So You Want to Write a Book? Author Corey Rosen Has Some Advice (& Inspiration)
Our September author is Corey Rosen
Corey Rosen is an Emmy-award winning writer, actor, and storytelling teacher. He has hosted 105 live events for The Moth, The Moth StorySlam, and GrandSlams.
Rosen has been featured on The Moth Radio Hour, Backfence PDX and “The Finch Files” and “The B-Sider” podcasts. He is an on-air personality for Alice Radio’s “The Sarah and Vinnie Show,” the #1-rated commercial morning show in the San Francisco area.
A performer at BATS Improv, he is also a head writer at Tippett Studio. When not writing or performing, Corey works as a visual effects artist and executive producer. He is credited in movies including “Mission: Impossible,” several “Star Wars” films, and “Disney’s A Christmas Carol.” He has taught at NYU and Academy of Art University, written for Comedy Central, Jim Henson Productions, and Lucasfilm, and directed television commercials and Emmy award-winning short films.
If you’d like to purchase a copy of Corey’s book Your Story, Well Told, you can find it here.
Tell us a little about your writing journey. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
My first writing was for the screen. I made short films and developed and wrote screenplays for Lucasfilm and other animation studios. It wasn't until recently that I found I had a book “in me.” Once I had that spark, it took off and the process was delightful.
Was there a certain point you remember where you felt empowered to call yourself a writer? Or have you always felt like you were a writer?
I think a lot of people call themselves “a writer” that don’t do much or any writing. I think those people are not writers. They are waiters! I was a waiter for a long time. It feels good to be a writer, now. I highly suggest it!
Your book, Your Story, Well Told, is a guide for storytelling, and you draw a lot on improvisational theatre. What inspired you to take your theatre talents and turn it into a book about stories?
I’m fascinated by the intersection of these two “forms” - Storytelling (especially non-fiction spoken word storytelling) and Improvisation (creating something from nothing). Improvisation is the craft of using what’s right in front of us. Wanting what you have, rather than having what you want. The book emerged from this, as it’s how I craft stories (for myself and others). Using what’s right in front of me, and building on that.
A common blunder many storytellers face is their own rigid adherence to the words they are using - memorizing it like it’s a monologue. When you are improvising, there is no script so you can freely express yourself however it emerges. With storytelling, you can harness that energy and relate your story while staying present in the space where you are telling it.
My book is a guide for everyone who has a story to tell to harness this kind of energy to bring their stories to life in an authentic and relatable way - never feeling stilted or over-scripted.
The book has some excellent (& relatable!) stories from your own life. How did you choose which examples to use to highlight the story concepts throughout the book?
Thank you! When I started writing the book, I had just been punched in the face by another kid’s mom while dropping my child off at elementary school. Since I was embarking on writing a book about storytelling, it made sense to me to start the book with a story - and that one was so raw and real in my life at the time that it emerged.
Other stories in the book (my own and those of my friends, students, and colleagues) were chosen to help illustrate the concepts and principles I explore throughout the book. Among them are some REALLY GREAT stories and also some that (as I discuss throughout) are “broken birds” in need of repair.
I find it really interesting to analyze flawed stories using my own “yes, and” critique methods - looking at what IS working in the story and building on that to make the story stronger.
I love that there are so many fun and interesting exercises! Where did the exercises come from (did you create them, borrow them, adapt them, etc.) & do you have a favorite?
I’m a performer and trainer. I believe in active learning, learning by doing. It’s one thing to read a tip or how-to in a book (or in a lecture) but it’s another to do the thing - to try something (out loud or on paper) to synthesize the learning. By using play, we remove the cognitive barriers or pressures to “do it right.”
So a game like “That reminds me of the time” (in my book) makes a game out of recalling memories - which in turn can become source material for stories that the reader might not have considered before! Many storytellers feel like they have to tell “the big” stories. The games and exercises throughout the book are designed to find the small moments and to help us shape them into stories worth telling.
I did invent several of the exercises. Others come from the world of Applied Improvisation, which has a great and very active community of trainers and practitioners who freely share our games with each other.
Describe your writing and/or creative process.
I start with an outline or syllabus. I outline what I want (generally) to talk about or happen in a given chapter (or scene, for creative writing). When doing the writing itself, I try to get it out fast and without correction or editing. A Vomit Draft (something I discuss in the book as well) - where the quality is less important than the experience of telling (or writing) it down.
As a performer, I also like to try things out loud. When I started writing, I was overwhelmed by the blank page or blinking cursor. But if I am speaking my story out loud, it comes out (for me) more naturally and without these barriers. Sometimes I will record myself or tell my story to someone that is close to me (a family member or friend).
When I feel more confident in the story and want to try it on someone else I’ll take a risk and tell it to a stranger. One of my favorite “test audiences” is the drivers of Lyft or Uber! I’ll ask them, “can I tell you a story?” Nobody has ever said no!
You have quite a diverse set of writing and storytelling experiences! Is there one type of activity that you find the most fun? The most challenging?
I get to host “The Moth,” which is a storytelling podcast and radio show. We have live shows in a variety of cities. I love these forums because they draw out people of all kinds, every demographic, gender-identity, ethnicity, you name it.
In a single night’s show, you might have a college student, an 80-year-old hippy, and a formerly incarcerated individual all sharing a stage, telling their own stories. The whole room feels connected and alive by the end of the show.
What was your biggest writing obstacle and how did you overcome it?
I feel like repetition and routine is the best antidote to writers “block.” It’s easy to not do something, even something you want to do, if you don’t make time for it. This could apply to exercise, your diet, or any other ambition.
By setting aside time to write, I wrote. And the more I wrote, the more I wrote. It stops being a job or a chore. It’s waiting to come out. You just have to let it.
What is the part of your published work or writing process you’re most proud of?
When I submitted the final edited version of the manuscript, and got a case of books in the mail, I was ecstatic. It never really felt real until that moment. Then I told EVERYONE I know about it, in every way I could. And people started buying the book and sharing pictures of themselves with my book! It’s a wonderful feeling to have completed this project and I love hearing the stories that people are telling after reading it!
Do you have any plans for another book or writing project in the near future? If so, could you tell us about it?
Yes! I am midway through a follow up book right now. It’s the next phase of the same subject that “Your Story, Well Told” covers. This one uses specific examples of stories that people have to tell in their lives, like eulogies, acceptance speeches, and roasts, with guidance (and examples) of how to tell them, well!
What motivates you to keep writing?
It’s a routine and a pleasure to write. On days I don’t write, I get mad at myself. Every time I write, I feel good. So that feeling keeps me writing!
What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to aspiring writers?
You are FULL of stories. If you don’t know what to write about, read the first chapter of my book. It will give you tools to inspire you and start you on your way!
Purchase a copy of Corey’s book, Your Story, Well Told here.