NAIWE NewsWire

We are delighted to feature an interview with writer and editor Lillie Ammann, author of Dream or Destiny. Lillie’s career path shows her deep understanding of the idea that most successful freelancers have an “and” in their job description. She not only writes fiction, but also works with self-publishing authors on many aspects of the publication process.

Listen to Lillie’s interview at The Freelance Life podcast.

Q: Please share a little of your professional history with our readers.

As a freelancer, I enjoy working with a relatively small number of long-term clients. Though I started out writing and editing, I have added a number of other services as a result of clients’ requests.I love working with authors who choose to self-publish, and I think of myself as a book midwife, helping the author deliver a bouncing baby book. I edit the manuscript, consult with the author on publishing options, format the interior layout, and find and negotiate with a cover artist and printer. Most of my author clients ask me to create and maintain their Web sites and blogs as well as write and submit press releases, send out review copies, and assist with other promotional activities.

Q: How and when did you make this business a reality?

I started freelancing thirteen years ago after selling my interior landscape company. I had always dreamed of writing someday, but a stroke convinced me that someday had arrived.

Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned thus far in your career?

As an editor, my job is to make the writer sound exactly like himself or herself—only better. My voice has no place in the work. I smile every time a client reads the manuscript and says they can’t believe they wrote such a good book.

Q: Are you working on any personal writing projects at this time?

My personal writing projects are fiction.  Dream or Destiny, a romantic mystery, and Stroke of Luck, a contemporary romance, are published by a small press. My current work-in-progress is Act of Faith, the sequel to Dream or Destiny.

Q: What are some of the teachers, books, or authors who have influenced your professional life in a positive way?

I have learned so much from so many classes and books that narrowing the list down would be difficult. Although health issues have kept me from participating in as many events in recent years, early in my career I attended the conferences of several organizations each year. Some were better than others, but every one helped me improve my craft and expand my knowledge, as have the books I’ve read and classes I’ve taken.

Q: As a seasoned professional, what advice would you offer an independent writer or editor who is just beginning a career?

I always encourage writers and editors to join organizations to network and learn the business. The local chapter of a national romance writing organization and a local multi-genre writers group helped me tremendously when I started writing. NAIWE offers independent writers and editors learning opportunities as well as online networking and promotion.

Q: What inspires you?

As an editor, the joy of a newly published author inspires me to continue doing what I do.As a writer, a reader telling me they couldn’t put the book down inspires me to keep writing.

Q: How has your membership in NAIWE benefited you professionally?

I didn’t know about NAIWE until Words Matter Week, and the education and inspiration offered during that week sold me on joining the organization. Association with a professional organization of the caliber of NAIWE enhances credibility, and the blog, portfolio, and profile available to members give me another venue for people to find me.

Be sure to visit Lillie’s primary blog, to read her wonderful 8-part (so far) series on creating characters. You’ll definitely want to add her inspiring blog to your feed!

It’s always interesting to learn more about our Member of the Month, and this month is no exception. As you read through Phil’s interview, I think you’ll enjoy his interesting history and clear, articulate writing voice.

Listen to the interview as a podcast!

Q: Please share a little of your professional history with our readers.

I’ve enjoyed good writing as long as I can remember.  Bed-time stories were great times for me as a boy, and I remember thinking a time or two as I grew up, “It’d be fun to write like that.”  We have some excellent joke and storytellers in our family so I learned fairly young how to tell a joke or story – and tell it well.

My high school guidance counselor was all excited to inform me one day that I was the first in Colorado to ace the composition portion of the SAT test, and tried to convince me to major in English so I could teach.

I majored in music, though, working as a contracted typist my last two years of college.  After graduation I accepted a position working with musicians and students in a Nebraska church. One of the two high school English teachers in our congregation saw a letter I wrote to a student who was moving away, in which I described how to start well in a new place.  She encouraged me to edit and re-write it with publication in mind. I began to write more, with those two teachers quietly encouraging me.  I enjoyed the process and a couple years later compiled a 90 minute Christmas work in which I chose the music and writing the narratives for between the songs. It was well received, and I was hooked.

