Episode 45: Kirsty Starkey

Kirsty Starkey works as a producer at BBC Radio 4’s acclaimed show Woman’s Hour, “the programme that offers a female perspective on the world.” She researches and develops stories, finds and interviews potential subjects, prepares the presenters for live on-air interviews, and more. In this episode, we discuss the similarities and differences between Woman’s Hour stories and novels, films or narrative non-fiction. We look at the journalistic need for balance alongside the risks and vulnerability of interviewees, and the desire to present the human angle that is also relevant to now. We examined how to narrow, shape, and focus a story. We looked at what can go wrong, such as ways a story might die on the vine or a subject might freeze up live on air. We discussed who the protagonist might be in the radio stories: the human interest subjects, or perhaps even the listener. The conversation includes tips on interviewing from a BCC veteran, and the ways the ability to ask questions makes a massive difference in getting strong stories.

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Kirsty Starkey

Kirsty Starkey works as a producer at BBC Radio 4’s acclaimed show Woman’s Hour, “the programme that offers a female perspective on the world.” She researches and develops stories, finds and interviews potential subjects, prepares the presenters for live on-air interviews, and more.

Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival–everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success.

The hosts:

Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com.

Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.