About

How I Became an Editor

Once upon a time I had vague aspirations of being a fantasy writer and a very clear dream of owning a secondhand bookstore. These jobs, I knew, were not the most lucrative, and probably wouldn’t be achieved until retirement, but I didn’t much care. The heart wants what it wants, and my heart was willing to wait.

Needing to pass the time until retirement, I did the most logical thing I could think of: I went to college and became an Outdoor Adventure Naturalist. It’s not as weird as it sounds... or maybe it’s weirder. Either way, it made perfect sense to me. I have always loved the outdoors. I have also always loved fantasy, and immersing myself in the wilderness struck me as a brilliant way to get experience and inspiration to write some great fantasy stories.

I headed off around the world for a few good years of work, exploration, and adventure. Then one day I found myself back in Canada, thinking about other jobs to keep me fed while I wrote things and to tide me over until retirement allowed me to start my bookstore. This is when I realized I did not need to be retired to have a bookstore, followed by the further realization that I didn't need to start a bookstore; I could probably just buy one. Thirty seconds and a Google search later I found there were two secondhand bookstores for sale near where I lived. I only bought one of them.

Being in the bookstore inspired me to read more and to write more. Working six-day weeks and hosting evening writing groups wasn’t enough. I enrolled in an editing program and discovered I love editing as much as I love reading and writing. And here I am today.