Artist’s Statement:

I write in order to share the many and varied stories which consume my attention on a daily basis. Some of them are pure popcorn, meant solely to entertain, while others dig deep into defining what it is to be human, how powerful imagination can be, or highlighting social issues through a speculative fiction lens. Sometimes this takes the form of prose (both long and short) while other times I am driven to tell the story through poetry, playwriting, and interactive storytelling. 

In between creating stories, I mentor and teach writers of all ages in a variety of topics related to writing as a whole and speculative fiction in particular. Nothing makes me happier than to help someone put a story on the page for the first time and watch their passion for writing blossom. I teach for the same reasons that I write: I want people to find joy and meaning in narrative in the same way that I continuously return to the page to understand my place in this world. I want readers to question their preconceived notions, whether challenging their perception of form in storytelling, or the subconscious bias that exists in all of us.

Short Biography

Rebecca A. Demarest (she/her) is an award-winning author, poet, playwright, book designer, and writing instructor living in Seattle, WA with her husband and three muppets. Her work has appeared alongside authors like Cat Rambo, been dramatized for the stage and NPR, and her novels are available at your favorite bookstore. When not being held hostage by words, you can find her at her day job, tending to her indoor jungle, crafting, sewing, playtesting tabletop role playing games, and failing to teach her dogs new tricks. For more information on her work, please visit rebeccademarest.com or follow on BlueSky @writerlybliss‬.

Long Biography

Writing, design, and teaching form the fundamental basis of my life. I graduated from Willamette University with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and English and promptly decided that I didn’t have the patience to go into head shrinking or research. Instead, I applied to Emerson College’s MFA program for Writing and Publishing and graduated in May of 2011 with my degree, having spent an almost equal amount of time writing, reading, and typesetting the Redivider: Journal of Literature and Art. When folks ask if I recommend attending an MFA program for writing, my answer is a firm, “No.” Unless you can do it without taking on debt. I am still paying for my MFA and the most valuable things I learned from it were how to navigate academic politics and how not to teach. Instead, I highly recommend folks take classes from sources like Clarion West or Hugo House here in Seattle. It’s a much better use of your money.

After my MFA, I started my day job career at O’Reilly Media as the lead technical illustrator for a decade before moving over to working in recruiting for quantum computers; and then human resources for nonprofits; and then events coordinator for a mobile bookstore. Needless to say, I recommend getting whatever day job let’s you get by! By night I continue to write, edit, teach at various venues and schools, craft, and work on freelance design gigs, as well as helping other authors and fledgling presses get their work to market. I have had short stories, poems, and essays published in several journals and anthologies, and I have had my work dramatized in multiple venues, including NPR, while my longer work has been both traditionally and independently published.

And between all those other things, I am a professional games (and dungeon) master for things like Dungeons and Dragons. I’ve run games for everything from a 10-yr old’s birthday party, to team building for lawyers. That last one resulted in me being able to add “In-house Dungeon Master for a National Law Firm” to my resume and to this day it’s my favorite job title ever.

Please enjoy the samples of my work on this website, and if you should find yourself in need of my services, or want me to review your book, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

If you are curious about my day job or about other things I do, my Linktree has all the links you could need.

Social Media:
Instagram
Facebook
GoodReads
LibraryThing

Disclosure Statement: I am a Bookshop.org affiliate, and some of the books that I review have been gifted to me.