“Just the talent to keep at it is a big talent….Everybody can get better.” Alice Elliott Dark, author of “Fellowship Point”

How nourishing and exciting it is to hear about a writer’s journey! And how wonderful to be among fellow book lovers at my cherished community bookstore, Watchung Booksellers, for the launch of Alice Elliott Dark’s new novel, “Fellowship Point.”

In a “New York Times” book review, Kate Christiansen observed, “‘Fellowship Point’ is a novel rich with social and psychological insights, both earnest and sly, big ideas grounded in individual emotions…”

It took Alice Dark seven years of writing and rewriting to complete her story and another three years of work with her agent and editor before her novel was published. All in all, her ambitious novel was 20 years in the making. Some words of writing wisdom Alice shared:

On why she writes: “Writing is the way I live. It’s the thing I’ve done my whole life. It’s like being a runner: sometimes you race, but most of the time you’re just running. It means a lot to me. I love it….When I was younger, I had a lot of struggles. Now it’s just fun.”

On craft: The most important thing about writing is figuring out the logic of a piece. It’s building a case. I think just learning to write a story where there’s an arc and you can make a case is so helpful in life.”

On finding her voice: “I was very ambitious for my writing when I was younger. I wanted to be a great writer—I could not be. I wasn’t happy with that. I began to realize that I could only write my writing and I started to relax and do revisions. I do throw a lot of things away. Now it’s enjoyable.”

On her writing process: “I wrote a few hundred pages about each character, figuring them out. It took me a few drafts….I just work until I lose steam and then I stop. Learn yourself. Don’t push. Stop and take a break and go back.”

On creating a fictional place: “Place is actually my favorite thing. I have to have a place that I love to write a book—a place where I want to go. I would wake up in the morning and hypnotically get back to that place.”

On finishing her book: I was just interested in these characters and going back to this place. I was really determined to get it done, no matter what its fate.”

Great advice from a gifted writer and teacher! For more on “Fellowship Point,” visit: https://www.simonandschuster.com › books › Alice-Elli…

Bravo, Alice—write on!

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