Sledgehammer by Katie Miller
Katie Miller started off as a co-worker, quickly became a friend, and is now a creative collaborator. Katie and I both quickly bonded over our dream of writing a book one day - mine fiction, hers nonfiction. We both encouraged each other to pursue our dreams and promised that we would help each other along the way. So when Katie sent me the first chapter of her book, I became her first reader and her editor.
Katie's story is the true story of how she survived the tragic events of being married to a violently bipolar husband. Her story is one of strength and resilience, combined with heartbreaking loss and confusion. Katie felt convicted to share her story, knowing that other people are experiencing similar situations with mental illness.
Because this story is Katie's real life, I became the second set of eyes that could look at the story from a removed, third person point of view. I edited her writing for grammar and style, but I also helped edit her story from the perspective of someone experiencing it for the first time. I was able to ask Katie questions about certain moments in the plot or certain details about a person that were either so deeply ingrained into her memory that they were easily overlooked or that were desperately pushed aside in attempts to forget completely.
This project was a combination of detailed line editing and big picture developmental editing. The end result was rewarding for many reasons - for helping a friend chase after a dream and fulfill a purpose, for chasing after my own dream of editing, and for collaborating on a product that can bring healing and hope to others.
You can purchase her book at the link below!
