What inspires you to write? 

The urge to say something about a strongly held value or moment of experience, or emotion inspires me to put words to paper. To tell that character’s, or my truth, even if it’s momentary.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I wanted to be seen as a writer at 17, when I first started college. I’ve written for years. But I don’t think I found the confidence to call myself a real writer until perhaps 15years ago.

Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?

It’s more a natural pull toward literary fiction, although my work borders on women’s fiction, upmarket. 

What is the biggest thing that people think they know about your subject/genre?

Hmm. Well, so much of my current novel relates to Sicily and Italy, and people seem to have some preconceived notions about Italian, especially Sicilian, culture. It’s a coming-of-age novel, so that usually implies characters a bit younger than mine but coming of age can happen at any time in one’s life.

What are some day jobs you have held, and how have they influenced your writing?

My career as a psychotherapist has influenced my capacity for observation beyond measure.  It has fostered deep glimpses into human motivation, suffering, and the capacity for growth. As a young person I worked a summer at Disneyland, as a 21 dealer at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe (that definitely fostered some insight into human behavior!) and as a chamber maid during the winter Olympics, in Austria.

What role does research play in your writing?

A lot. Even though I’ve visited my Sicilian relatives, I researched customs, history (both ancient and fairly modern such as WWII), architecture, food, travel, Sicilian geography, holidays, travel distances between cities. Along with neighborhoods, geography and the flavor of pre-pandemic San Francisco.   

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

If you love writing, don’t give up, even if your first efforts don’t turn out the way you’d like, or you get rejected over and over again. Find the place inside where you believe in yourself. And if you’re writing fiction, let your characters speak and act true to themselves, not forcing them to speak and act the way you want them to. Stay with it.

Can you share a little bit about your latest book?

Becoming Mariella is a story about a young Sicilian woman, Mariella Russo, who’s eager to find her path and break free from her family’s (especially her overbearing and envious mother) and also cultural expectations. She loves her fiancé but also experiences their bond as a kind of arranged marriage promise. It’s a journey of self-discovery, love, and the struggle to find one’s voice amid family traditions. Mariella escapes to San Francisco, finds her struggle between connection and independence follows her, forcing her to redefine her identity and confront her fears. 

What is your next project?

Perhaps to continue with Mariella as she faces life on her own in San Francisco, where she’s still a relative newcomer, pregnant, and single. 

Want to learn more about Janet Constantino?

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