In this week’s Story Works Round Table, Alida, and Robert continue their conversation with Molly McCloy, diving deep into character agency in non-fiction.

VIDEO

AUDIO

SHOW NOTES

How has Molly’s arc evolved over the course of her storytelling? And how does she craft agency into her own story? How many ways has she had to approach the same topics? And is it okay to leave the actual abuse off the page in an abuse narrative?

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:

What is Molly’s arc as a character in her memoir? (0:45)

How do you craft yourself into a character? How do you find your own agency? (3:50)

How do you know when something is funny in writing? (10:50)

How to introduce abuse through action and without victimization. (12:35)

How many ways have you had to introduce the same topics? (18:30)

How much do you put on the page? (20:50)

Does the abuse need to be on the page? (22:44)

How does oral storytelling help the written memoir? (25:51)

Molly’s final paragraph, and the importance of a great collaboration with an editor. (28:07)