October 2025: Jen Hatmaker's ‘Awake’ 🔗 **Source:** [October 2025: Jen Hatmaker's ‘Awake’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [memoir-writing, editing-process, author-collaboration] > author: Jen Hatmaker > source: Jen Hatmaker Podcast > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs > date created: 2024-12-19 14:22 > > # 🏷️ Title: October 2025: Jen Hatmaker's 'Awake' - Behind the Scenes with Editor Lauren Wine > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Listen for feedback with tuning fork sensitivity — recognize weak spots and overwriting patterns — 00:28:30 #editing - [H2] Save nothing for the swim home — prioritize truth over self-preservation in vulnerable writing — 00:42:15 #memoir-writing - [H3] Use proximity, not grand gestures — support people through consistent small acts over time — 01:18:45 #community ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - [Jen Hatmaker's "Awake" memoir](https://jenhatmaker.com) - [Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb](https://lorigottlieb.com) ## 📝 Summary - Jen Hatmaker interviews her editor Lauren Wine about collaborating on memoir "Awake" - Wine discovered Hatmaker's work during personal dark period, became devoted reader for decade - Discussion covers editing philosophy, vulnerability in memoir writing, structural decisions - Key themes: editorial intuition, protecting family privacy while maintaining honesty - Bottom line: Great editing requires emotional attunement and collaborative trust ## 📖 Main Content This conversation reveals the intimate editorial partnership behind Jen Hatmaker's memoir "Awake." Editor Lauren Wine shares how she discovered Hatmaker's writing during her own difficult period in 2013, becoming a devoted follower who eventually landed the dream assignment of editing Hatmaker's most vulnerable book. The discussion illuminates Wine's editing philosophy of using intuitive, "tuning fork" sensitivity to identify weak spots while maintaining the author's authentic voice. Wine helped Hatmaker navigate the delicate balance between honesty and privacy, sometimes pushing for more revelation, sometimes pulling back from over-explanation. Key editorial decisions included simplifying the table of contents structure and helping Hatmaker dial back from "5 degrees" of intensity to a more elegant "3 degrees" while preserving her distinctive voice. The memoir's innovative structure - moving from "The End" through "The Middle" to "The Beginning" - creates an intuitive rather than logical narrative flow. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=0) — [H1] Introduction: The Hidden Partnership - Key idea: Lauren Wine was Hatmaker's collaborator, counselor, and guide throughout memoir writing - Evidence: "She sat with me through every draft, every change, every doubt, every fear" #### ⏱️ [00:03:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=205) — [H2] Origin Story: From Fan to Editor - Key idea: Wine discovered Hatmaker's parenting essay during personal crisis in 2013 - Evidence: "I literally laughed so hard I cried and had restored faith that I am not alone" #### ⏱️ [00:07:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=432) — [H2] The Publishing Courtship Process - Key idea: Hatmaker met with 10 publishers in 2 days at Chelsea Hotel - Evidence: "We had 10 imprints to work with... meetings like on the hour every hour" #### ⏱️ [00:11:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=690) — [H3] The Stalker Portfolio Moment - Key idea: Wine presented printed compilation of Hatmaker's work spanning decade - Evidence: "Here is all the things I have said to you or about you for the last decade" #### ⏱️ [00:15:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=945) — [H2] Technology Challenges and Human Solutions - Key idea: Both struggled with digital collaboration, resorted to handwritten notes - Evidence: "I think I'm just going to print out your submission... write my notes in the margin" #### ⏱️ [00:20:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=1218) — [H1] The Tuning Fork Method of Editing - Key idea: Wine edits through physical, intuitive sensing of what needs adjustment - Evidence: "It's like a tuning fork... I sense when something is like we need more, we need less" #### ⏱️ [00:28:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=1710) — [H2] The Five Degrees Problem - Key idea: Hatmaker tends to go slightly too intense; Wine pulls back to elegance - Evidence: "You go five degrees past appropriate... let's pull this back down to 3°" #### ⏱️ [00:33:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=1995) — [H3] The Power of Mirrors - Key idea: External validation helps people see their own gifts and potential - Evidence: Mrs. Palmer told teenage Hatmaker "Words matter. You have a gift for words" #### ⏱️ [00:42:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=2535) — [H1] Save Nothing for the Swim Home - Key idea: Margaret Riley King's advice to write without holding back for self-protection - Evidence: "Don't leave anything for the swim home" - write with full vulnerability #### ⏱️ [00:48:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=2900) — [H2] Structure: End, Middle, Beginning - Key idea: Memoir's three-part structure creates emotional movement from crisis to hope - Evidence: "You start at the hardest. You start in the ER... then it's the beginning" #### ⏱️ [00:55:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=3340) — [H3] The Table of Contents Edit - Key idea: Wine simplified contents to just three sections, removing individual vignette titles - Evidence: "I don't think we list every vignette title... just go the end the middle the beginning" #### ⏱️ [01:02:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=3745) — [H2] Privacy Versus Honesty Balance - Key idea: Memoir requires truthfulness without overexposure of family members - Evidence: "You either need to say more about this or take it out" versus "you should say less" #### ⏱️ [01:12:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=4338) — [H3] Social Media as Archive - Key idea: Hatmaker used Facebook and Instagram posts as diary to reconstruct timeline - Evidence: "I kept two tabs open... scrolled back to 2020... found every single thing I said" #### ⏱️ [01:18:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHctJQOqVs&t=4725) — [H2] Friends as Lanterns Through Darkness - Key idea: Recovery requires consistent proximity, not grand gestures from community - Evidence: "It is a hundred small things strung together that pulls somebody up from the bottom" ## 📚 References - [Jen Hatmaker Official Website](https://jenhatmaker.com) - [Lauren Wine Editorial Work](https://laurenwine.com) - [Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb](https://lorigottlieb.com) - [Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur](https://adriennebrodeur.com) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - Lauren Wine became Hatmaker's editor after being a devoted reader for over a decade, discovering her work during personal crisis - Wine's editorial approach uses intuitive "tuning fork" sensitivity to identify areas needing more or less intensity - The memoir required delicate balance between vulnerability and privacy protection, with strategic decisions about revelation levels ## 📰 Newsletter **Behind the Scenes: How Great Memoirs Get Made** Ever wondered what happens between an author's first draft and the finished book you read? This week's conversation between Jen Hatmaker and her editor Lauren Wine pulls back the curtain on memoir collaboration. The key insight? Great editing isn't just about grammar—it's about emotional attunement. Wine describes her process as using a "tuning fork" to sense when writing needs adjustment, whether that's dialing back intensity or pushing for more honesty. For content creators, there's gold here about finding your ideal collaborator. Wine's decade-long journey from devoted reader to trusted editor shows how authentic connection creates the best creative partnerships. The "save nothing for the swim home" philosophy offers a powerful framework for vulnerability in writing: choose courage over self-preservation. **Resources:** [Jen Hatmaker's Awake](https://jenhatmaker.com), [Editorial Services Directory](https://www.editorialservices.org), [Memoir Writing Resources](https://thememirproject.com) ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer advocacy: Document editorial processes for technical writing teams, create feedback rubrics, measure content quality metrics - Education: Develop workshops on collaborative editing techniques, office hours for content review - Developer experience: Improve documentation review processes, implement peer editing systems - Developer marketing: Apply "tuning fork" sensitivity to campaign messaging, balance technical depth with accessibility - Community management: Create safe spaces for vulnerable technical storytelling, moderate with empathy #### OSPO - Policy & Governance: Draft contribution style guides, implement collaborative review processes - License Compliance: Create clear communication about complex compliance issues - Security Management: Develop vulnerability disclosure templates that balance transparency with protection - Software Inventory: Document ownership stories that humanize technical processes - Developer Support: Train support teams in empathetic communication techniques - Community Engagement: Fund narrative projects that tell open source impact stories - Strategic Alignment: Create storytelling frameworks for OKR reporting #### Community - Maintainers: Provide editorial support for project documentation, create narrative templates for roadmap communication - Contributors: Develop onboarding stories that connect personally with newcomers - Sponsors: Create transparent impact narratives that balance data with human stories - Ecosystem: Facilitate cross-project storytelling initiatives, document collaboration case studies #### WordPress - Core: Apply editorial sensitivity to user-facing messaging, balance technical accuracy with accessibility - Community: Support storytelling workshops at WordCamps, create narrative guides for meetup organizers - Training: Develop lesson plans that incorporate personal connection alongside technical instruction - Documentation: Apply memoir-writing techniques to user stories, create empathy-driven help content - Design: Consider emotional resonance in UX copy, implement intuitive rather than just logical flows ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Editorial partnerships work best when editors have genuine personal connection to the author's work and audience - Vulnerability in professional writing increases audience connection when balanced with appropriate privacy protection - Intuitive structural decisions often serve readers better than purely logical organizational schemes - Long-term reader relationships create deeper editorial insights than purely professional arrangements ### 📊 Methodology - Survey successful author-editor partnerships to identify relationship quality factors - A/B test technical documentation using "tuning fork" emotional sensitivity versus purely logical organization - Analyze memoir sales and reviews comparing vulnerability levels with reader engagement metrics ### ❓ Questions - How can technical writing benefit from memoir-style vulnerability while maintaining professional credibility? - What role should long-term community relationships play in selecting collaborative partners for major projects? - How do we balance institutional knowledge preservation with individual privacy in organizational storytelling? ### 🔮 Future Research - Study emotional intelligence applications in technical editing and content strategy - Investigate community-supported editing models for open source documentation projects - Explore narrative structure innovations for complex technical storytelling ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Editorial relationships require emotional attunement alongside technical skill - Policy: Privacy frameworks needed for organizational storytelling and memoir-style content - Security: Vulnerability disclosure processes could benefit from memoir writing techniques - Education: Writing instruction should incorporate collaborative relationship building - Funding: Investment in long-term editorial partnerships may yield better content outcomes than project-based arrangements ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 8th grade (accessible despite sophisticated content) #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Clear speaker identification, structured conversation flow - Improve: Add visual timeline of editing process, before/after manuscript examples #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Full audio conversation with natural dialogue rhythm - Improve: Chapter breaks with summary previews, key quote highlights #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Rich vocabulary about editing process, detailed explanations of techniques - Improve: Glossary of editorial terms, comparison charts of editing approaches #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Practical examples of editing decisions and their outcomes - Improve: Interactive editing exercises, hands-on manuscript review workshops #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Clear cause-and-effect relationships between editorial choices and outcomes - Improve: Decision trees for editorial judgment calls, metrics for measuring editing effectiveness #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Focus on collaborative relationship between author and editor - Improve: Discussion prompts for writing groups, peer review partnership guides #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Deep dive into individual creative processes and personal reflection - Improve: Self-assessment tools for writing vulnerability, personal editing checklists #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Organic development of author-editor relationship over time - Improve: Seasonal metaphors for creative cycles, ecosystem thinking about publishing communities ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear speaker transitions, descriptive headings for content sections - Improve: Add ARIA labels for timestamp links, ensure all quotes properly attributed #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard video controls accessible via keyboard - Improve: Add transcript search functionality, keyboard shortcuts for section navigation #### Contrast and readability - Present: High contrast text in transcript format - Improve: Ensure timestamp links meet color contrast requirements #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: Responsive transcript layout - Improve: Test readability at 200% zoom, ensure no content clipping #### Media and captions - Present: Full transcript provided for audio content - Improve: Add speaker identification in captions, time-synced highlighting #### Forms and interactions - Present: Simple link interactions for timestamps - Improve: Add keyboard shortcuts guide, accessible playback controls #### Standards reference - Meets WCAG 2.2 AA for text content; video player compliance needs verification ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Discussion of Southern Baptist cultural context, publishing industry perspectives - Improve: Acknowledge cultural specificity of memoir-writing traditions, include diverse editorial voices #### Inclusive language - Present: Gender-neutral discussion of writing and editing processes - Improve: Define publishing industry jargon, avoid assumptions about family structures #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Well-structured conversation with clear topic transitions - Improve: Add content warnings for discussion of emotional trauma, provide summary bullet points #### Representation - Present: Two women discussing professional collaboration and personal vulnerability - Improve: Include perspectives from editors of different backgrounds, diverse author-editor partnerships #### Psychological safety - Present: Respect <!-- deep-read:sections end -->