Artist's Projects
What about me? Who am I?
I’m a journalist by trade and a fiction writer at heart. In the Amherst Writers and Artists workshops I lead, I’ve found a way to open the creative spirit and help people find their authentic voices. But in spite of having published several nonfiction books, I’ve never
published—or even finished!—one of my novels! But recently I made a discovery. I found a method that helps me understand the underlying mechanics of narrative. That is what I wish to share with you.
Here is how that happened: In May 2019 I attended a writers conference in Florence, Italy, where I submitted some prose fiction to the noted writer and editor Beena Kamlani. I told her that even though I had been a professional writer for many years, even though I had written and published a book for writers called Finishing School, I was having trouble finishing my own novel. She suggested I read the book The Anatomy of Story by John Truby. So I promptly ordered the book. It promptly arrived. I promptly didn’t read it.
I had a million reasons but the truth is, I was scared. I was scared that if I found out what was wrong with my novel, then I would have to work on it some more and I didn’t want to work on it some more because I was just tired. I just wanted to be done. It would have been nice if some magic had happened but no magic happened. Nothing happened. Nothing got better. My novel continued to not hold together. Every time I “worked on it,” it got worse. Finally I got fed up and said, OK, I’ll read Truby’s stupid little book!
For more information on the other workshops of this tutor:
Testimonials
Poetry and Prose published in The Sun Magazine
Salon.com column archive 1999-2013
Profiles:
Los Angeles Times
San Francisco Chronical
