graphics.

Spring-Mar Preschool. Web site promoting and providing a schedule for this nonprofit organization.

Quyen Systems, Inc. Online tech support for a software application.

Dyna Rep Company. Brochure for a firm marketing electromechanical components.

Just for fun--the winning entry in the national writing contest that Patty won when she was 17.