Hi! I’m Susan Patnaik

I am a published writer, a passionate storyteller, a communications specialist, and most importantly, a champion for aspiring authors. Before I help you tell your story, allow me to first share a little of my own.

I studied history, political science, economics, and German literature at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Modern European Studies.

I studied international finance and banking at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York City and graduated with a master’s degree.

I studied Professional Writing at Western Connecticut University and graduated with a  bachelor’s degree, my second. While at WCU I was awarded the The Ronald K. Goodridge Award for Outstanding Short Story in May 2019 and The Barbara Winder Award in Creative Writing in May 2020.

I have a certification from the Institute of Children’s Literature in “Writing for Children and Teenagers,” and I am certified in General Proofreading: Theory and Practice.

My earliest professional writing assignments dealt with issues around money, economics, and finance. I started out as a corporate loan officer in New York City arranging financing for mega companies such as Merck and AT&T. Sounds boring, right? On the contrary. It was thrilling. Consider the many angles there are to explore when deciding whether or not to hand over money:

• Who is asking for the money?
• What kind of operation do they run?
• Why do they want to borrow money? 
• How will they pay the money back?
• What will happen if they don’t ? (Cymbal clash!)

Trust me. Money always makes for a good story. 

Convincing senior bank officers to commit millions of dollars to my proposals depended upon my ability to communicate a strong, air-tight story. So, you can be sure I learned how to write one.

Then something glorious happened: I became a mother. After I experienced the miracle of bringing life into the world, stories about money no longer held my interest. Motherhood (all the struggles and joy of it) is what I wanted to explore with words and with storytelling. 

One of the greatest challenges I faced as a mother was keeping my two children safe around food. My son and my daughter were both born with severe food allergies. One bite of the wrong food could land them in the hospital–and did multiple times. Under such circumstances, vigilance takes on a whole new meaning. How do you protect children like that and not go crazy in the process? 

That’s what I decided to write about at this stage of my life. That’s what I needed to write about to not go crazy. Our doctor, Robert Prince, MD, was so moved by what I wrote, he asked me if he could include it in his book, Can Allergies Really Be Eliminated? I was honored to share my experiences and reflections with other parents dealing with the same issues. I realized then just how emotionally healing writing can be–for the writer as well as for readers.

By this time, it was starting to dawn on me that I had the storytelling gene. Creating narratives came naturally to me. And yet I had never formally studied the craft of writing. It would be nice, I thought, to learn the tools of the trade in an academic setting. I enrolled in Western Connecticut State University’s program for Professional Writing, and after seven years on the slow-track, I completed my degree. By the end, I had learned the basics of writing for every genre and had grown stronger in my preferred genre–memoir. I even discovered a love of writing poetry.

Now, this is when something completely unexpected happened. People began coming to me with their stories and asking me for help with writing them. Sometimes they wanted coaching. Sometimes they wanted me to write their stories for them. Either way, I was game. Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the stories I’ve written or helped shape printed in many published formats from magazines to newspapers to books. 

The joy I experience when I help others tell their stories cannot be measured. I am deeply curious about human experiences of all kinds. This curiosity drives me to dig down and uncover hidden layers of a person’s story along with new perspectives. I love the look of surprise and delight on a client’s face when I help him or her experience an epiphany. It’s the heart of a person’s story I’m most curious about, and once I find it, I want nothing more than to give it a voice. 

That’s why I write. And that’s why I enjoy helping others write. For the process of discovery and the rewards that come from sharing what’s discovered.

Now, what about your book?

If you are ready to write, I’m ready to help.