Episode #22
EP 22 : From Daydreamer to Published Author, Turning Life Stories Into Fiction with Sevan Minaskanian
In this episode of The Book Club, Ruth Klein sits down with author Sevan Minaskanian to explore storytelling, family, identity, and the deeply personal experiences that inspired her journey as a writer. Sevan moved to the United States from Armenia when she was eight years old without speaking English. Growing up speaking Armenian and French, she experienced bullying because of the language barrier, but those early experiences became part of the story that shaped who she would eventually become. A lifelong storyteller and natural daydreamer, Sevan always had a gift for creating detailed, emotional, and visual stories. She recalls how people would naturally gather around her at parties simply to listen to her tell stories, long before she ever considered becoming a published author. Sevan credits her father, an unpublished writer, for inspiring her love of writing, while her mother influenced the outgoing and friendly personality she carries today. Her path to becoming an author took a deeply personal turn during an anniversary trip to Vail, Colorado, where an emotional experience involving her late father sparked the beginning of her writing journey. After her father appeared to her in a dream and encouraged her to write, her husband gave her the tools to begin, including a journal and laptop. That experience eventually led to her debut young adult romance novel, Wintertime. Published through Incline Publishing, Wintertime draws heavily from Sevan’s own life. From the bridge inspired by Vail to characters and details connected to her family, the novel blends personal memories with fiction to create an emotionally driven story. Sevan shares what it means to turn real experiences into storytelling, honor the people who shaped you, and find the courage to finally put your stories on the page. She also discusses the upcoming books in her trilogy, Winter Love and Winter Dream.
