What new skills are you hoping to learn or apply this year? 
Tara is rediscovering the skill of stepping back even when she can do it best, and making others Do The Thing. Tara does not know she is relearning this, but as the president/chair of multiple word-related organizations, she didn’t have time to answer this question. –AJG

What is your favourite tip, insider knowledge, or fun fact you’ve learned from a webinar, conference talk, or professional gathering?
The best tip Tara can give any new writer, editor, or wordsmith is that alliteration is all about allowing a loose alternative, all along an alteration, as an author allows. –AJG

Where in Canada have you always wanted to go and haven’t yet?
You know that place near you, the best spot to get the best food, see the best sights, have the best time? Tara just heard about it. –AJG

What new skills are you hoping to learn or apply this year?
I’m hoping to dig deeper into learning about editing comics. I’d gleaned much of the differences in working with text, but editing sequential art is an entirely different world. Everything I learn about it makes complete sense, but it all went under the radar as a reader—as it should.

What do you hope to achieve in your role this year?
I want to build a framework for more local gatherings and events. We’ve been building a foundation for that for years and now it’s time to start putting it into play. Moving more of our functions online since the pandemic has given more of the membership the opportunity to participate, but the dynamics of in-person meetings are much more free-form and open to different personality types.
Along the same lines, but with a focus on online events, I want to see more connections built with other branches and twigs.

What revamps your morale when you’re down?
Singing along to my favourite songs at the top of my lungs. It recharges me both emotionally and physically. Nothing makes you happier than belting out a sad song. Or a happy one. The odd part of it is that negative emotions get expunged when you sing something dark, but positive ones expand when you sing something bright.

What is your least favourite professional “rule” (anything from a rule of grammar to an entire style guide), and why?
I hate formatting spaced ellipses in Chicago style. What do you mean, I have to insert nonbreaking spaces around the middle period? What is this nonsense? I am not Julia Child; why am I making punctuation from scratch? Zero out of ten.

What Editors Canada resource do you use most often?
I have found the Editors Canada Agreement Template for Editing Services enormously helpful in navigating relationships with my freelance clients. As someone with absolutely no legal knowledge, it has saved me many a headache!

What is the last book, movie, album, concert, cultural experience, etc. that knocked your socks off?
Every year for the last three years, I’ve gone to the Burnaby Blues & Roots Festival, held in early August. It’s completely free and every time I go, I see an artist I’ve never heard of before with whom I absolutely fall in love. Also, the headliners are big names! This year, Ani DiFranco was the final act and my socks were nowhere to be found!

Do you have a project you’re excited to complete this year?
Is it cheating to include my writing, not editing someone else’s? I’m hoping to complete my first full-length novel in 2025—expanding on my established short-story universe. Whether it’s published this year or not….

What do you hope to achieve in your role this year?
As treasurer I have many exciting initiatives. Too vague? We’re establishing self-supporting projects that expand the services we offer our members so the rest of Editors Canada wants to move to BC for more than our weather.

If you have a niche interest, hobby, or cache of arcane knowledge, what is it?
I’m a trivialist. I collect interesting tidbits of useless information. Did you know that Victorian English kitchens/tables included a pot next to the salt and pepper that we have lots of guesses for (paprika, sugar, cinnamon…) but common history doesn’t record it exactly? That’s because no one thought it was cool enough to make a note of. Trivialists make note of everything.

How has AI changed how you work, for better or worse?
I use AI mainly to ensure compliance with citation style for the speed and accuracy it achieves. It’s difficult to match that.

What made you decide to volunteer?
I volunteer because I enjoy it! It’s a great way to get to meet other editors, to create opportunities for our members for professional development and networking, and to promote the profession in general.

Where in Canada have you always wanted to go and haven’t yet?
The Yukon and the North in general. It’s certainly on my bucket list!

What new skills are you hoping to learn or apply this year?
I am learning macros in Word. They are programs using Visual Basic and like using Find but turbocharged! I am hoping to reduce wrist strain through fewer mouse clicks as well as improving efficiencies.

What is an award (joke or otherwise) that you would like to win?
I would like to win the award for person most unlikely to learn computer programming, even simple Visual Basic.

Do you have pets?
I have a cat called Falcon. As you can see, he is a most handsome, pardon me, the most handsome cat. Probably because of all the pea tips and cucumber he steals to eat.

What is something you didn’t expect about your career, but love?
Mahima loves being asked questions about her career! She thinks so carefully about the choices that sometimes deadline for answers happen while other obligations take precedence. –AJG

What do you hope to achieve in your role this year?
If you attend Editors BC general meetings, then you know Mahima’s goal this year for programs and PD is to present a lot of intriguing speakers and put on amazing seminars. –AJG

What revamps your morale when you’re down?
Taking a vacation…what’s less helpful is then getting ill. Get well soon, Mahima! –AJG

We refer you to Secretary and Treasurer answers; if we had time, we’d add something further.

What new skills are you hoping to learn or apply this year?
I would love to learn more about editing comics, manga, and graphic novels. The graphic component seems like it would present a unique set of challenges during editing—which is exactly up my alley as someone with a design background. In addition to that, poetry is another genre I would like to learn more about this year too.

What made you decide to volunteer?
I am an early-career editor and started volunteering in 2024 as a way to connect with other editors. I’ve had a great time learning from and getting to know people on and off the executive in the past year and am looking forward to being more involved with the community!

Do you have pets?
Yes! (I’m very glad you asked because being a cat mom makes up about 50% of my identity.) I have two cats: Ume (pronounced OO-may) and Yuzu. They both turned five this year and fully understand the fact that they can do no wrong in our household. The two of them often hang around in the office with me to supervise (or hinder) my work.

Do you have a project you’re excited to complete this year?
Perhaps Dee will choose to refile so many years of past-dated Editors BC paperwork…in a bonfire. Who could object? –AJG

What made you decide to volunteer?
Someone with an idea of scheduling beyond “pushing the deadline” (see how near to the next general meeting this post is coming out) needs to make sure members know about upcoming events! –AJG

Do you play a sport? If so, which one and how long have you been playing?
As a competitive boot fly-fisher for nearly 4 years, Dee’s largest catch to date is a 36cm rainbow Wellie. –AJG

What is something you didn’t expect about your career, but love?
I didn’t know I would end up editing such a range of materials; I thought I would be editing within my areas of expertise, but instead I find myself editing manuscripts on cancer care, Buddhism, and international trade. I love the variety.

What Editors Canada resource do you use most often?
The online access to the Chicago Manual of Style. I like the digital access for quick lookups at my desk.

What revamps your morale when you’re down?
Tea and a good book. Also cat hugs!

Look, if you want more information about me, I will require an interview fee. –AJG