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.
What inspires writers to create a story? How small can that spark of inspiration be? Once you have the inspiration, you must also have the courage to write that story! We talk about how to write your way through a story, with only the destination in mind. And how to correctly use creative license in historical fiction.
Why is description so important? And why should we focus on it, both in our first draft, and the subsequent ones? How does writing in a flow state change your ability to describe as you draft? How can you revise in description? And when should you step away from your draft in order to craft it? In the end, don’t let lack of description stop forward momentum. You can, and should, fix it later!
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.
