McDuffee joins Eclipse, Register staff as news editor

From a young age, Seth McDuffee has been passionate about writing in all of its forms, and the 32-year-old Waterloo native is excited to put his skills to use as the new editor at the Eclipse News-Review and The Grundy Register.

“I’ve always enjoyed the written word, and I’ve always been a big advocate of news and just information in general,” he said. “Having the opportunity to combine those is such a valued asset to me. I’m passionate about it, and I think that it’s a medium that’s necessary.”

McDuffee, who has previously worked in the culinary industry and in advertising, is already a successful fiction author in his own right: his 2018 zombie apocalypse novel, Good Boy, was an Amazon bestseller among e-books, and he’s currently at work on a screenplay adaptation of Stephen King’s short story Stationary Bike as part of the famed writer’s “Dollar Babies” program where King grants permission to students, aspiring filmmakers or theatre producers to adapt one of his short stories at a cost of $1.

As he starts his new job, McDuffee is looking forward to familiarizing himself with the communities that make up Grundy and southern Butler counties and the people that make them special. Although he grew up in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area and had friends from Dike-New Hartford, Grundy Center and Parkersburg in high school, the job will give him the chance to dive deeper and learn more about the western Cedar Valley.

“In general, I think humans are very interested in not only the crazy stuff that’s going on, but (also) the good. Even the mundane is sometimes, especially in times like these, very refreshing,” he said. “I just think that being able to, even in short little vignettes, be able to craft a narrative and tell a story about everyday experiences is a really rewarding and valuable thing to have.”

Eclipse News-Review publisher Jake Ryder, who also serves as the sports editor at The Grundy Register, is excited to see what McDuffee can do in his new role and commended him for keeping a positive attitude in light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak.

“We’re excited to have a talented writer like Seth in the Parkersburg office. In what can be a tough time for anyone to start something new, Seth came in with a motivated mindset, a can-do attitude and a personality that I think will have him fitting in well with this community in no time,” Ryder said.

Outside of work, McDuffee is an avid reader (speculative fiction, primarily), a hiker and a musician, and he spends most of his free time with his girlfriend and his dog at home in Cedar Falls.

McDuffee will primarily handle news in southern Butler County and northern Grundy County while writing features from across the coverage area. He can be reached at eclipse@midamericapub.com. Due to social distancing and quarantine guidelines as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, he is encouraging readers to reach out to him via phone or e-mail with story ideas, but he will be out and about in the communities he covers reporting the latest news.

“I’ve met some interesting folks already, just in my first couple of days,” he said. “I’m just really digging the overall vibe of the places I’ve been so far.”