A Bit About Me
Books have always played a central role in my life, and if I look back at some of the big decisions I’ve made, the germ of those decisions can be found in a book I’ve read. Take my decision to major in Religious Studies in college, for example. I can trace that decision to reading Jack Kerouac’s The Dharma Bums. That introduction to Eastern thought, worked out through story, inspired a deep interest in the world’s religions. I wanted to know why people thought the way they thought and how that drove their actions. While some people might see this as a purely psychological question, I’ve always felt that religion, or lack thereof, and the stories that we tell as a result, plays a fundamental role in our worldview and the characters we develop along the way.
So, when I graduated and sought a job in Hollywood, it didn’t seem like a huge stretch. After all, religion was so closely linked to story for me. I still love the world’s religions and the eternal truths their various myths and legends elucidate. I firmly believe that familiarity with these ancient stories can bring richness and insight into the stories we are trying to tell, not to mention the lives we are trying to live. An awareness of how we were taught to think of those stories as children, how that shaped us to either follow the path of our childhood or reject it, is an invaluable tool in our writer’s toolkit.
I count myself very lucky to have spent almost ten years working among some of the smartest writers, animators, directors, agents, and executives in Hollywood. From them, I learned not only about crafting stories and giving editorial notes, but also about the business of buying and selling story, how to play with others who have high and exacting standards, and how to develop high standards for myself.
While I loved many aspects of my work in Hollywood, my favorite activity was working directly with writers and show creators to make their ideas sing. I also love the detail-oriented, nitty-gritty work of copyediting. So, when I hit that wall as many do in their careers, where it was clear a change was necessary, it seemed like a natural next step to build on the work that I love so much and hang up my freelance editor shingle for a return to my first love—books.
Of course, along the way, I had developed a certain amount of business acumen and a sense of how marketing lands on people, and I began helping small businesses and organizations with their marketing copy, as well. I especially like working with businesses that have some creative aspect to them—jewelry artists, musicians, artisan foodstuffs, film, travel, etc.
When I’m not writing and editing, I love to read. My favorite genres are sci-fi, fantasy, and historical fiction; and I admit to devouring the occasional romance novel like it’s a bag of potato chips. I also like hanging with my husband and our dog Lucy, and visiting the goats and chickens in our semi-rural Southern California neighborhood.