In this week’s Story Works Round Table, Alida, and Robert continue their conversation with Molly McCloy. They talk about how oral storytelling can affect all kinds of writing craft, and get into the details of the craft.
VIDEO
AUDIO
SHOW NOTES
How do you come up with material for oral stories? How do you keep it under five minutes? How important is the hook? Or the ending? And how do you craft humor into your stories?
Visit Molly at mollymccloy.com
Check out Molly’s stories:
Molly’s book excerpt in the Blue Mesa
“Columbo”
“Yo Mamma”
“Tarzan and The Rabbit”
“Maddog Grudges”
What we talked about:
How does Molly come up with the opening sentence or opening hook? (1:18)
How do you shape your story? How does the first draft dump work? (3:24)
How does Molly keep track of her material? (6:24)
How do you choose what makes a punchline? Do you depend on audience feedback? (7:37)
What makes a good 5 minute story? (14:00)
How do you land your ending? (17:43)
What effect are you going for with the ending? (19:10)
Advice for people who want to tell oral stories? (26:25)
