Plot Lab, Episode 1: Melissa Faliveno and the Midwestern Instinct to Keep Going

What happens when you hand an acclaimed author three headlines and ask, What story do YOU think is hiding in there?

For our inaugural episode of Plot Lab, Melissa Faliveno, author of the novel Hemlock and the essay collection Tomboyland, steps into the lab with hosts Kristi Leonard and Beth Uznis Johnson for a brainstorming session and discussion.

First, we play a warm-up game called One Star Wonder, challenging Melissa to identify a beloved classic novel from one particularly grumpy one-star review. Then, the real experiment begins.

We give Melissa three completely unrelated headlines. She chooses the one that sparks her interest and, from there, the ...