Collaborating with other creative people is a great way to work.  Two of my favorite collaborative products are one, a musical drama built around Paul Harvey’s Christmas story, The Man and the Birds. A colleague and I wrote the script and chose the music.  Then he worked with the cast and I with the musicians. I remember the “rush” of seeing our thoughts and words come to life on the stage, affecting the people in the audience.  The other is a work in which a talented volunteer and I co-wrote and produced what we titled “An Unexpected Hope”.  We wrote for a small cast of five and choir, but also integrated several video segments we filmed off-site in advance for use on the large screens in our facility.  It told the story of two estranged sisters coming home to be with their dad his first Christmas after their mother passed away.  The tension was so thick in opening scenes you could feel it, which heightened the sense of relief when they began to reconcile.  We didn’t solve everything in “Unexpected Hope”; we wanted to leave something for people to talk about afterward over dessert!  It found its mark.

I served a while as public relations manager for a listener-supported radio network.  In that role I learned to write in the President’s “voice”.  I wrote most of the correspondence related to his speaking engagements and he’d sign what I wrote. I enjoyed studying how he would say things, crafting my words to fit his style.

I’ve since written for individuals and organizations, non-profits and companies. It is first a challenge, then a rush to learn each project’s specifications and write to those ends.  There’s nothing like sticking the landing with well-written prose!

Q: How and when did you make this business a reality?

In 1993, between jobs, living with my in-laws, and no leads for employment in view, I said to my wife,  “I’m NOT going to sit here and cry to myself. I’m going to find something I can do well and start working for myself.”  I spent several days in the library, where writing surfaced as what I’d really like to do if I was going to be my own boss.  About the same time a church music magazine replied to a query and I wrote what would prove to be a cover / feature article for them. In the article I described the method I had developed to teach K-8 kids the lyrics to our all-school musicals with perfect, long-term recall (and it was fun, which always helps when you’re working with kids). I wrote for several companies and individuals that year, then accepted a full-time position and the writing business took a back seat again for a while.  Finally, in 2006 I said “OK, it’s time” and chose the name Vibrance for my little company / consultancy.  Vibrance means “very much alive.”

Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned thus far in your career?

Steady, consistent effort out performs bursts of ambition.   Every time I read The Tortoise and the Hare  the tortoise wins.  So I’ve learned to maintain a writer’s mentality all the time and keep at it, a little bit every day. I’m most productive when I write consistently, I remind myself to continually be aware of and gracious toward the people around me.  I never know when a future client could be in the room, and no one gets a second chance at a first impression.

Q: Are you working on any personal writing projects at this time?

I’m assisting a major healthcare manufacturer while a staffer is out on maternity leave. In that role I’m supervising the documentation process for things the FDA would want to see in an audit. It’s exacting and precise work – makes creative writing feel even more creative!

I’m helping a local travel agency develop the religious and educational facet of its business, which includes brochures, letters, press releases and a growing web presence.

I’m writing two novellas (9,000 – 10,000 words)  for an Australian periodical.

I write several times a week for my blog  (http://vibrance.wordpress.com) and am thinking about starting another blog targeting personal productivity.  I need to do some more infrastructural work on that idea, though, before I jump in.  If I can’t do it with excellence, I’d better say no.  Or at least “not yet”.

Q: What are some of the teachers, books, or authors who have influenced your professional life in a positive way?

As I look back on everything, I’d have to say Mr. Herbst, my sixth grade teacher, probably kick-started creativity in my young mind. He was remarkably creative, and I learned well under him.  We studied the Inca, Maya and Aztec cultures that year, and for Mexico we wrote a play as a class. We used the entire blackboard, him writing as we “wrote” together.  A classmate with good penmanship would copy the half of the board we just finished while we wrote the next “page” on the other half.  When we finished the script he had it typed and gave us all copies, then we memorized and performed it for the whole school.  I’ve never done anything like that since, but wow did I learn – and we had fun!

Jerry Jenkins, novelist, editor and educator, taught a graduate-level class called Writing With Confidence.  I learned a lot from him about quality in the writing process, and how to consistently produce for a targeted readership.  Two things he taught us stand out in my memory:  1)  Good writers are better re-writers than writers.  Most projects and documents will go through six or seven re-writes and ambitious edits before they are ready for the public. (This interview is no exception.)    2)  To write well, one must write; even when there’s no deadline pushing you.  “What’s good writing look like?” he smiled, “The seat of the pants in the seat of the chair. Now write.”

