Let's Make This Easy
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I know you're all busy. And as much as I'd love to think this portfolio will have you at the edge of your seat from start to finish, I've become a bit more honest with myself over the years. So to make things easier, here's a quick cheat sheet to find the kind of writing you need. (Though hey–feel free to read it all!)
And if you're having one of those days–where you wonder if there's a job more off-the-rails than yours–jump to the Roger Corman section. It's not your standard portfolio fare, but I guarantee you'll walk away feeling better about your workday. Promise.
Oh, one other thing: if you want a quick overview of each role before jumping off this page, just keep scrolling–short blurbs come right after the cheat sheet.
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Tech Writing: Cruise, Pride Global, McCann Creative Studios (Game Writing Section)
Content Strategy: Cruise, WeBe Brands, McCann Creative Studios, Wavemaker
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Marketing Copywriting: Pride Global, WeBe Brands, McCann Creative Studio
B2B / B2C: WeBe Brands, Pride Global, Wavemaker Productions
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Social Media Writing: Borough of Harrington Park, Pride Global, WeBe Brands, Wavemaker
Editing & Ghostwriting (Narrative and Government): Borough of Harrington Park, McCann Creative Studios, Northern Valley Press, Francis Ford Coppola, Roger Corman, Pride Global, Cruise, Wavemaker
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Editorial Writing, Narrative & Scriptwriting: Francis Ford Coppola, Roger Corman, Cruise, Wavemaker, McCann Creative Studios, Northern Valley Press, Borough of Harrington Park
Instructional Design: Cruise, Pride Global
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Pride Global
As Lead Copywriter and Marketing Strategist, I don't just write the message–I move it.
I strategize, script, and shape full-scale campaigns that turn recruiting, compliance, and branding into messaging that doesn’t just sound good—it performs.
From launching campaigns like Talent Tuesdays to leading branded series like From the Recruiter’s Desk, I build the voice, create the concepts, and drive the engagement—across email, social, internal comms, and beyond.
With a reach of over 300,000 individuals and companies, this isn’t just content.
It’s connection with a point.
Because inbox space is earned.
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Cruise
At Cruise, I turned complex engineering into content that could lead the conversation.
As Staff Learning Content Writer, I translated dense technical internal docs into onboarding scripts, product guides, and training programs–for everyone from customer support to people managers to engineers. I even co-developed an in-house AI model with a machine learning engineer—venturing into a brand-new field to help the tech learn faster.
And when it came time to tell the company’s story?
I wrote the onboarding screenplay that CEO Kyle Vogt recorded in his own voice–a decision he made only after reading the finished piece.
From LIDAR to launch day, I helped the tech talk.
Because when the future moves fast, content has to keep up.
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Academy Award-winning actress
Jessica Chastain receiving her WeBe at the Cannes Film Festival
WeBe Brands
I launched WeBe Brands as a business—and brought it to life through story.
The idea sparked while sailing through the Caribbean, watching women carry raw, woven bags to market. Inspired by their texture and practicality, I reimagined the form and created eco-conscious designs that landed in 500+ stores across the U.S., Dubai, Japan... even Nordstrom Trend.
From day one, I shaped the brand voice–writing every word across B2B and B2C websites, packaging, campaigns, and pitch decks. The story I built became the brand’s passport, opening doors to global retail, celebrity partnerships, and moments like becoming an official bag of the Cannes Film Festival... and landing in 50 Cent's VIP swag suite at Sundance.
This wasn’t just branding.
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It was storytelling that traveled.
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Interested to see what it looked like in action? Come take the trip here.
Northern Valley Press
I set out to spotlight hidden gems—and ended up finding my own.
“Hidden Gems” was a monthly column I pitched and created for Northern Valley Press—a spotlight on the places, people, and stories hiding in plain sight.
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Part deep-dive reporting, part personal reflection, each piece uncovered something worth noticing—from overlooked landmarks to long-lost memories I hadn’t expected to find.
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The column grew readership and quickly became a reader favorite—known for stories that lingered long after the last page.
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Click to explore the column that made the familiar feel new again.
Borough of Harrington Park
I didn’t just communicate for Harrington Park—I gave the town a voice people trusted.
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As Social Media Coordinator, Writer, and Editor, I brought clarity and credibility to everything I wrote—from ghostwriting From the Mayor’s Desk newsletter to posting timely community updates on Facebook. Whether it was a police retirement tribute, a holiday message, or a weather alert, I made sure the words felt personal, thoughtful, and true to the town's spirit.
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I also crafted formal proclamations like Citizen of the Year–weaving in the human touches that brought official language to life. And I drafted meticulous council meeting minutes, striking a balance between precision and readability.
When the mayor passed away after more than 30 years of service, his wife asked me to write his eulogy. It was later picked up by newspapers–and remains one of the most meaningful pieces I've ever written.
This was civic writing with heart—where every word was chosen to connect, and to count.
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Take a closer look at how I brought heart–and humanity–to government writing.
McCann Creative Studios
From courtroom floors to ocean shores–I wrote stories that knew how to move.
