writing class radio

184: Just Tell Us How it Went Down

Jun 26, 2024

Alison Colwell, a storyteller and Executive Director of the Galiano Community Food Program, shares a gripping tale from her childhood involving her mother's health crisis. At just eight years old, Alison had to ensure her mother survived an epileptic seizure. The discussion dives into the emotional whirlwind of that moment, illustrating the intimacy of familial bonds under pressure. They also explore the effective writing technique of 'hot topic cold prose,' revealing how it can distill intense experiences into moving narratives.

14:40

Episode guests

Alison Colwell

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The podcast highlights the therapeutic nature of sharing personal stories, fostering authenticity and community through emotional vulnerability.

It explores the writing technique of 'hot topic cold prose,' emphasizing how narrative structure can enhance storytelling impact and engagement.

Deep dives

The Power of Personal Stories

Sharing personal stories is a central theme, emphasizing the connection between storytelling and authenticity. The hosts encourage listeners to share the podcast with others who love writing or storytelling, highlighting how these narratives create a sense of community and shared experience. They stress that personal stories can be therapeutic, as they allow individuals to work through their emotions and experiences, providing an outlet for truth and vulnerability. By focusing on the personal, the podcast fosters a deeper understanding of the human condition and the complexities of life.

Intro

2min

A Mother's Care and Post-Surgery Anxiety

2min

A Child's Battle in the Face of Illness

2min

Unpacking Narrative Perception

9min

Exploring the Power of Storytelling and Community in Writing

2min

Today on our show, we bring you a story by Alison Colwell. At age 8, Alison was responsible for making sure her mother’s epileptic seizure didn’t kill her. In this essay, Alison takes us to a moment in the hospital where if she’d looked away, her mom might have died. Alison’s essay is an excellent example of hot topic cold prose and is contained in a very short moment. We will go into detail about what we mean by hot topic cold prose and why the tool is so effective. Alison’s essay is called Look Away.

Alison Colwell graduated from the BFA program at UVIC and is now the Executive Director of the Galiano Community Food Program, a charity focused on increasing food security on Galiano Island. She is a single working mother of two children with mental health challenges and a survivor of domestic abuse, all of which inform her creative writing. Alison was recently awarded a Canada Council for the Arts Grant to work on a series of interconnected essays that weave fairy tales with memoir.

Alison has been published in Rising Tides, Folklife Magazine, The Fieldstone Review, the NonBinary Review, The Fourth River, The Humber Literary Review, The Ocotillo Review, Daily Science Fiction, Flash Fiction Magazine, Crow & Cross Keys, The Drabble, and Tangled Locks Journal and is forthcoming in Two Hawks Quarterly and Hippocampus Magazine.

Writing Class Radio is hosted by Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. Audio production by Matt Cundill, Evan Surminski, and Aiden Glassey at the Sound Off Media Company. Theme music is by Justina Shandler.

There’s more writing class on our website including stories we study, editing resources, video classes, writing retreats, and live online classes. Join our writing community by following us on Patreon.

A transcription of this episode can be found of the Sound Off Media Company's Network Page.

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A new episode will drop every other WEDNESDAY.

There’s no better way to understand ourselves and each other, than by writing and sharing our stories. Everyone has a story. What’s yours?

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