Episode 45: [GUEST] Blending Nonfiction and Memoir to Bring Voice to a Lost Childhood in Bogotá, Colombia with Paula Delgado-Kling

You’ll be quickly drawn into Paula’s story of researching, writing, and publishing her book that shares the heart-wrenching details of child soldiers in Colombia alongside her own coming-of-age reflection as someone who was born, but not raised, in Colombia. Paula Delgado-King is the author of Leonor. It’s her first book that started as a policy paper when she was a grad student at Columbia University in International Affairs back in 2001. At the time, Paula was interested in what the United Nations was doing to help children exercise their rights and she focused her attention on Bogotá, Colombia. It was a natural point of focus for Paula who is originally from Bogotá, having been born there, but her family was forced to leave when she was 9 due to threats against her family. When she traveled to Bogotá, to start researching and reporting about the experiences of children, it was her connection with Leonor, a young girl from a halfway home in Bogotá, that had her eager to return every couple of months to learn the latest in her story. Paula’s passion and dedication to sharing this story is evident. It took her a long time, but she knew it needed to be out in the world. As writers, it’s interesting to think about how long it can take to get our stories into the world. You may be able to relate to what Paula has to share in this episode and find you’re ready to write your story. Paula’s book is a unique blend of nonfiction and memoir. An exploration of a culture that’s familiar, yet at the same time not familiar, and writing with an awareness of needing to effectively explore her experience in connection with Leonor’s. Paula was pulled into Leonor’s story because of her experience as a woman who was under attack simply for being a woman. She kept in touch with Leonor for about 19 years to ensure she correctly captured the truth and the details of Leonor’s experience. Paula made the decision to eventually add her own story to help make Leonor’s story more accessible to a reader. It’s an exploration of connecting with her heritage and exploring her own coming of age story when she wasn’t able to grow up in Colombia. There were certainly many challenges in the writing process to weave her story with Leonor’s. She was very thoughtful and diligent in making sure she was true to her voice and Leonor’s voice. It’s not an easy topic, but it will make you stop and reflect on your own life. You also don’t want to miss hearing about Paula’s writing process and balancing it with motherhood. She also shares about navigating rejection and what she learned along the way. It’s an episode that is sure to inspire, so go ahead and click the button below to listen. Who is Paula Delgado-Kling? Paula Delgado-Kling holds degrees in comparative literature/French civilizations, international affairs, and creative writing from Brown, Columbia, and the New School, respectively. ​Leonor​, for which she received two grants from the Canadian Council for the Arts, is her first book. Excerpts of this book have appeared in Narrative, The Literary Review, Pacifica Literary Review, and Happano.org in Japan. Lately, Paula’s side gig is that she has, to her great surprise, become a tennis mom. You can connect with her online here: IG @pauladelgadokling Facebook: Pauladelgadokling_author Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the Inspired Writer Collective podcast. If you've ever felt the pull to write your truth, to shape the chaos of real life into something meaningful and to share your journey with the world, you're in the right place. We're your hosts, Elizabeth and Stephanie, writers, coaches, and entrepreneurs who believe in you and know how important it is to find a writing community to guide you on your path to self-publishing. You’re invited to connect with us by joining our Embodied Writing Experience where you’ll get a writer’s retreat directly to your inbox on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays each week. Whether you’re working on a memoir, a novel, or journaling for yourself, this is an invitation to slow down, tune in, and write with embodied intention. Join our Embodied Writing Experience where you’ll get a writer’s retreat directly to your inbox each week. This is an invitation to slow down, tune in, and write with embodied intention. If you missed this year's Memoir Summit, we recorded it! You can purchase the replays and get instant access to over 4 hours of memoir-specific content from Elizabeth and our amazing panelists of published memoir authors, indie presses, editors, and industry professionals! Work 1:1 with Memoir Coach Elizabeth Wilson. Book a session here. If you prefer to watch our conversations, you can find all of them on our YouTube channel. You can find us on Instagram.