Angie and Elizabeth explore the relationship of story events to character as they respond to a listener’s question about how much each scene in a story must be shaped by the main character’s limiting belief. They discuss single protagonists and ensemble or roving points of view, and the emotional impact of a single death versus a million. Far ranging conversation takes them from Marvel comics to the Holocaust. Please note that Angie’s use of the term “muselmann” was slightly off: it is not someone who arrives at a concentration camp without hope but someone whose hope is worn out through the experiences there.

Modern Family

Eddie Izzard

“Bashert” by Irena Klepfitz

Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

The Secrets of Story by Matt Bird

Black-ish (TV)

Alicia: My Story by Alicia Appleman-Jurman

Barbara Kingsolver

As Angie works on cover letters for her film and Elizabeth has a huge revelation on the next steps on her novel, they take a moment to chat with Irving Ruan about humour and his unique journey. Irving is a person of many talents—a playwright, a stand up comedian, and an engineer. Reasonably new to writing, his body of work is nonetheless impressive. Irving discusses the hardest part about writing: continuing even in the face of rejection and how trusting yourself will get you through. While he does not use his engineering degree in his writing, it has given him a strong sense of structure. In comedy writing there is the need to identify clear patterns and to combine two previously different universes. Perhaps stand up comedy and engineering? Just a thought. In short, steal relentlessly. Read other people’s humor pieces, make notes of what stuck out. And most of all, write.

Thomas Edison New Yoker

There There by Tommy Orange

Colin Nissan

I Miss You - Colin Nissan

I Work From Home - Colin Nissan

Irving Ruan Website

Elizabeth and Angie discuss many, many things in a short time, including coffee, Kafka, the relative speed of mail in the 19th century and why rejection might be more under your control than you think.

They discuss the importance of researching the journal, film festival or agent you are submitting to, the value of etiquette when presenting your project to someone who has no idea who you are or what it is you’re sharing. Think of your project as a blind date: you consider the folks you’re setting up to ensure you’ve aced a good match that won’t make everyone angry you thought of a blind date in the first place.

Links Discussed:

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

Medicine for Melancholy by Barry Jenkins

In today’s podcast, Angie and Elizabeth sit down with actor and memoirist Peter Coyote, talking about his unique journey from counterculture to Hollywood in his 40s and beyond. After analyzing movie stars to determine his approach to auditioning, Peter shifted his thinking and found success. When Elizabeth heard this idea at Sonoma County Writer’s Camp, she was inspired by the idea, adopted the attitude, researched the agents of writers she admired, and consequently signed with her dream agent. In addition to discussing agents and publishers, we touch on the performance of politics, the difference between memoir and screenwriting, and even how the narratives we grow up reading shape us as storytellers.

Peter Coyote Website

The Rainman’s Third Cure: An Irregular Education by Peter Coyote

Sleeping Where I Fall by Peter Coyote

Light Years by James Salter

Sonoma County Writers Camp

In this week’s podcast, Angie and Elizabeth reconnect with Micah Perks and discuss her new book of linked stories. Micah has always been a fan of episodic work, and after working with a longer forms of writing, she decided to turn to a short story collection. She took short, stand-alone stories she had written in between projects and morphed them into something new and connected, realizing that working with completed drafts made for a faster process than she was used to. Micah admits that she can often be guilty of over-revising, wondering at what point the work is just different instead of better. Is she just wasting time? There are so many worries about what we “should” be doing. In the end, do what makes you feel the fullest.

True Love and Other Dreams of Miraculous Escape by Micah Perks

The Weird Sisters: William Shakespeare

Kelly Link - MacArthur Fellow

Tana French: The Witch Elm