Theresa Carpenter interviews Randy Surles, a military editor and retired Sergeant Major, about his journey from military service to becoming a writer and editor.
Randy shares his experience working on Scott Mann's 'Pineapple Express', discussing the intense deadlines and requirements of traditional publishing, including the importance of meeting specific timeline targets for maximum impact.
Meet our Guest: Randy Surles
Randy shares his background, born in Houston and traveling worldwide due to his father's work. He joined the Army in 1987 with a Ranger contract, seeking adventure rather than college. He later became a Green Beret, serving in elite military units for over 31 years.
During his military career, Randy pursued education, earning a bachelor's in US history and an MFA in creative writing. He discusses his transition to becoming a writer and editor, particularly his involvement with the Story Grid methodology developed by Shawn Coyne.
Randy details his experience working on Scott Mann's book 'Pineapple Express' about the Afghanistan evacuation, describing the intense deadline-driven process of completing the book for the first anniversary of the events. He emphasizes the challenges of working under publisher deadlines and the importance of understanding the publishing industry's timeline requirements.
🔑 Key Topics:
✔️ Randy Surles established militaryeditor.com and thestoryninjas.com for different genres of editing work
✔️ Randy created a new Facebook page 'Ask a Military Editor' for answering questions about military memoir writing
✔️ Randy launched the Military Writers Academy YouTube channel for interviews and writing advice
✔️ Randy offers a Skillbridge internship program for transitioning service members interested in editing or writing
Green Beret Mission and Experience
Randy explains the role of Green Berets as warrior diplomats, working in twelve-man teams specialized in different global regions, training local forces and conducting operations in places like Afghanistan and Colombia. Randy discusses pursuing education throughout his military career, eventually earning a US history degree and later an MFA in creative writing from the University of Texas at El Paso. He details his involvement with Story Grid methodology and his development as an editor, including his work with various authors and the process of building his editing business.
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The conversation concludes with Randy sharing advice for aspiring writers, emphasizing the importance of reading extensively in one's chosen genre and understanding the craft through resources like Story Grid. He also discusses his current work helping military members transition to writing and editing careers through his internship program.
