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Episode 41: [BOOK CLUB] Discussing Go As A River by Shelley Read

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Content provided by Stephanie Oswald, Ph.D. & Elizabeth Wilson, Stephanie Oswald, and Elizabeth Wilson. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Stephanie Oswald, Ph.D. & Elizabeth Wilson, Stephanie Oswald, and Elizabeth Wilson or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

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Our Book Club selection for the month of August was Go As A River by Shelley Read and we’re talking about it in this week’s podcast. There is so much packed into this novel that is both enjoyable for readers and for writers. We balance our discussion this week with insights for both, but definitely lean into what we learned as writers. We’re not putting all of the details in the newsletter because we, of course, want you to go listen for yourself, but we’ll share a brief overview of what we touched upon and hope that, if you haven’t already, you’ll add this book to your list. For writers, we talk about the brilliant flow of adding backstory in scenes where the main character, Victoria, touches an object, such as her father’s rifle, and it brings up a memory that gives us insight into her experience and her family’s history. It’s an approach that is both reflective of the human experience, because we all have stories to tell about objects in our homes, but also lends itself to a seamless flow of language that doesn’t disrupt the story. There’s poetic language that you can find on just about every page of the book. It creates a rhythm to the story that is very engaging. It’s a great reminder of how poetry is a resource for writers of all genres to explore the precision and beauty of language. We also touch upon character development, the 3 Act structure, writing about a place, and how this novel, while fiction, can also help memoir writers. For readers, we discussed how the book just kept getting better and better with each turn of the page. In a workshop we attended led by the author, Shelley Read, she talked about how as she’s traveled the world now on her book tour that so many readers have come up to her to gush about how well she creates the feeling of belonging to a place. It creates a connection between people because we all have places in our lives that touch our heart, and this book accomplishes that for readers. Also, there’s a main character that you’re rooting for from start to finish as you read. It’s what readers expect. They want to have a main character they believe in and read about their transformation. It definitely happens when you read this book.

We invite you to subscribe to our email list to be the first to know about our weekly podcast episodes, get insights into our writing lives, and learn about upcoming programs for writers!
If you prefer video versions of the podcast or want to leave a comment on this specific episode, you can find all of them on our YouTube channel.

We hope you've found guidance and inspiration for your own writing.

Here are two resources for you:

Get your list of 4 Essential Reads for Memoir Writers

Get your Character Coffee Chat Guide for Character Development

  continue reading

73 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 449397578 series 3614393
Content provided by Stephanie Oswald, Ph.D. & Elizabeth Wilson, Stephanie Oswald, and Elizabeth Wilson. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Stephanie Oswald, Ph.D. & Elizabeth Wilson, Stephanie Oswald, and Elizabeth Wilson or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Send us a text

Our Book Club selection for the month of August was Go As A River by Shelley Read and we’re talking about it in this week’s podcast. There is so much packed into this novel that is both enjoyable for readers and for writers. We balance our discussion this week with insights for both, but definitely lean into what we learned as writers. We’re not putting all of the details in the newsletter because we, of course, want you to go listen for yourself, but we’ll share a brief overview of what we touched upon and hope that, if you haven’t already, you’ll add this book to your list. For writers, we talk about the brilliant flow of adding backstory in scenes where the main character, Victoria, touches an object, such as her father’s rifle, and it brings up a memory that gives us insight into her experience and her family’s history. It’s an approach that is both reflective of the human experience, because we all have stories to tell about objects in our homes, but also lends itself to a seamless flow of language that doesn’t disrupt the story. There’s poetic language that you can find on just about every page of the book. It creates a rhythm to the story that is very engaging. It’s a great reminder of how poetry is a resource for writers of all genres to explore the precision and beauty of language. We also touch upon character development, the 3 Act structure, writing about a place, and how this novel, while fiction, can also help memoir writers. For readers, we discussed how the book just kept getting better and better with each turn of the page. In a workshop we attended led by the author, Shelley Read, she talked about how as she’s traveled the world now on her book tour that so many readers have come up to her to gush about how well she creates the feeling of belonging to a place. It creates a connection between people because we all have places in our lives that touch our heart, and this book accomplishes that for readers. Also, there’s a main character that you’re rooting for from start to finish as you read. It’s what readers expect. They want to have a main character they believe in and read about their transformation. It definitely happens when you read this book.

We invite you to subscribe to our email list to be the first to know about our weekly podcast episodes, get insights into our writing lives, and learn about upcoming programs for writers!
If you prefer video versions of the podcast or want to leave a comment on this specific episode, you can find all of them on our YouTube channel.

We hope you've found guidance and inspiration for your own writing.

Here are two resources for you:

Get your list of 4 Essential Reads for Memoir Writers

Get your Character Coffee Chat Guide for Character Development

  continue reading

73 episodes

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