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At McCann Creative Studios, I created, pitched, sold, and shaped stories from premise to platform. I co-created a television drama with prosecutor Marcia Clark and sold it to F/X, negotiated deals with top-tier production companies, and ghostwrote the biography of a Michelin-starred chef.
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I also ghostwrote for a major film writer/director–contributing to four screenplays box-office hits. No credit, but I got the real win: learning how to write stories that don’t just sell—they hit.
Beyond Hollywood, my pen traveled: I wrote a chapter on volunteerism for a book that's still in print, chronicled an 8-month Caribbean sailing trip (with a newborn!) in a magazine column, and edited manuscripts that didn’t just get polished—they got published.
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This was creative entrepreneurship in motion—voice-first, deal-forward, built to go places.
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Wavemaker Productions
At Wavemaker Productions, I produced documentaries rooted in one belief: stay curious.
I co-founded the company with a CNN producer, and together we chased the stories that didn’t follow the formula—but still deserved to be told. One followed an ultimate fighter—now a new father—through his wife’s eyes as she weighed risk against reward. Another captured Senator Arlen Specter—best known for politics, not punchlines—in an unexpected second act as a stand-up comic.
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I led each project from pitch to post, and shaped the digital presence that brought our work to broader audiences–architecting the website, writing the copy, and building out a content strategy that expanded our B2C reach.
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Wavemaker wasn't just about getting stories on screen. It was about finding the ones that made you look twice–and think deeper.
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Francis Ford Coppola's
American Zoetrope
I joined Francis Ford Coppola to develop scripts—and became his Producing Partner when ideas turned into momentum.
At American Zoetrope, I helped shape both originals and high-profile adaptations–from the Emmy-nominated Moby Dick miniseries to the USA Network from Another Day. I worked closely with screenwriters at all levels—editing scripts, structuring narratives, and writing treatments that helped sell shows to networks. I was part of the pitch that sold First Wave for a record-breaking 66 episodes.
I also collaborated with Sofia Coppola and John Ridley on early television concepts, and partnered with writers like John Eskow to bring bold ideas into focus.
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Francis once told me that The Godfather wasn't really about the Mafia–it was about the family behind it.
That lens–always digging for the deeper story–has shaped how I write, how I edit, and how I lead creative work to this day.
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Idea. Pitch. Buy. Click to see how I brought concepts to screen.
United Talent Agency
I cut my teeth with B-movie legend Roger Corman–then joined the literary department at UTA to see how the studio system really worked.
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At UTA, I read hundreds of scripts and sat in the center of the deal flow–watching how material was positioned, how buyers were aligned, and how stories turned into sales. I learned what gave a script heat, what made it land, and how to sharpen a pitch until it was unforgettable.
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I wasn't just reading for coverage–I was reading to understand the game. That inside view honed my instinct for story, structure, and salability.
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Roger Corman's
Concorde-New Horizons
I gave Roger Corman and his daughter a Stanford tour. She picked Harvard. He chose me.
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So instead of heading to law school, I dove headfirst into B-movie chaos–starting as Roger's assistant and writing my first horror script (Haunted Symphony) in a weekend. My payment? $300 on top of my $16K salary. Don’t bother watching it. Really.
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I rose to Vice President of Production, writing, directing, and producing low-budget "gems" shot everywhere from Russia to Peru. I also ran publicity–where, at Roger's request, I floated the theory that Jurassic Park stole its idea from Roger's Carnosaur. It didn't. But the story ran. I doubt Spielberg lost sleep over it.
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I wore every hat—screenwriter (five produced scripts), director, production exec, chaos coordinator. The budgets were tight. The deadlines tighter. And the storytelling? Unhinged in the best way.
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Click here to enter the world of horror, hustle, and hilarity.
What Others Say (That Made My Day):
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“Tara was instrumental in creating engaging and clear content that effectively conveyed complex concepts. Her versatility in writing styles was truly impressive. She’s a fast learner, empathetic, inquisitive, and navigates ambiguity almost effortlessly.”
— Tomar Bloom, Sr. Manager, Learning & Development at Cruise (Tara’s manager)
(via LinkedIn)
“Tara is an awesome content writer! She has a special niche of writing targeted, purposeful, and heartfelt content... She is able to turn something ordinary into something magical!”
— Jeff Ng, Learning and Talent Management Leader at Cruise
(via LinkedIn)
“Tara McCann is the single most creative development executive I have worked with in over 25 years... She is uniquely clear-headed, concise, creative, and an unusually original thinker.”
— Joe Cacaci, Writer/Producer/Director (Viacom/CBS)
(via LinkedIn)
“Tara has over two decades of experience writing scripts, branching scenarios, and scaling engaging project modalities... She crafts persuasive messages and captures the attention and interest of diverse audiences.”
— Nick DePalo, Sr. Technical Program Manager at Unity (formerly Cruise)
(via LinkedIn)
“Tara has a knack for taking complex information and distilling it in a way that is clear, focused, and compelling... She has a talent for zeroing in on what is most important and presenting it in a way that immediately catches one’s attention and interest.”
— Don MacLeod, Story Analyst at Paramount Pictures
(via Letter of Reference)
Great stories don't write themselves. Let's talk.
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Tara McCann