Garrison Keillor, of Prairie Home Companion, has an engaging and captivating story-telling style.  My parents introduced me to PHC when my wife and I were home for a visit one time, and I fell in love with the way he spins a tale. I’ve since studied his methods.  My tours at Ten Chimneys (http://tenchimneys.org) are Keillor-esque by design, and I’ve written about a dozen monologues in his style we used in PHC-style Thanksgiving Eve services fashioned after live radio broadcasts.

My aunt Pauline, a retired English and Literature teacher, encouraged me and urged me forward at a time when I wasn’t very sure of myself. I respect and value what she drew out of me in a creative sense.

Mark Bergren’s “Improvise This!” helped me see there’s instant creativity available if I’ll just tap into it and keep the faucet open!  It’s an innovative, fun read, and I devoured the whole book on one flight across the country, but it had a significant influence on me.

Strunk and White – Elements of Style.  I reach for that little book often!

Q: As a seasoned professional, what advice would you offer an independent writer or editor who is just beginning a career?

Oh, my!  I’d say “Keep reminding yourself it will probably take longer to get rich by writing than it would if I farmed. Or shined shoes at the airport.”  Because it probably will.  But if it’s what you enjoy, write. Write. Enjoy the process, enjoy the pleasure you derive from writing –and writing well.  Don’t let discouragement put a cap on your fountain pen or close the lid on your laptop.  Just as it’s easier to steer a car that’s moving, even slightly, it’s easier to maneuver as a writer when you’re writing, even if it seems insignificant at the time.

Q: What inspires you?

Seeing those little bits of wonderful word-smithing here and there, knowing I’m responsible for them.

Hearing back from readers that something I said touched them, made their day, urged them on.

And, there’s a little global map on my Vibrance blog that shows where people live who have read something I’ve written.  I see that map grow each year and think to myself, “Really?  From the other side of the world?  Amazing!  I’ll keep on!”

Q: How has your membership in NAIWE benefited you professionally?

Because so much of my writing has been for in-house organs, as they’re called, I needed a professional association that adds credence to my work to date.  Some writers can point to this publisher or that for evidence that they write well; my writing has been for different genres.  So NAIWE helps me establish that credibility.  I like the name, the logo is attractive, and the personal web-site / blog provides that quick overview a busy manager or independent business owner needs to help him or her decide to talk further about an upcoming need.   I’m still in my first year with NAIWE so I look forward to the benefits of a long-term association.  Could be quite the story!   I hope so.

For April, we welcome Noelle Barrick as Member of the Month. She’s a talented writer and copyeditor whose articulate and humorous blog posts allow potential clients to hear her distinctive writing voice. Enjoy the interview! Click this link to listen via podcast.

Q: Please share a little of your professional history with our readers.

NB: My professional history is a bit like a buffet–take a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and you’ve got a great career! I have a degree in English from Webster University in St. Louis. After I graduated, I worked at Graphic World Publishing Services in St. Louis, where I learned that I loved working with the editorial process. Because of family issues, it became important for me to move back to my home state of Kansas, so I resigned from Graphic World and started freelancing while I applied to grad school at the University of Kansas.

I worked off and on as a freelancer during grad school, primarily informally helping a friend or two with their seminar and conference papers. After I finished coursework, I looked for a part-time job so that I would have time to study for my comprehensive examination and write my thesis. I took a job as a part-time receptionist and that led to a full-time job as an administrative assistant; I spent most of this time writing client communications and editing communications written by other employees. After a little over a year at that company, it became clear to me that what I really wanted was run my own company. So I took the plunge, resigned from my job, and started marketing myself as a freelancing copyeditor and proofreader.

Q: How and when did you make this business a reality?

NB:Last August I started looking for freelance clients, and when I had three (yes, only three) solid leads, I resigned from my job and started working on making freelancing a full-time business. That’s about as real as it gets!

Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned thus far in your career?

NB: Freelancing requires much more discipline than a typical office job. I have to be very strict with myself about managing my time. There’s no one who’s going to get on my back for not being at work by 8am, so I have to get on my own back. My first month or so of freelancing was very unproductive because I’d get up whenever I felt like it, putter around the house for a couple of hours, do an hour or two of work, and then decide that since it was a nice day, I’d better go out and weed the flower bed or mow the yard or just sit in the sun. Needless to say, I didn’t get a lot of paying work done that way–although the yard looked great!

