James N. Frey (born March 15, 1943 in Syracuse, New York) is an American writer and creative writing teacher. Frey has written both fiction and non-fiction and is known for his book called How to Write a Damn Good Novel. He has written novels, plays, and several guides on writing. In addition to being an author, he is a lecturer at schools and conferences. Frey was selected Honored Teacher of the Year in 1994 for his novel writing classes at the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, Frey lives in Berkeley, California.