I had no idea what I was getting myself into this summer when I agreed to copy edit a family friend's "book."
Brenda Barion related the story of her son's 2006 Dayton-area murder in a free-form journal that chronicles her entire journey; from the dramatic events that lead up to the murder, to her son's violent death at the end of a sawed-off shotgun, to her crisis of faith, to the courtroom drama that ensued. Brenda got it all down in over 200 pages of densely written text. Written as more of an inspirational story for others who've experienced their own suffering over the loss of a child, Brenda's work was less a true-crime tale than it was a spiritual release and an attempt at healing herself by sharing her story. She wanted a document of her experience; something to share. More than anything she wanted her story published in a book, but lacked confidence in her writing and wasn't sure of how to proceed with what she had already written.
