This week Angie and Elizabeth welcome back Devi Laskar to talk about how far she has come in a year. From finding an agent, to being about to be published, to hearing a sample from the audiobook of her debut novel, Devi is a powerhouse of creation. Since 2010, when her writing was seized from her by government agents, she’s found a way to persevere and generate more material. Angie asks about this material generating, and Devi talks about how she gets itchy and grumpy and upset if she’s not doing something every day, knowing full well that not every day will be as productive as the rest.

Episode 61 with Devi

Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill

Citizen by Claudia Rankine

Why Did I Ever by Mary Robison

Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli

Sonoma County Writer’s Camp

One Day At a Time theme song

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Women In Madness by Phyllis Chesler

Devi Laskar

In today’s episode, Angie and Elizabeth check back in to see how Angie’s experiment with “bad” writing went. When working to write badly, Angie found that she was not writing terribly enough. And that these kinds of judgements, be it failing to write well or poorly, limit creativity. Drop the wall of expectation and write. Think of it as an experiment or whatever makes most sense to you, and most importantly, play. Try not to limit yourself and instead reinvigorate the joy that writing brings. Quiet that little voice in your head and write. As the Bard says, “for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” If you have any questions, comments, or experiments you think Angie and Elizabeth should try, please send them to questions@storymakersshow.com

Annie Dillard

Steven Pressfield

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

Sonoma County Writers Camp

The Atlas of Reds and Blues by Devi Laskar

In this today’s episode, Angie and Elizabeth chat about Bad Writing and how sometimes purposefully writing “badly” can show you how much you know (or don’t) about writing. We often have a mystical approach to creativity, and if we lower our expectations some we won’t succumb to perfectionism. Angie accepts Elizabeth’s challenge to sit down and write “badly” in the upcoming week, in order to see whether or not the wording of the challenge will build an identity of a bad writer or provide a measure of freedom. And they both agree that art isn’t about good or bad, it’s about creating. So tell that little voice in your head that offers nothing but criticism to take a breather and just write.

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

Love Simon

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Shitty First Drafts by Anne Lamott

Jody Picoult

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Why People Like Us Do This chat with Seth Godins

“I should hate forever to be a burden to you” Lessons in Love from Virginia Woolfe and Vita Sackville-West by Jeanna Kadlec

The Atlas of Reds and Blues by Devi Laskar

Crave by Christine O’Brien

In this week’s episode, Angie and Elizabeth talk about goal setting for the coming year. Questions such as, “Where do you want to be in a year?” and “What have you accomplished in the last year?” are a good first step and help us build upon our strengths. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the laundry list of things you did not accomplish or still need to do. Keep the long term objective in mind to help put these tasks into perspective. You are always doing work, so let’s talk about how to make sure the work you’re spending time will make you proud.

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

Wishcraft by Barbara Sher

Bluestockings

Don't forget to send in your questions!

Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival--everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success.

The hosts:

Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com.

Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.

In the first episode of the New Year, Angie and Elizabeth dive head first into discussing the need for emotional logic to understand why people do what they do. Studies show that an explanation as simple as “I need to make copies” when cutting in line for a photocopy machine, even though everyone else is also waiting to use the same machine, is far more welcome than simply cutting in line sans explanation. With an explanation, the other people are able to recognize and connect with the feeling when it is being shared, giving them a story behind the action as opposed to action only. In narrative, if the audience is unable to connect with a character’s motivation or if the character’s actions are lacking context, the audience can get lost wondering why. Why are we able to connect with Medea in the slaughter of her children? Why is ordering food in her sleep a major plot point for a character in an acclaimed novel this year? Why does a difference in power change our perceptions about when to offer an explanation? As we set up ourselves for another year, take a moment to see what stories you are setting up for yourself, and make them your own.

Thaisa Frank

Welcome to Marwen

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek TED Talk

Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Sharon Olds

Personal Power by Tony Robbins

Cherríe Moraga