In this craft-focused session, novelists Linda Uliseit and Vanitha Sankaran show how to mine family stories for fiction while experimenting with narrative structures from around the world. From practical research strategies to mythic frameworks, this session equips writers to honor real lives and craft emotionally resonant novels.

You’ll learn how to:

Part 1: Fictionalizing Your Family (Linda Uliseit)

• Identify story-worthy material in family histories using interviews, letters, photos, and archives

• Conduct deep research through census records, historical societies, newspapers, and other sources

• Bridge gaps with imaginative fiction while maintaining emotional truth

• Handle sensitive content, including living relatives, name changes, and author’s notes

• Organize timelines and POVs to track multiple characters and historical events

Part 2: Rethinking Story Structure (Vanitha Sankaran)

• Recognize the limits of the Western three-act hero’s journey and explore alternate structures

• Explore West African, Balinese, Indian, and other non-Western story patterns

• Apply circle, collective, and balance structures to themes of ancestry, community, and healing

• Treat side characters as full protagonists to enrich ensemble storytelling

• Map personal or historical experiences onto mythic patterns for thematic resonance

Whether drawing on your own family tree or inventing characters from scratch, this session helps writers identify which real stories belong in a novel, protect relationships while telling the truth, and experiment with narrative forms that enhance the story’s emotional impact.

Ideal for historical fiction writers, family saga enthusiasts, and anyone looking to combine research, emotion, and mythic storytelling in their work.