So I finally decided to write up a “company policy manual” for myself, even though the company is just me. Putting a schedule down in writing gave me the focus that I needed to actually put that schedule into action instead of wondering where my time went. I set up rules for myself like you’d find in any company–when breaks are to be taken, how often to follow up with potential clients, when to work on my record-keeping, when to deal with non-work e-mails, and so on.

Of course the joy of working for myself is being able to adjust the schedule according to my own needs. For example, our local zoo charges a $2 admission on Wednesdays during the winter. The last Wednesday in February was a beautiful day, so I and my mom, who is semi-retired, decided to spend the afternoon at the zoo! I spent some time working on the following Saturday to make up for my afternoon out. The freedom to set your own schedule is, to me, the whole point of freelancing. But you do have to actually set a schedule and stick to it.

Q: Are you working on any personal writing projects at this time?

NB: Right now I’m working hard on finishing my Master’s thesis. It’s about the political implications of religiously motivated social justice activism. I’m also having fun keeping up with my blog. If you check it out, you’ll see in my first post that I consider myself more of an editor than a writer, so that’s enough of a challenge for me at the moment.

Q: What are some of the teachers, books, or authors who have influenced your professional life in a positive way?

NB: I haven’t heard from her for years, but I have to give credit to Suzanne at Graphic World. My cubical was next to hers, and she answered all my stupid newbie questions. One of my proudest moments was when I asked her to review a chapter I had edited, and she gave it back to me with only one error marked. (And from that day to this, I have never forgotten to treat “World War II” consistently!)

As for books, Amy Einsohn’s The Copyeditor’s Handbook was an invaluable resource when I was first starting out. Today, the book I pull off the shelf most frequently (other than Chicago and the dictionary) is Garner’s Modern American Usage. The breadth of information in that book is astounding; Bryan Garner is one of my heroes.

I am also thrilled to be on a listserv with many very intelligent freelancers who can offer up sound advice (and a Chicago cite to back it up) in a matter of minutes. Chief among them are Katharine Moore-O’Klopf, Ruth Thaler-Carter, Geoff Hart, and of course, Janice Campbell <g>.

Q: As a seasoned professional, what advice would you offer an independent writer or editor who is just beginning a career?

NB: Well, I think I’m still “seasoning.” But at this point in my career, my best advice is, when marketing, make phone calls whenever possible rather than sending out blind e-mails. Often if you call the main number of a potential client and ask for the person who manages freelance editorial staff, you will get to someone who is at least sympathetic, even if they’re not hiring. You can keep that contact’s name on file and follow up every three months or so.

Of course, 90% of marketing seems to be luck. I got one of my best clients when I made a blind call to their office, and happened to hit the production editor on a day when she was swamped and had more manuscripts than freelancers. She thought I had dropped from heaven.

My other advice is to be persistent even with clients who’ve already hired you. If you haven’t heard from a client for a while, send a “just-checking-in” e-mail to remind them you’re available for work. Just last week I landed a project through one of these e-mails. The client answered my initial e-mail to let me know she didn’t have anything available, and 20 minutes later she e-mailed me again to offer me a project that had just come across her desk. I got the job because I was at the top of her mind.
Q: What inspires you?

NB: This is where I get a little sappy. I love knowing that I help books come into being. I love helping authors communicate their ideas effectively. I see myself as a partner in that process.

Q: How has your membership in NAIWE benefited you professionally?

NB: I am a new member and am still exploring all the benefits of NAIWE. Right off the bat, I am thrilled to be able to add content to a pre-designed website. I’ve already received positive feedback about my website, and I look forward to keeping my blog up to date. I’m also still exploring the Library, and it looks like it will be a great resource.

Our March Member of the Month is Susan Sheppard, owner of WordsRight. She is a skilled copyeditor and proofreader, with an focus on corporate clients. Her love of genealogy and history inspire her personal writing projects. You may read more about her experience and skills at her website and blog. Susan has a reputation for  “above and beyond” service that makes her clients look good, and keeps them coming back, year after year. I think you’ll enjoy meeeting her!

