Season 1 · Episode 4
Writing a Biography on North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-il with Author John Cha
We interview author and biographer John Cha about the process of crafting his biography of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il: "Exit Emperor Kim Jong-il: Notes from His Former Mentor."
The Mechanics of Storytelling · John Cha, Ezra Justin Lee
September 1, 201937m 23s
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Show Notes
- Author John Cha’s personal history (1:52)
- Life of Hwang Jong-yop, mentor of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il (16:40)
- Connecting with the reader (18:35)
- Structuring the biography narrative (20:45)
- Humanizing villainous characters like Kim Jong-il (28:26)
- Pitching the book to publishers (33:50)
- Advice for budding writers (35:37)
Topics
author john chamechanics of storytellingwriting podcastezra justin leekim jong-ilwriting a biographythe mechanics of storytelling podcastthe mechanics of storytellingbiographynorth koreapodcasthwang jong-yopjohn cha