AUTHORS

HOW I THINK ABOUT WRITING

I don't really believe in "good writing."

I believe in writing that knows what it's trying to do and has found an effective way to do it. I believe in craft aligned with clear intention. That looks different for every writer and every project.

Instead of applying a set of rules to your work, I put it on and wear it around the house for a while. I try to understand it from the inside—what it wants to be and where it's getting in its own way. Then I help you find the form and language that make that happen.

If you're writing for publication, I'll also make sure you understand the conventions and expectations of your genre and market—not as a map to follow, but as a landscape to navigate with purpose.

HOW I WORK WITH WRITERS

Maybe you have a finished manuscript and you're not sure what it needs. Maybe you have a great idea but don't know where to start. Maybe you're somewhere in the middle: you know what you're trying to say, but the page isn't quite saying it yet. Maybe you just want to get writing again.

Wherever you are, that's where we begin—with a free consultation. You tell me about your work—what it is, where it is, what you think it needs, what you love most about it. I ask questions. We figure out together what kind of support you need and make sure I'm the best person to give it to you. And then we get to work.

I collaborate with fiction and nonfiction writers at every stage of the process, from ideas and notes to final drafts. Sometimes that work involves developmental editing or manuscript assessment. Sometimes it's closer to line editing or proofreading. Sometimes it's ghostwriting. And if you're not sure what you need, that's fine. Figuring that out is part of what I do.

Email me at karen.j.renner@gmail.com, and let's get started.