05 | if you are a dreamer, come in

Finally, I have an author website! And another storytelling-shaped offering for writers

If you are a dreamer, come in,

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...

If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire

For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.

Come in!

Come in!

- Shel Silverstein

In my last newsletter I mentioned that I'd be sharing more about a project I've been hinting about over on Instagram for a while now, and the time has finally come.

More accurately, I've been hinting at three projects I aimed to share this year, and you're reading the first one - this newsletter. Between the ever-changing algorithms on social media and the fact that sometimes platforms meant for photos or short posts don't lend themselves to nuance, I've been seeking a space where I can share about my writing with a little more ownership and space to ramble.

The process of writing a book is long, and the need for community and momentum on that journey is essential. A newsletter is something tangible that accomplishes both - it's much easier to close the loop on writing a twice-monthly publication than it is to write a book. It's also nice to feel the presence of those who care about your work enough to subscribe to a series of updates that more often than not focus on the struggles of the writing journey rather than sharing news about wins, completion, and getting the finished stories into your hands.

But enough about the newsletter - you're reading it, so you’ve followed along already (and for that I thank you!) You're here for the announcement about the other two projects.

The first is my author website, gretavalentine.com. It's another step towards establishing the kind of platform all the real professional writers have, and it's ready for you to view. It's a place for all my storytelling offerings to live - my books, podcast appearances, and short stories, as well as ways for you to see what I’m up to and get in touch.

I could have shared this site a few months back, but I didn't, because peppered throughout it were mentions of the enigmatic third project, and that wasn't ready to unveil yet.

But now it is.

As of this week, I'm officially open for business as owner and developmental editor at Labyrinth Editing LLC, home of my freelance editing services. I now provide developmental editing, manuscript evaluations, short story critiques, and book maps (check out the Services page on my site if you're unfamiliar with these - the nerdy analytical side of my brain finds them so helpful for tracking various story elements throughout a manuscript!)

Getting to the point of being able to offer these services has been really gratifying, and I can't wait to see where it goes. Developmental editing is one of the first types of editing writers will seek after completing a manuscript, and I’m excited for the opportunity to provide encouragement and resources for revision at this often vulnerable stage of the writing process. Sharing early drafts of any work can be tough, and I am excited to be both a cheerleader and a resource during this stage as authors take those magic, messy, early drafts and prepare to hone them so that their creative vision and voice can really shine through.

A line from Invitation by Shel Silverstein

I opened with Shel Silverstein's poem Invitation because it exudes the same energy I want to extend as an editor. It’s a call of collaboration and camaraderie to sit by that fire and spin tales together. Stories are magic, and as a writer, I know it can be an iterative, mysterious, winding journey to get them out of your head and onto the page. That circuitous path is why I picked a labyrinth as the image for my business. I'm here to be a resource and a support on that journey. This is the place for the dreamers, the wishers, and the liars (insofar as fiction is the lie that tells the truth, as per Neil Gaiman). If you’re already on that journey, you’re in good company.

It's so simple to finally make this announcement after many months of work getting to this point. I had a lot of help - encouragement, feedback, input on my website designs and branding - and I’m immensely grateful to the friends and fellow writers who supported me so I can be in a position to offer these services. Doing the day-to-day work of running this business will be another task, though, that continues long past the excitement of a shiny new website and Instagram.

I'm both excited to be here and sobered by the amount of trust I know it takes for someone to place their manuscript into another person's - maybe even a stranger’s - hands. I take that responsibility seriously while also being excited by the prospect of getting to witness incredible creativity and the opportunity to be both a sounding board and advocate for those writers' unique creative visions.

That's really it. I’ll be announcing the business more broadly to my Instagram followers at the end of the month, but wanted to give subscribers an early look. I hope you'll visit the websites, drop me a line if my work resonates with you, and consider my services the next time you've taken a story as far as you can on your own and would like a helping hand to the next stage of your publication journey.

Welcome to the Labyrinth!