Susan Chiavelli

Manuscript Consultant

Susan Chiavelli writes short stories, creative nonfiction and poetry. Her work is forthcoming or has appeared in The Los Angeles Review, Miramar, The Packinghouse Review, The Louisville Review, bosque, New Millennium Writings, Minnetonka Review, Other Voices, 580 Split, Rattle, Askew, the poetry anthologies Buzz and Rare Feathers, and elsewhere. Several of her stories have been performed on stage by Speaking of Stories. She coedited More Letters from the Heart: words of wisdom from exceptional women and girls.

Awards

  • Chattahoochee Review’s Lamar York Nonfiction Prize for Death, Another Country, also named a notable essay by Best American Essays.
  • New Millennium Writings, first place short-short fiction prize for “Winter Oranges.”
  • Minnetonka Review’s first place Tonka Fiction Prize for “Girls Life: A How-to Manual.”
  • 580 Split’s first place fiction prize for “Greasy Pink.”
  • The John E. Profant Foundation for the Arts first place literature award.

My advice for writers who have never attended 

Find your tribe. They will send you secret signals.

Girls Life: A How-to Manual

Minnetonka Review

Recommended Authors

Tobias Wolff, Stuart Dybek, Lorrie Moore, Annie Proulx, Adam Johnson, Mary Karr, Junot Diaz, Flannery O’Connor, Eudora Welty, Ted Kooser, W.S Merwin, Philip Levine, Edward Hirsch.

Writing Tip I Live By

Banish your inner critique during first draft writing. Give yourself permission to write anything. No one is going to see this draft unless you decide to share it.