I had to share this beautifully-written New York Times tribute to a superb copy editor.
Dorothy Gallagher writes, “Helene had no literary theories — she had literary values: clarity, transparency, the skillful use of style.”

Read more…

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

One of the funnier typographical errors I’ve seen recently occurred in about 72 point type in the banner of a newspaper. You can see the front page of New Hampshire’s Valley “Newss” reproduced in an article on the Telegraph.co.uk site.

The big lesson here is that the goofier the error, the farther it will travel. Don’t take anything for granted– be sure to proofread your headlines and subheads!

If you enjoy word games in your spare time (self-employed writing evaluators do have spare time, don’t they?), visit Etymologic.com, where you’ll find “the toughest word game on the web.” Don’t visit the site if you’re working with a deadline, though, because it’s a wee bit addictive!

The creators of the game are not exaggerating when they say it’s tough. The first time I played, I approached it as casually as I would approach the vocabulary quiz in the Reader’s Digest. I haven’t missed a word in the RD quiz in decades, but I quickly discovered that Etymologic was in a completely different league. I missed five of the ten questions before I realized this and started to concentrate. I salvaged my dignity by missing only one out of ten on the second try, but it took a bit of thought.

Word games are an excellent way to sharpen your vocabulary skills– just beware of letting them infringe on your writing, editing, evaluation, and marketing time. Enjoy!

There was a thought-provoking opinion piece (In a Changing World of News, an Elegy for Copy Editors) in the June 16, 2008 New York Times that commented on the changing role of copy editors. When writer Lawrence Downes visited the Newseum in Washington, D.C., he discovered that copy editing had been relegated to the “News History” floor. It was a surprise to him, and rather a shock to the NAIWE members who still work in the field!

Is it time to post an R.I.P. for the profession? Or will we adapt, as we have so many times before? Books have been declared dead, newspapers are shrinking as they scramble to retain a foothold in the news market, and yet, both endure. I’m not ready to write finis to the era of copy editing either! How about you?

We’ve just posted a new article in the Reading Room of the Member’s Library. If you want to be successful as a solopreneur of any kind, you need to read this article on the three success principles that transform your life and business.

I’ve learned a lot from the author over the past several years, and this article very neatly summarizes three areas that can make a huge difference in your degree of success and fulfillment. Your associates, your habits, and your environment all affect your thoughts and attitudes, for better or for worse. Learn how you can take control and make choices that will help you grow!

Members can read the article by clicking the Success Principles link, or by visiting the Reading Room page in the Library. If you’d like to read it, but you’re not yet a member, we invite you join us today!

The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) sponsors the increasingly-popular National Grammar Day. Their website offers a number of delightful links to matters editorial, so be sure to visit and enjoy reading a few. It’s not often that the guardians of the language are celebrated– savor the moment!

Resisting the slippery slope of verbal carelessness can be lonely sometimes!

The National Association of Independent Writing Evaluators invites you to join us on our Facebook event page during the first week of March to share word-related stories for the first annual Words Matter Week.

You’re welcome to submit funny errors you’ve spotted in print; stories about Word Super Heros–people or organizations that work to shore up the standards of written English; or recommendations of good resources for logophiles (word lovers). Our only request is that all comments and submissions be completely family-friendly. Welcome; enjoy!

Remember, you can share your comments at any time– you needn’t be present during the actual week in order to participate. Join us now!

It’s been a busy month at the National Association of Independent Writing Evaluators! We are doing extensive behind-the-scenes work to prepare individual NAIWE blog-sites for each of our members. We anticipate that this membership benefit will be a booster rocket for your business success!

Instead of competing as a small individual website among millions, your site will be supported by the credibility of NAIWE. You’ll benefit from focused traffic, presence in the searchable database, and a website built on a stable blogging platform so that you can edit it easily and quickly in order to communicate with clients.

I’m putting together a ‘how-to’ presentation so that you can be up and blogging quickly as soon as the new sites are available. Of course, if you have any difficulty, you may consult the FAQ, or e-mail the support department. I think you’ll love this benefit!