Meet Lynne Lepley
Interviewed by Julie Link
Where did you grow up, and where do you live now?
God really does bring us full circle sometimes. I grew up in Statesville, North Carolina. After marrying and becoming United Methodist pastors, my husband and I have lived in many different places in western North Carolina during the last twenty-one years. We are now back in Statesville, and my husband is pastoring my home church. I am helping to care for my mother.
Tell us about your family life.
My husband and I have been married for twenty-three years. We are the proud parents of two Great Pyrenees dogs—each one weighs over a hundred pounds!
What are your hobbies and interests beyond your workplace?
Like a lot of people who work with words, I love to read. I’m also passionate about writing—especially in the areas of history and children’s fiction/nonfiction. I’m also an old movie buff—films made in the 1930s through 1950s.
What is a fact most people don’t know about you?
I swim every day when I can. I usually swim about eight miles a week.
Are you an avid reader? What do you enjoy reading the most?
As I mentioned above, I love to read. I read as much as I can about the craft of writing. (Right now I’m reading Ann Whitford Paul’s wonderful book, Writing Picture Books.) I’m a very eclectic reader—I’ll read whatever catches my interest. For example, I just finished a natural history of birds’ songs, Birdsong, by Don Stap. I also love reading about North Carolina and American history.
What do you write? What genres interest you?
As a writer, I’ve had many of my devotionals published over the years. My favorite writing is the writing I do for children.
Tell us about any published works.
Three in One: A Book about God (Abingdon Press) is a children’s picture book about the Trinity.
Scrumptious Scriptures (Rainbow Publishers) is a two-book series of lessons for teachers of children. (Ages six to ten is out of print, but the lessons for ages two through five are still being produced.)
I’ve written the Methodist/Wesleyan citations for the Encyclopedia of North Carolina (University of North Carolina Press).
My work has also appeared in anthologies, such as the Chicken Soup books.
How did you break into the editing field? What influenced you to become an editor?
I’ve always been the “go to” person for others when it comes to reading and editing copy. I was an English major in college, and I’ve been a teacher of composition at the college level for the last six years—which means that I am always editing student compositions. It was a natural progression to start working with writers seeking an editor to get their work ready for publication.
Tell us about the writing and editing services you offer.
Most of the editing that I’ve done has been the result of individuals contacting me to help them get their work ready for publication. As an ordained minister, I specialize in theological writing, but I am also comfortable working in the fields of education and history (another passion of mine!).
What is your most productive time-management tool?
With writing, editing, teaching, and family responsibilities, my schedule is typical for a lot of people these days. While wearing many hats can be challenging, I’ve learned that, for me, something as simple as a daily to-do list can be very effective. I try to schedule my tasks at least one week at a time. Of course, there are always those unexpected things that crop up, but thinking ahead helps me to be a good steward of my time.
What are your secrets for keeping all components of your work flowing properly?
I don’t know that I have any special secrets for this! I would say that attentiveness to the process and to the details is a necessary skill to make the work flow properly.
What advice do you have for new editors?
We come in contact with so many written words in a day’s time. Pay attention to all of them, and look at them with an editor’s eye. You’ll learn a lot! Also, start now to develop a personal library of essential reference books.
How do you balance work with home life?
One of the big challenges of a productive and busy life is always balance. It is sometimes a temptation to put the home life on the back burner when there are so many professional demands on my time. In order to keep the proper balance, I’ve learned to value my home life and personal relationships every bit as much as my professional responsibilities. By doing that, I take that scheduled personal/family time as seriously as I do my work responsibilities.
How has God blessed you in your writing and editing? How has He used you to bless others?
That is very hard to answer in this small space! God has abundantly blessed me through the privilege of serving Him as a writer and editor. The greatest blessing I’ve received is knowing that I can glorify Him by writing my own words or making the words of others better.
How long have you been a member of The Christian PEN? How has membership encouraged you or affected your career?
I learned about The Christian PEN at the Blue Ridge Christian Writers’ Conference in 2009. I was interested in getting more editing work and joined the group later that year. I’ve found The Christian PEN to be a wonderful place for anyone who wants to take his or her editing career to the next level. I’ve taken the class on Marketing Your Editing Business, which helped me to think of my editing as something more than a hobby. One of the biggest benefits of being part of the PEN community is our active forum. All the questions and comments have been invaluable for learning about the many aspects of professional editing.
