Parchment Praises
"Really fun to work with..."
Christine Pakkala has made my writing so much better. She has a wonderful love of language and a vast knowledge of literature, which she uses to help me discover the best form for my story. And she does it all with a great laugh. This makes it really fun to work with her.
Sari Bodi
Author of The Ghost in Allie’s Pool
"Christine was crucial..."
Christine was crucial to the development of my memoir. She saw the contours of the book long before I could even see the next page. Her steady guidance and excellent suggestions helped me achieve one of my lifelong dreams.
Anya Liftig
Author of Holler Rat
"Incredibly helpful..."
Christine is a fabulous teacher and editor. She is thorough, thoughtful, and creative. Her feedback is incredibly helpful, and I loved working with her and still do! She’s a trusted resource, and I recommend her without hesitation.
Nicole Pensak
Ph.D. Author of RATTLED
"A wonderful teacher!"
Christine was my first mentor. I didn’t know how to say what I wanted to say. She showed me how. With a soft voice. Genuine caring. Never lip-service. I knew I had found someone who would show me how to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish.
I used Christine’s classes to build and connect my stories into a cohesive memoir. I listened to her suggestions, followed her prompts. Her guidance, her insights, her faith in me, resulted in a book distributed by a British publishing house. This would never have happened without Christine’s patient but firm push, without her thoughtful insights. My book was published, no small amount of credit to her. Christine Pakkala is a wonderful teacher.
I used Christine’s classes to build and connect my stories into a cohesive memoir. I listened to her suggestions, followed her prompts. Her guidance, her insights, her faith in me, resulted in a book distributed by a British publishing house. This would never have happened without Christine’s patient but firm push, without her thoughtful insights. My book was published, no small amount of credit to her. Christine Pakkala is a wonderful teacher.
Francis Doherty
Author of a Vietnam Memoir, Only the Light Moves
"A real privilege to work with..."
Christine was an integral part of my memoir journey. She provided me with support, guidance, and editing that was invariably enriching and insightful. It’s a real privilege to work with her!
Deborah Kasdan
Author of Roll Back the World: A Sister’s Memoir
"I’ve worked with Christine for over two decades"
I’ve worked with Christine for over two decades and she has never failed to help me find the emotional heart of my stories. With her help I’ve added lyricism and lightness of language to my novels and picture books. Her guidance is rooted in my text but also informed by extensive examples in my genre. In short, my books are better because I’ve had Christine’s help.
Michaela MacColl
NYT Bestselling Author of Prisoners in the Palace (Scholastic)
"Always insightful..."
Christine Pakkala is mentoring me in the art of creative nonfiction, resulting to date in my first publication of a story in a literary magazine (RavensPerch). She continues to guide my thinking through the big question of storytelling -- what is your story about? She refines my work, challenging me to enrich treatments of plot, characters and settings. Her critical perspectives, offered verbally and in writing, are always insightful, allowing me to see what was hidden or missing in my prose, and supportive, so I feel confident in pushing forward. I am honored to call Christine Pakkala my editor in preparation of a memoir.
Michael Musheno
"A sheer delight!"
I have never felt more nurtured or supported as a writer than when working with Christine Pakkala. Her editorial ear is finely tuned and as she helped clarify my voice, she greatly improved my writing. Her keen insight led to surprising prompts and questions which took me deeper into my own process while illuminating choices I hadn't seen. It's this experience of discovery that marks my relationship with her as a mentor, making working together extremely productive as well as a sheer delight.
Christine Persche
Author of Slow Hidden Drive
"A meticulous editor..."
Christine Pakkala knows how to elevate wordcraft to an art. A meticulous editor, Christine knows the mechanics of language but also brings wildly smart instincts to the writing process. She is accessible, creative, and has savvy knowledge of the publishing world. Working with Christine is like taking a master class in writing.
Dirk Smillie
Best-Selling Author of The Business of Tomorrow (Pegasus) and Former Senior Writer at Forbes.
"A multifaceted talent!"
Christine Pakkala is a multifaceted talent. Her sharp wit, unique perspective, and masterful command of language make her an exceptional editor. She has an uncanny ability to uncover the heart of what you want to say. Working with her for over twenty years has been an absolute pleasure. I highly recommend her.
Emiko Sunayama
Author and Illustrator of more than 14 Books for children, Including Illustrator of the Dragonfly Series (Oxford University Press).
"A tremendously talented editor!"
Christine is a tremendously talented editor; her feedback always strengthens my writing. In particular, her insights and suggestions strengthen both the emotional impact and lyrical language of my prose. I highly recommend Christine as an editor.
Karen Swanson
Author of Swinging into History: Big-League Baseball’s First Woman Player
"Her help was instrumental in paving the way for my first publication!"
I first met Christine in a workshop, where she guided my fledgling attempts at writing for children. When it came time to edit my finished book, I knew exactly who to turn to. Christine's storytelling instincts and keen insights were vital to developing and polishing my manuscript. Her help was instrumental in paving the way for my first publication—and ultimately, a chapter book series.
Laura Wiltse Prior
Author of the Emma Just Medium series
