Dean Nelson, the founder and director of Point Loma Nazarene University’s journalism program, has interviewed some of the greatest writers of our time. This task has become a key part of his role through PLNU’s annual Writer’s Symposium by the Sea.
After 30 years of sitting down with literary icons such as Alice Walker, Ray Bradbury, Cornel West, Susan Orlean, and many more, Nelson has compiled their insights into two new books debuting this month.
The books, titled *Talking to Writers: The Craft of Nonfiction* and *Talking to Writers: The Craft of Fiction*, aim to answer the questions of aspiring authors through the voices of the writers they admire.
“There’s no spoilers to this book. It’s a book on becoming a better writer, using the actual voices of these great writers to be your instructor,” Nelson said.
For the past five years, Nelson has carefully reviewed transcripts of his interviews, selecting themes to explore—such as how these accomplished writers handle rejection and where they found the encouragement to keep writing.
Initially, Nelson intended to create a single book. However, his editor felt the manuscript was too lengthy, so they decided to split it into two volumes: one focusing on fiction writers, and the other on nonfiction writers.
Nelson sought to emulate the style of writers who inspired him, especially George Plimpton’s approach to interviewing authors for *The Paris Review*, a publication he co-founded.
“I’ve read those interviews for years and I’ve tried to mirror the back-and-forth that he did in those ‘Paris Review’ interviews with writers, so that we could actually get into the craft of their writing,” Nelson explained. “I wasn’t as interested in the writer’s personal story as I was in, ‘How did they get where they got?’ and ‘How do they do what they do?’”
To celebrate the launch of both books, Warwick’s bookstore in La Jolla is hosting an event at 7 p.m. on Monday. Another event will take place on December 14 at 2 p.m. at the San Diego Writers, Ink location in Liberty Station, where La Playa Books will be selling copies.
Looking ahead, the 31st annual Writer’s Symposium by the Sea is scheduled for February 23-27, featuring notable writers Judy Woodruff, Jamaica Kincaid, and George Saunders.
https://timesofsandiego.com/arts/2025/11/15/writers-symposium-by-the-sea-founder-books-craft-writing/