Episode Synopsis "How do we go from the Big Themes to the Smaller Stories? "

How do we pack so many big experiences (that often spiral into so many different directions) into a personal essay?  By using a concept Joyce calls the Container.  Previously, Joyce has explored this concept and form with former student Betsy, whose story spanned decades, and identified a container that gives edges and containment to what is often unwieldy and abstract. Today, we continue this conversation and talk about the cinematography involved with our language.  Thank you, Betsy, for your openness to share your story with all of us.

Listen "How do we go from the Big Themes to the Smaller Stories? "

More episodes of the podcast Telling Your Story with Joyce Maynard

• The Three Amigos - An Excerpt from Count The Ways
• The Writing Practice
• Establishing a Point of View
• Structure in Story-telling: The Road-Trip
• *Live* with Joyce at Lake Atitlan: On Dead Language
• How do we go from the Big Themes to the Smaller Stories?
• Exploring the Concept of the Container - with Betsy
• The Container Story
• The Point of Entry
• Moral Dilemma in Personal Narratives and Memoir: Is it our job to make the readers feel comfortable with our stories?
• The Stakes of Being An Honest Writer
• How to Write an Honest Story Without Hurting Others
• Identifying Your Obsessions
• Why Write?
• An Introduction to Writing Memoir