Description

In this master class, recorded in Amsterdam on 24 May 2025, award-winning author Allison Amend shares lessons from writing and publishing her novel Enchanted Islands.

Inspired by a true story, Enchanted Islands follows the unlikely life of Frances Frankowski–from her Midwestern childhood as the daughter of Polish immigrants, to a covert World War II mission in the Galápagos, to her final years in a California retirement home. It’s a sweeping tale of espionage, friendship, and longing, told with insight and humor.

Allison is the author of four books, including Stations West, A Nearly Perfect Copy, and the award-winning story collection Things That Pass for Love. A graduate of Stanford and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she brings years of experience as a writer, teacher, and editor.

Topics covered include:

• How to write a novel based on a real person
• Researching without getting lost in the weeds
• Strategies for writing across large spans of time
• Balancing plot with emotional depth
• Making a book a page-turner–even when the reader knows how it ends
• Navigating different kinds of publishers–from indie and university presses to the Big Five

Whether you’re working on your first novel or your fifth, this episode offers thoughtful insights and plenty of inspiration.

This master class was moderated by IWC director, Sarah Carriger.