In 1997, Steven M. Rubin submitted one chapter of his then work-in-progress novel, “The Unraveling of Michael Galler” to the Marblehead Arts Festival and won Best of Show.
Now, 30 years later, he has finished — and just published — the novel and is returning to speak at this year’s festival.
“Winning Best of Show helped me realize I have a story to tell,” Rubin said. The honor motivated him to keep writing.
Rubin, who grew up on the North Shore in Winthrop and Swampscott, now lives in Connecticut and works in consulting.
Rubin credits his dad with helping him become an avid reader. He enjoys John Steinbeck’s works, but his favorite novel is “The Silence of the Lambs,” a psychological thriller by Thomas Harris, later made into a hit 1991 movie with Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.
“What attracted me to this book was the dialogue and interactions. It is so well-written that I
wanted to make sure my dialogue had meaning,” said Rubin.
His own novel, “The Unraveling of Michael Galler,” is a psychological coming-of-age story about a high school graduate who develops a fear of getting cancer. While transitioning to college,
excessive thoughts lead Michael to spiral into paranoia, impacting his relationships.
Rubin pulled real life onto the pages. Both Rubin and his character, Michael, lost their mothers to cancer at a young age. The novel explores family dynamics and illness.
“There are events and happenings that have been part of my life, but they’re not connected in the same way,” Rubin said regarding the story.
Work and family responsibilities kept delaying his writing. Also, he said it was challenging to make readers believe in the character’s fear.
Rubin has a specific writing process. Before writing anything, he plans the whole scene in his mind and waits until all character dynamics are solid before writing it on the page.
“I can’t move on to the next sentence until everything is crafted well,” he said.
During this year’s festival, Rubin will present a talk titled “When Dreams Come True.”
Literary Festival Chair Margo Steiner said, “For all would-be writers, his unique path from winning Best of Show in the 1997 festival writing contest to published author is inspiration in its purest form.”
At the workshop, Rubin said he will take questions about his book but focus on encouraging participants to keep writing their stories.
Rubin still has the writing bug. He said he is currently working on a second novel based on a bedtime story he told his daughter when she was 6 years old.
“Believe the story, write it and keep going,” Rubin said.
Rubin’s program is on Thursday, July 2, at noon, at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion Upper Grounds, 161 Washington St. Learn more about the Festival of Arts at marbleheadfestival.org.
