'Creating a make-believe world'

“Being a novelist is the adult version of a kid creating a make-believe world. But unlike a child, a writer of fiction has to come up with a structured story, one that has as much meaning for others as it has for her.” – Susan Isaacs

Born in New York City on this date in 1943, Isaacs worked as a freelance political speechwriter while simultaneously serving as an editor for Seventeen magazine before veering away to try her hand at fiction.  Good move.  Her first novel (and first attempt at fiction), Compromising Positions – out in 1978 – was chosen as a Book of the Month Club main selection and was a New York Times bestseller

Since then she’s authored 17 novels, numerous essays, screenplays, and a work of cultural criticism Brave Dames and Wimpettes: What Women are Really Doing on Page and Screen.   All of her books have been bestsellers and her works have been translated into 30 languages.   In addition to writing books and screenplays, Isaacs has reviewed fiction and nonfiction for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and Newsday.  Isaccs’ latest novel, in her “Corie Geller’ series is Bad, Bad Seymour Brown.

 

 “There are days where I lose track of time, of place, of everything else,” she said of the writing process.  “I've been transported to another universe.”