I have been known as the Black Wolf editor since 2015. When I go to conferences, people see one of my business cards, or my name, and I get this resounding, "So, you're Black Wolf?" I love it how all my efforts that I have put into building the Black Wolf brand are paying off.

However, it was at the RWNZ 2019 conference that I realized something vital was missing from my site and branding. I've never once explained why I chose Black Wolf as my logo and business name.

Wolves in the wild

In the wild, wolves are pack animals. Everything they do is for the community, and they work together for the betterment of the pack as a whole. In addition, no female is left to raise her cubs on her own. The pack helps her at every step of the way.

Wolves in the wild are typically gray. In the instances when a white or black wolf is born, that cub (and sometimes the cub's mother) is ostracized from the pack. They are forced to fend for themselves. They are seen as weak. But they are still wolves with the innate nature and desire to be part of a pack, even though they are forced to live alone.

There are instances when two lone wolves will come together to form a new pack, fulfilling their basic instinct—to be part of a community.

However, stories throughout history have painted the black wolves, the ones forced to live the life of the lone wolf, as monsters—evil creatures. Everywhere you turn, you can see the black wolf with snarls and barred teeth. But what people forget is that the lone black wolf (or white wolf) is still a creature that wants to be in a pack.

To me, the black wolf and the white wolf might be outcasts, but they will still do what they feel is necessary for the survival of the pack.

It started with fantasy

When I first started writing fiction, it was in the realm of high fantasy. It was one of those vivid dreams that my brain just wouldn't let go of. Every night, I would revisit the same dream and learn more of this magical world playing out in my head. Of course, I had to write it down.

I have never published any of those high fantasy stories. I might one day, because I still adore the world. I love it so much that one of the characters became the logo for my business.

The Black Wolf commissioned artwork from 2015. Artist: Andrei Kope

Melissa, a shape-shifter whose favored form is that of the black wolf, is highly protective of those she loves—so much so that she would gladly kill anyone who threatens those who she considers part of her family. Her story is one of struggle. She mistrusts so many around her—she was ostracized by her village. However, as the black wolf, she learns to overcome her mistrust and becomes one of the generals in the army against the demons threatening all life and magic.

She's a nurturer. She's a protector. She might be vicious against the enemy, but when it comes to protecting the young, there is none that can compare with her heart.

The main wolf drawing that is used throughout this site was commissioned back in 2015, an inspirational piece to help me to visualize one of my main characters from my high fantasy series. Whenever I look at Melissa's wolf image, I know she is there inside me, protecting me.

There are times when I feel like an outcast. Being a writer is such a solitary activity, and as much as our families love us, they don't understand what it means to be a writer. They don't understand the obsession that writing is. And they certainly don't understand the tough choices that we are sometimes forced to make, abandoning a story or putting it in that metaphorical drawer to never see the light of day again. Only other writers truly understand what it means to be a writer, and I have found my pack of writing buddies. And I protect my writing pack—viciously.

When I started Black Wolf Editorial Services, I knew right away that Melissa was the image that I wanted to use to convey how I feel about the writers around me. Everything I do as an editor is to help other writers achieve their dreams and goals. My clients are part of my writing family—they are part of my pack.

And this Black Wolf editor will be loyal to her pack of writers until the end of time.