Most authors know that editing means getting out your literary scalpel and finding those things that drag a story down. For a former journalist and current book doctor like Christine Fairchild, the search for what works and what doesn’t is just the kind of operation she loves.
Christine Fairchild always had a love of storytelling. As a young reader, she gravitated toward stories about animals—Black Beauty and Where the Red Fern Grows were favorites. When she saw the fascination and rapt attention of her fellow 3rd grade classmates when reading her own essays, she knew she had a gift. Innately, she understood story structure, how to build invisible worlds, what makes a character compelling (especially animal characters), and the power of the imagination.
The moniker of “storyteller” followed her through her school years and into a journalism program, earning a B.A. in English from U.C. Berkeley—the top English department in the US at that time. After graduating, she worked as a professional copyeditor, speechwriter and freelance reporter, honing her skills at dissecting a written work to make the story pop and the information clear. Fairchild has served as writer and editor for publications like XFiles and SciFiMall.com, and has provided executive communications, marketing, branding, and press releases for corporate giants, like Microsoft, AT&T, and DHL. This professional environment gave her an understanding of the psychology of language and communications design with a focus on women consumer behavior and trends, adding more specialized tools to use when operating on her next writing assignment.
The Doctor is Calling
Fairchild’s various roles with high-profile clients informed her writing style and her tactical editing approach, giving her the sharp edge to refine a story and elevate it for her readers. With the skill of a surgeon, she looks for those problems that can muddy the text and slow down the reader when she puts a novel under the microscope to find those areas that need to be cured or cut from a story to get it to its most healthy state.
With these skills, Fairchild has grown her reputation as a bona fide “Book Doctor” and claimed her place in the literary world helping authors fine-tune their work to prepare it for publication. Her The Editor Devil’s Guide to CHARACTERS and The Editor Devil’s Guide to DIALOGUE gives writers a look inside her medicine bag where they learn the lessons she learned over the entirety of her professional writing career so they can become their own literary surgeons. Today, you can find Christine Fairchild sharing her knowledge with other writers by teaching classes and leading workshops on how they can become better editors of their own work and giving them an inside peak at the surgical equipment that has shaped her multifaceted career.
Chanticleer is proud to host Christine Fairchild at the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC) and the International Book Awards (CIBA) on April 3-6, 2025, where she will be giving a Masterclass that will guide authors in their quest to elevate their novels.
Don’t miss out on this chance to learn from Christine Fairchild, the “Book Doctor!”
Registration for Christine’s Master Class only on Thursday is available – Limited Seating
Discounted Seats available for those who have registered for CAC 25.
Register now! Space is limited!
Follow this link to reserve your spot at this special event!
