41: The Moment I Knew Everything Was About to Change

We’re in season 5! We decided, after 40 episodes, to follow a schedule. So please look out for us on the first Wednesday of every month.

On this episode, we’re talking about moments. Going to a moment is a storytelling technique that requires the narrator to first remember something dramatic or important and then paint a scene. This technique works in memoir writing, fiction writing, in college essays and in your business marketing materials. If you remember a moment from childhood or last week, or whenever, there’s probably a reason. There’s probably a story there. Our job, as writers, is to discover why these moments have stayed with us.

Student Karen Collazo is our first storyteller. Karen goes to a moment that takes her back to another moment that she fleshes out in scenes. Fleshing out the scene, really staying in the moment gives the story depth and clarity and helps the story come alive, like a movie.

The second story is from inmate Luis Aracena. Luis is one of Allison’s students at the Dade Correctional Institution where she’s a facilitator for Exchange for Change. Luis reads his story American Hero.

Thank you for listening to Writing Class Radio.

Writing Class Radio is a podcast where you’ll hear true personal stories and learn a little about how to write your own stories. Writing Class Radio is equal parts heart and art. By heart we mean the truth in a story. By art we mean the craft of writing. No matter what’s going on in our lives, writing class is where we tell the truth. It’s where we work out our shit, and figure out who we are. There’s no place in the world like writing class and we want to bring you in.

Writing Class Radio is produced by Virginia Lora,  Allison Langer (www.allisonlanger.com) and Andrea Askowitz (www.andreaaskowitz.com).

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