The Challenges of Writing Coming-of-Age Memoirs

Send us Fan Mail This week, you'll hear from Laila Rall, a writer working on a memoir about her chaotic, bicultural childhood with an unstable mother. We will explore two of the biggest challenges writers of coming-of-age memories grapple with: when does my story really begin and how do I gracefully insert my wisdom into scenes that involve very young narrators? Episode Highlights 2:25 Exploring the Scope of Your Book 3:15 Feedback on the Childhood Voice 5:43 Are You Starting in the Right Place 7:15 The Importance of Beat Sheets 18:15 Maintaining the Mystery Resources Mentioned During This Episode Suzette Mullen Interview The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy The Liar’s Club by Mary Karr Laila’s Bio: Laila found her most meaningful work as a teacher after pursuing a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Education from UC Berkeley. She’s currently writing a memoir about her chaotic, bicultural childhood that included a murder trial, misattributed paternity, an outing to exhume a dead relative, transatlantic smuggling, and a life-changing promise to a pig. She lives in Santa Cruz, California, and loves cave diving, close encounters with sharks, and dark espresso. Connect with Laila Substack: https://lailacoryrall.substack.com Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/ Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/ Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Produced by Espresso Podcast Production