Listen to this interview as a podcast.

Q: Please share a little of your professional history with our readers.

A: I am a “mistake-fixer” for words; I am a proofreader and editor. I work within the wide world of business, specifically for advertising/marketing firms and on newsletters and client alerts for law firms. Although having an ear for the English language is something organically within me, my professional development in proofreading and editing began with my employment at what was then the Virginia State Library (now The Library of Virginia), in the Publications Branch. I later made the jump from proofreading and editing for academia to proofreading for advertising/marketing agencies. Included in the latter is more than a decade of work for The Martin Agency in Richmond, VA, either as a part-time employee or as a freelancer. My doing-business-as name is WordsRight, although I imagine most of my clients simply think in terms of “Susan Sheppard.” My clientele includes or has included other (than Martin) advertising and/or marketing firms, the law firm of Hunton & Williams, nonprofits, local government agencies, an IT security firm….

There are differences between the proofreading of academia and that of the world of business, not the least of which is that the very definition differs! For businesses, the term “proofreading” covers anything and everything from actually comparing one document to another (which is “proofreading” for an academic press) to copyediting to fact checking to editing. And the “due date” for a press or scholarly organization might be several days or weeks away, while for a business, when a job is due is much more likely to be a matter of minutes or hours. Or if one is very lucky, “by tomorrow afternoon.”

Q: Is it important, really, for a company to have things proofread at all, and couldn’t they just have someone within the company check the material?

A: It is very important for companies to have things proofread, whether it be websites or advertisements or client alerts. Not only are those things part of the public face of the company and an error could be costly in terms of public perception (would you want to give your business to a company that erected a billboard with a typo in its own name?), but errors can also result in concrete financial loss.

As for who should check that material, unless they have a proofreader on staff, they should outsource the work to a professional proofreader. It makes a difference for many reasons.

Q: How and when did you make this business a reality?

A: My work grew, and the business evolved, over such a long stretch of time that it’s hard to answer “when” exactly! The beginning of my training and work with proofreading and editing was about 30 years ago, at the Virginia State Library. I resigned from that job, to work with my husband (from home) and to be with our daughter. When I started getting into nonacademic proofreading, I had occasional work from a handful of marketing/advertising agencies in Richmond, to which I added The Martin Agency. The latter eventually became work as a part-time employee for almost five years. I then went back to being totally freelance, keeping Martin as a client, getting gradually more work from those other agencies, and adding other agencies by virtue of recommendations.

Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned thus far in your career?

A: Networking is a very necessary activity, and I’ve got a lot to learn about it!

Q: Are you working on any personal writing projects at this time?

A: I’m working on transcribing two 19th-century county documents, which I then hope to annotate and publish, probably as ebooks.

Q: As a seasoned professional, what advice would you offer an independent writer or editor who is just beginning a career?

A: Is “seasoned professional” another way of saying I’m older than dirt? <G>

Practice your craft, increase your skill level. Determine what your niche will be and concentrate on that; be a specialist, not a generalist. I’ve read, and it’s probably quite true, that the more narrowly defined your niche, the more work you will get.

One of the most helpful things for me in gaining knowledge was reading the entire Chicago Manual of Style (several editions ago). And I recommend keeping up with any reading that is aimed at increasing your skill and knowledge in your field.

Also, one can’t do everything, not only because of lack of time but because one isn’t good at everything. Do what you are good at and outsource what you aren’t.

Q: What inspires you?

A: Income. And freedom.

I love being independent, i.e., freelance, and I wouldn’t want to have to go back to working for a company. That is a big motivation.

I am also motivated to expand the work I can do via the Internet and not have to go in to a place of business, because I want to move “back home,” which is 80 miles away and I really don’t want to commute to Richmond!

It’s not exactly inspiration, but I do like the fixing aspect of what I do. Moving a phrase and suddenly the sentence is easier to understand. Rearrange some sentence structure and suddenly a whole paragraph is understandable, when I’d had to read it five times to get a clue what it meant to be saying! I like making something “better.

Q: How has your membership in NAIWE benefited you professionally?

A: I’ve been able to use the database to find a ready pool of people to refer extra work to, and I’ve actually succeeded in getting my profile and blog post up, even though I’m not technically oriented. The webmaster was very helpful when I got stuck, and I’ve found everyone I dealt with to be very encouraging.

