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The Challenges of Writing Coming-of-Age Memoirs
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This week, you'll hear from Laila Rall, a writer working on a memoir about her chaotic, bicultural childhood with an unstable mother. We will explore two of the biggest challenges writers of coming-of-age memories grapple with: when does my story really begin and how do I gracefully insert my wisdom into scenes that involve very young narrators?
Episode Highlights
- 2:25 Exploring the Scope of Your Book
- 3:15 Feedback on the Childhood Voice
- 5:43 Are You Starting in the Right Place
- 7:15 The Importance of Beat Sheets
- 18:15 Maintaining the Mystery
Resources Mentioned During This Episode
- Suzette Mullen Interview
- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
- This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff
- Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
- The Liar’s Club by Mary Karr
Laila’s Bio: Laila found her most meaningful work as a teacher after pursuing a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Education from UC Berkeley. She’s currently writing a memoir about her chaotic, bicultural childhood that included a murder trial, misattributed paternity, an outing to exhume a dead relative, transatlantic smuggling, and a life-changing promise to a pig. She lives in Santa Cruz, California, and loves cave diving, close encounters with sharks, and dark espresso.
Connect with Laila
- Substack: https://lailacoryrall.substack.com
Connect with your host, Lisa:
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Sign up for Camp Structure: https://lisacooperellison.com/camp-structure-find-your-memoirs-narrative-arc/
Sign up for Mastering Trauma Scenes to Improve Your Memoir: https://janefriedman.com/mastering-trauma-scenes-to-improve-your-memoir-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/
Produced by Espresso Podcast Production
Chapters
1. The Challenges of Writing Coming-of-Age Memoirs (00:00:00)
2. Exploring the Scope of Your Book (00:02:25)
3. Feedback on the Childhood Voice (00:03:15)
4. Are You Starting in the Right Place (00:05:43)
5. The Importance of Beat Sheets (00:07:15)
6. Maintaining the Mystery (00:18:15)
42 episodes
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