I studied strategies for writing fiction with Dru[silla] for over a decade. She was a mentor in the best sense of the word. We shared the same birth date, 20 years apart.  When she was diagnosed with cancer and given a short time left to live, she bemoaned that she had not yet written her “best book” despite writing many great books.

After her diagnosis, her community rallied around her, and the writers amongst them plotted a different s...