Member of the Month Interview with Michelle Hill of Winning Proof

NEW! Click here to listen to this interview as a podcast!

Our February Member of the Month is Michelle Hill, a veteran “Word Polisher” and owner of Winning Proof. Her website and blog reveal  a deep interest in sports, and a warm, personal approach to editing. The client testimonials she shares on the website bear witness to her dedication and commitment to excellent customer service.

Q- Please share a little of your professional history with our readers.

I’ve been proofreading and copyediting for about 20 years now. I’ve done brochures, direct sales letters, teacher’s testing manuals, obituaries, e-newsletters, e-books, anywhere there’s bound to be typos and the need for word polishing. That’s who I am – I am a Word Polisher.

Q- How and when did you make this business a reality? 

July 2008 officially. The how is simple – godaddy.com for a domain name, my local city government for a home-based business license, and some business cards and brochures.

Q- What are the most important lessons you’ve learned thus far in your career? 

1. Don’t stay isolated – PLAN for a walk, lunch with a friend, make calls to uplifting friends who you can motivate and visa versa, join a networking group. It’s only a lonely journey by choice.

2. Know who to go to and who NOT to go to for emotional support. I recently wrote a short blog about this subject on my page of the NAIWE website.

3. Stay balanced in my work, play, and personal time. I love what I’m doing so I can get consumed in building my business to the exclusion of a social life or other functions.

Q- Are you working on any personal writing projects at this time? 

I’m always working on and perfecting my business plan. I’m also working on a little inspiration/devotion type booklet called “Bathroom Prayers.” It will be comprised of short, uplifting prose or a saying for the day, which can be read standing up or sitting down, whatever the occasion calls for.

Q- What are some of the teachers, authors, and books that have influenced your professional life in a positive way?

The best business book I’ve read is The E-Myth Re-Visited by Michael Gerber. Making A Living Without A Job by Barbara Winter, and Stop Wishing and Start Earning by Ed Gandia. I read these authors’ books repeatedly.

Q- As a seasoned professional, what advice would you offer an independent writer or editor who is just beginning a career?

Research and study the competition, join trade organizations for support, engage in social networking with the top three like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Q- What inspires you?

Motivational “for the soul” books like Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneurial Soul and Chicken Soup for the Writers Soul. The Right Words at the Right Time books by Marlo Thomas. A walk at Huntington Beach Pier; hearing and seeing the waves are highly inspirational to my soul. On a personal note, my two grandchildren inspire me because their youthful vibrancy presents fresh perspectives and energy and tender hearts. 

Q- What are your goals as a writer/editor?

I’d like to prove myself as an expert in the fitness field by writing White Papers and articles. I’d also like to write and self-publish short how-to e-books about staying motivated and inspired as a solopreneur writer.

Our September Member of the Month is Connie Schenkelberg, a teacher, writer, and evaluator. As you read through the Connie’s interview responses and look over her professional profile, you’ll see why writers and students are drawn to this dynamic, compassionate evaluator.

Q: Please share a little of your professional history with our readers.

I started teaching English and social studies at a Christian school in Louisiana. Then I taught English in a public high school in Florida, the same one from which I’d graduated a few years before. The next stop was Mississippi, where I taught middle school English, history, and science for three years. In 1990, we moved to northern Virginia, and I taught English and history in a local middle school for most of the time since then. . . . I hope my next stop is South Dakota; my husband and I hope to move there in 2 or 3 years.

Q: How and when did you make this business a reality?

During my years in Mississippi, I started writing technical manuals and found that I really liked that kind of work. When we moved to Virginia, I expanded my technical writing to include workbooks for middle school students. I think that’s the point at which I decided to make this business a reality.

Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned thus far in your career?

Don’t assume anything. ALWAYS reread.*

Q: Are you working on any personal writing projects at this time?

I’m researching the life and times of Jim Bridger, one of America’s best western explorers, in preparation to write a juvenile biography. I’d like to bring him to life, to excite kids about this amazing man!

Q: What are some of the teachers, books, or authors who have influenced your professional life in a positive way?

