About

Ana Manwaring

Building a Better Story— Book Reviews, Inspiration, and Craft for the Writer was started at the behest of my Napa Valley creative writing workshop participants. Students wanted more workshopping time, place to showcase their work, and a way to pass on what they were learning. Building  a Better Story is my way of expanding our circle o friends. My hope is followers will find inspiration, resources, and entertainment posted here. No matter whether you write, read, or both, you’ll find good advice, helpful ideas, experts’ opinions, and recommendations for your reading and writing  pleasure.

My eighteen years of teaching creative writing led her to found JAM Manuscript Consulting where Ana is both a writing coach and developmental editor working primarily with emerging authors. Active in the writing community, I sit on the board of Sisters in Crime Northern California where I’m developing a bureau of beta readers for the membership. I founded  North Bay Poetics, a monthly poetry event held on Zoom. In 2011 I received the Helene S. Barnhardt award for service to the writing community.

Three years in Mexico inspired the JadeAnne Stone Mexico Adventures: Set Up,The Hydra Effect, Nothing Comes After, which won the Literary Titan Silver Book Award , and Coyote. Saints and Skeletons, A Memoir of Living in Mexico is scheduled to launch in 2023.

I penned life-style column for the Petaluma Post for years, and my work appears in many anthologies as well as on line, on the radio, and in newspapers. Please find my poetry chapbooks, Nature Girl and Little Palace of Illness on Amazon.

I hold an M.A. in Linguistics: Curriculum, Teaching and Learning.

Helping the books community reach its potential is my goal. Welcome to Building a Better Story!

~Ana Manwaring