Winterviews Spotlight: Editor Jeni Chappelle

To celebrate 13 weeks of winter, Hàlön Chronicles is conducting one interview a week for 13 weeks. We’re also partnering with other sites and artists to bring a fuller, richer experience to our readers.

Join us on the hashtag #13Winterviews, or check out this season’s articles:
Welcome to the Season | Winterviews Partners | 2019 Blog Hop | Book Pairings | Winterviews & Solstice Eve

This week on Winterviews takes us into the heart of book editing as we say hello to RevPit editor Jeni Chappelle.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m a freelance editor, a hobby writer, and book nerd. My parents were authors so I grew up surrounded by books and publishing, but editing is actually my second career. I still love being at home, surrounded by my books, so I think of myself like a hobbit–I want to go on adventures from time to time, but mostly I’m a homebody who doesn’t like shoes. When people meet me in person, they’re often surprised to learn I’m an introvert because I’m loud and talk a lot, especially if it’s one of my nerd passions: books, art, movies, Doctor Who, and pets (I have 15!).

What influenced your editing style?

Growing up with parents who were writers, I developed a love of words and books before I could even read. My older brother hated when I’d sneak off with his copy of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy because I liked the planet sticking its tongue out on the cover. As I got older, I got to see firsthand what authors go through on a personal level—the self-doubt, the fear of failure, the constant waiting. It made me empathetic toward authors before I ever dreamed of editing. That’s the most important aspect to me of my editing: I have to approach it from that place of empathy because I know how much work goes into every manuscript I see—but that doesn’t stop me from digging in to the problems with my client’s manuscripts! It just means it’s important to me that authors know what they’re doing right too, not just what’s wrong, and it’s what drives me to do whatever I can to ensure their success in revisions. Call it my character motivation.

Are there aspects of the craft that excite you more than others?
Yes! I love seeing difficult techniques done well, like tricky points-of-view or quieter, more subtle character traits. A big passion in my work is helping writers craft characters that feel psychologically realistic, that their motivations, thoughts, and emotions make sense and are shown through their actions and reactions.

What books or websites are your go-to places while editing?
Every writer needs a copy of The Emotion Thesaurus before they start revising their first draft. And because the authors of that book have created a wealth of resources, I send people to One Stop for Writers all the time. A few of my other favorite websites are Jami Gold’s and K.M. Weiland because I love their balanced, practical approaches to the craft and for self-published authors particularly, Elizabeth Craig’s site is a great resource.

Tell us about your writing space (music/snacks/interruptions/etc).
I can’t work if there’s anything with words on around me—music, TV, or sometimes even people talking. Because I work from home, I have an office, but I like to change things up and work in different areas of my house or even at my local library. Mostly what I need is quiet, coziness, and something sensory—a candle, my aromatherapy diffuser, a soft blanket, or even my desk toys.

Tell us about your current projects.
Well, the RevPit team is gearing up for our third annual contest in April, and I’m super excited about that. It’s my favorite event of the year, and this year it’s starting the day after my birthday so it’s even more exciting! But before that, I’m working on a series of online workshops that focuses on creating that realistic emotion in characters, and details on that will be available soon.

You can find Jeni at her website www.jenichappelleeditorial.com, Twitter (@jenichappelle), and Facebook, and you can get more information about RevPit at www.reviseresub.com or on Twitter (@reviseresub).