The Matterhorn: truth in fiction
The Matterhorn with Dr. Kathleen Waller
Let's Do This: Pharmakon in Fiction | Episode 40
17
0:00
-4:34

Let's Do This: Pharmakon in Fiction | Episode 40

Three ways to get started and an opportunity to share your work
17
Welcome to Let’s Do This
the weekly Matterhorn podcast as digestible 5 minute episodes with 3 ideas for starting points in your own work. Please feel free to share links to your own work in the comments!
This week’s full podcast episode:
A transcript of this episode is available on the web version.

Let’s Do This: the Pharmakon in Fiction

  1. To what extent does your fiction include ambiguities in language? How might diction enhance the ability of your story to challenge the reader? How might the inclusion of multilingualism also enhance this element? Are any of your characters described as ‘writers’ in some way and how does that affect their understanding of the world?

  2. Have you considered creating a character or ending, for example, with multiple interpretations possible? What are your motivations and concerns?

  3. How might you use the motif of the pharmakon in your fiction? What might be both remedy and poison, as well as possibly a scapegoat or other definitions of Pharmakon?

Please feel free to share links to your own work (including other forms of fiction - songs, visual art, film…) or copy and paste short sections to share with our readers!
**I’m traveling to the US with my son today, so I’ll get back to your comments when I can come up for air!**

Leave a comment

Discussion about this podcast

The Matterhorn: truth in fiction
The Matterhorn with Dr. Kathleen Waller
The Matterhorn is for writers and curious minds from author and academic Dr. Kathleen Waller.
Each week in this new season, Kathleen shares a chapter of her serialized novels - A Hong Kong Story & An Interpreter in Vienna - and uses it as a catalyst to discuss the layers of literature and how you can use these in your own writing.
The Matterhorn mission is to bring books and texts to life through an interdisciplinary and international approach as well as help writers take risks and create from knowledge.
Follow on Substack to receive posts with links, extra media & transcripts as well as to join the conversation -
https://thematterhorn.substack.com/