Suzanne knows you don't have to be an expert in a writer's subject to be a good editor. You have to know language, love words, get a feel for a writer's voice and help her bring that voice forward in a clear, compelling way. A professional editor for over 25 years, Suzanne has worked for book publishers (Ten Speed Press, Chronicle Books, and more), businesses, and fiction and nonfiction writers, and has helped hundreds of people write their memoirs. Some want a draft of a book-length memoir polished for publication, a few are specialists who want a ghostwriter or collaborating writer, many are students of her memoir classes, taught at Santa Rosa Junior College year-round since 1996. Besides being a full-service editor (developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, proofreading), Suzanne is also a writing consultant, helping new writers become published writers and published writers write new books. With memoir, she helps identify theme, shape the story, find balance between scene and narration, and addresses issues of personal narrative. She writes and edits nonfiction book proposals and query letters, and helps connect writers with the right agent, publisher, or self-publishing company.    More About Suzanne What I like most about editing: Helping create a piece of art from out of a hunk of clay. My best advice to writers: Be wild the first time out! Write without your inner critic; invite her in for the second draft, when she can be helpful. My favorite genres to edit: My first love is the personal narrative, in short form and book length. Sisters of this first love are self-help books, cookbooks (I've edited many for Ten Speed Press), travel writing, how-to books, and nonfiction on topics that open my eyes to something new. Number of years I've been editing: 25+ Edit hard copy or on-screen: I prefer to edit on-screen (using Track Changes in Word). Consultations are done with hard copy. My "must have" writing reference books: I was raised on The Chicago Manual of Style and now enjoy the online edition. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition, is also a standard. Favorite background music when I edit: Pure silence, so I can hear the writing. Scene outside the window where I edit: A meadowed hillside edged by redwoods and blooming with crimson amaranth. In the afternoon, sunshine streams through the window beside my desk, and I am grateful for the shade I pull to quiet the reflections on my computer screen. The sunset over the Pacific not far beyond my view is often a reward after a full day's work. Favorite quotes: "Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next." —Jonas Salk "I never know what I think about something until I read what I've written on it." —William Faulkner "I think I did pretty well, considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper." —Steve Martin Memorable fictional character: Some favorites are in memoirs, like the author's mother in The Color of Water (James McBride). Lily Owens, in The Secret Life of Bees, is an original, too. Most recent blog/website I bookmarked: My home page is Feedly.com, where I have a personalized page and quick links to several favorites—mediabistro.com, Salon.com, Tea & Cookies blog. Currently reading: Three Junes (Julia Glass).