In this episode of The Write Mind, Eli Ryder talks with writer Madeline Vosch about her writing education and the experiences that have shaped her work. Their conversation explores her memoir Undead, about surviving a suicide attempt, as well as the influence of Dorothy Allison, writing about poverty and difficult experiences, and the challenges of transforming deeply personal material into creative work.
Content Disclosures: Self Harm, Poverty, and Medical/Mental Health Trauma
Chapters
- (00:00:04) - Introduction and Content Warning
- (00:02:15) - Writing Background and Early Fan Fiction
- (00:03:45) - Studying Russian and Religion in Azerbaijan
- (00:05:28) - From Religious Studies to Creative Writing
- (00:06:32) - From Narrative Poem to Memoir
- (00:08:25) - Writing Practice and Nonlinear Process
- (00:10:44) - Chaos, Craft, and Finding What Works
- (00:12:51) - Morning Pages and Trial and Error
- (00:14:21) - Current Teaching and Professional Work
- (00:15:16) - The Sophomore Slump and Balancing Jobs
- (00:17:16) - Inspiration Across Departments
- (00:19:34) - Working Through the Novel's Stuck Points
- (00:20:42) - Writing Undead: Structure and Timeline
- (00:22:50) - The Long Road to Publishing
- (00:25:05) - Rewriting and Trusting the Process
- (00:26:17) - What's Next for Undead and the Novel
- (00:28:05) - Best Writing Advice: Dorothy Allison
- (00:30:48) - Advice for New Writers
- (00:32:38) - Q&A: First Book and Project Worth
- (00:35:18) - Q&A: Short Stories vs Novels
- (00:36:37) - Q&A: Books That Affect Us
- (00:38:31) - Q&A: Poetry, Community, and Closing Thoughts
