Open Water Communications
Teri Saylor
Writer - Editor - Photographer
Everybody has a story
A freelance writer who can tell stories that inform and engage readers, and turn the ordinary into the extraordinary
Current Project
Picturing Pigs
Picturing Pigs is a short documentary film currently in production through a collaboration of filmakers, photographers, and writers Camden Watts, Shannon Johnstone, Jane M. Casteline, and Teri Saylor.
It all started with a pair of billboards, grant funding, and a dream
Last summer, Raleigh photographers Shannon Johnstone and Jane M. Casteline, strong advocates for humane treatment of animals, launched Picturing Pigs, a campaign to inspire empathy for pigs by showing them as individuals that deserve care and compassion.
In North Carolina, the hog industry contributes $10 billion to the state's economy, with well over 8 million hogs farmed as a commodity. Yet no one ever sees pigs because they are raised in low-slung windowless barns tucked away in nooks and crannies across eastern North Carolina.
With grant-funding from the Culture and Animals Foundation, Shannon and Jane set out on a mission to introduce pigs to travelers along I-40 in Duplin and Sampson counties, home to the largest concentration of hog farms in the country.
Along the way, they encountered obstacles they never saw coming, starting with a battle to simply purchase billboards to show images of happy pigs. Some skeptics ask why would they go to all the trouble?
Picturing Pigs, a documentary by film maker Camden Watts, along with Teri Saylor, Shannon Johnstone, and Jane M. Casteline will answer that question.
Enjoy a preview of what's to come on the trailer at the right.
Storytelling
I can help you dig a little deeper to unearth that nugget of information that will inspire and delight your audiences. There is no end to the beautiful ways to tell a story.
Business and people profiles, tips articles, sponsored stories, social media, newsletter content, press releases, Q&A profiles and essays are just a few ways to let others know who you are, what you do, and how you serve your clients, readers, and the general public. I am here to help you with all that and more.
Editing
Face it, you don’t want embarrassing typos and factual errors to ruin a great story. Even the best writers need editors for fact-checking, proof-reading, ensuring good grammar and punctuation. Editors help you make sure the concepts and lives highlighted in your stories are easy to understand and factually correct. Editors can help polish them up so they sparkle and shine. I understand what it means to build strong working relationships with both writers and editors.
Content
Whether in words or images, an effective content strategy makes for smooth sailing when it comes to telling your story. Like putting pennies into a bank, a small investment in a solid can result in savings down the road, greater audience engagement, and ultimately a return on that investment. All it takes is a great story, a curious mind, and a polished, experienced writer.
Sample more of my work
A little about me
My name is Teri Saylor.
I am a freelance business and lifestyles writer, specializing in writing about people, careers, nonprofits, and current events.
My stories appear in local newspapers, magazines and websites in North Carolina and beyond. I've written content and provided event photography for professional associations like the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers, Association Executives of North Carolina and the N.C. Center for Nonprofits.
Storytelling in words and pictures is one of the most beautiful and imaginative ways to convey your messages and influence your audiences. Let me show you the way.