SWRT 172 | Characters in Memoir
August 27, 2020

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In this week’s Story Works Round Table, Alida, and Robert, are joined by Molly McCloy to talk about her recent memoir and the art of turning your family into your characters.

 

 

VIDEO

 

 

 

AUDIO

 

 

SHOW NOTES

Why did Molly choose to write a memoir? When and how did her writing journey evolve from oral storytelling to MFA, to memoir? How do you turn your family into characters? And how important is it that they stay well rounded? We dive into antagonists, aliases, and the tricky line to walk when using your real life in your writing.

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:

The title of Molly’s Memoir, and why it works. (1:48)

What do we need to know about Molly’s Memoir? (4:45)

How did Molly’s writing journey evolve? (7:56)

How do you turn your family into characters? (11:03)

How important is shaping your readers lens of the story? (16:57)

Does the memoir have an antagonist? (20:10)

 

Want more about these topics? Check out:

SWRT 163: Titles
SWRT 164: Writing Memoir with Mag Dimond part 1
SWRT 165: Writing Memoir with Mag Dimond part 2

 

Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.