John Bruce, Betty Sue Evans, and Dr. Anna J. Cistrunk were three teachers who influenced my professional life. John Bruce taught me political systems and tolerance for people who weren’t like me at all. Betty Sue Evans brought American history to life and shaped the way I taught my history classes. Then there is Dr. Cistrunk, one of the few professors who ever scared the beejeebers out of me. The two courses I took with her were worth their weight in gold because she taught me how to write.

Books and authors? I’m a science fiction enthusiast and enjoy the early works of Robert Heinlein, just about everything by Anne McCaffrey, and the diversity of Frank Herbert. Of the three, Herbert was the best at bringing completely new material for me to read and enjoy. In fact, I wrote my master’s thesis on Dune.

Q: As a seasoned professional, what advice would you offer a writing evaluator who is just beginning a career?

Value the writer. It’s an easy matter to criticize; it’s far more difficult to critique in a way that leaves the writer’s self-respect intact.

Q: What inspires you?

The prairie. The great expanse of God’s creation in this continent makes my heart swell and inspires me to write the stories of people who passed this way.

*****

*In the next edition of The Edge, our twice-monthly e-zine, Connie shares a brief story about the perils of not re-reading, and the wrong way to provide feedback. If you’re not on the mailing list, sign up in the column to the right so that you won’t miss a single issue.

Our August Member of the Month is writer and manuscript evaluator, Troy Howell. As you read through the interview and his professional profile, you’ll see why this freelance veteran continues to grow and thrive in his very competitive chosen field.

Because of his broad experience, Troy’s manuscript evaluations are particularly valuable, often sparking for the author an “aha!” moment that results in a stronger, more publishable manuscript.

Q: Please share a little of your professional history with our readers.

I’ve had the privilege of working with all the major publishers in New York over the span of my career, thanks to the editors and art directors who saw something in my work despite my own uncertainties at times. A couple of high moments have been sharing programs with greats like Barbara Cooney, David Wiesner, and Mary Pope Osborne. There is one light all creatives work in, and that is passion.

Q: How and when did you make this dream a reality?

My career as an author-illustrator began when I sent some of my poems, along with illustrations, to CRICKET magazine, then in its infancy. Trina Schart Hyman, Caldecott winner for Saint George and the Dragon, liked my work and sent me my first assignment. Shortly after, Trina’s assistant left the staff to become an agent and represent me, among others. It’s been fairly uphill since, with the largest portion of my work being illustration until the last seven years, to which I’ve devoted writing.

Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned thus far in your career?

Patience and perseverance are absolute necessities. Those, and the previously mentioned passion. The light of passion may dim, but you must not let it go out. Find something within or without, or someone, to inspire you.

Q: Are you working on any personal writing projects at this time?

Several, always.

Q: What are some of the books or authors who have influenced your professional life in a positive way?
The natural intimacy of Katherine Mansfield’s characters; the enchanting incongruity and bitter-sweetness of Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn; the teasing complexity of Nabokov’s novels and short stories; the poetic richness and varied structure of Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient; the story navigation through the suspense of John Le Carrés The Spy Who Came In From The Cold; and the experimental form of Robert Cormier’s I am the cheese.

Q: As a seasoned professional, what advice would you offer a writer who is just beginning a career?
Study what appeals to you most, to see what can be done and has been done and how. Go into a museum and notice what catches your eye, even if it’s other visitors, and ask yourself why. Compose sentences you would enjoy reading yourself, and if you don’t like them, if they don’t work, throw them out. And always, always, read your work out loud, have someone else read it out loud, then tuck it away for a long enough time that it will take you by surprise or disappointment when you read it out loud again. If you are not disappointed, you’ve got it.

Q: What inspires you?

My influences are broader than literature.
There’s music: the Beatles’ genre-consciousness that explored other cultures and times; the playfulness of the Incredible String Band, whose childlike wonder continues through the lyrical works of its founding member, Robin Williamson; the neo-classical calmness, beauty and solidity of Robert Casadesus; the humor and spontaneity of the original world-music group, Oregon.

Nature: the tender and harsh, domestic and wild, vast and minute, bold and delicate, mysterious and unfathomable works by the Creator.

Art: the graphic contrasts of Rembrandt’s etchings; the confident simplicity and immediacy of Degas; the multi-layered, austere collages of Fred Otnes.

You may contact Troy at his website: TroyHowell.NAIWE.com