How is writing a female protagonist different from writing any protagonist? Are there genre pressures to what your female protagonist should be like, act like, or look like? How has television affected character driven fiction? And how does that effect the female protagonist? Finally, we give tips on how to address the female protagonist writing for today’s reader, no matter the genre.
What makes a female protagonist a strong female protagonist? And where does that strength come from? How aware of social and cultural norms should you be when developing a strong female protagonist? And is strength unique to genre?
Do MPWW writers take emotional risks in their writing? How can we take a page from their book to form supportive writing communities? And how is the Twin Cities Community involved in supporting the program? Has the MPWW program affected the DOC? And what misconceptions does Jen encounter? And finally, we talk about how you can help support this program, and all the work that it is doing!
What is the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop? How did it begin? And what is it like to go into a state prison (in MN) and teach writing? What genre does MPWW teach? And how does it help writers? What kind of community has grown out of MPWW’s work within the prison system?
Why did Judy start writing PI novels? And how did her background help with the details? What are some pitfalls to avoid when writing a PI novel? And why is the narrator so important? We dive into the gray zone of legality in a PI novel, as well as how to add complexity, even if your narrator doesn’t have an arc.
Should you have your theme in mind when you start the book? Is there a formula that Talia follows for her particular books? And how did her writing turn into activism? Talia’s message for all of us is to take advantage of the opportunities that you are given.
I'm Alida
I help people express their gifts to the world.
I do not believe in formulas. I believe that the stories we are compelled to tell the world make demands on us, and it is our privilege to meet those demands in order to reach the most people in the most authentic and compelling way possible.
