'Like a very complex game'

 

In a crazy way, writing is a lot like any kind of very complex game - like chess, where you have the knowledge as you're composing all of the ramifications of each move, of each choice you make. – Adam Ross

Born in New York City on this date in 1967, Ross is a novelist and short story writer whose novel, Mr. Peanut, was named a New York Times Notable Book and won him numerous other writing awards.   An intricate murder mystery, the book has been translated into 16 languages.

Ross grew up with an equal love for athletics and acting, winning a state wrtestling championship while also appearing in several movies and television commercials.   His pathway into writing began as an undergrad at Vassar College and grew while pursuing his MFA at the University of Washington.  In addition to his creative writing, he has been a frequent

                                                                             

contributor to newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast and The Nashville Scene.  His short stories have appeared in The Carolina Quarterly.

“I think that if you have a knack for storytelling, and you work really hard at it, you'll have a chance to tap into something deep,” he said.   “But the fact remains that good sentences are hard won. Any writer worth a lick knows constructing a sentence, a paragraph, or a chapter is hard work.”