How to write like Margaret Atwood

She explains how to write, as she uses events in her life as story fodder. She draws inspiration from life experiences to write her poems, short stories and novels.

Some of Atwood’s books described in her writing process are:

1. Cat’s Eye
2. Synthesia
3. The Tragedy of Moonblossom Smith
4. Double Persephone
5. The Handmaid’s Tale
6. Up In The Air So Blue
7. The Circle Game
8. The Edible Woman
9. Alias Grace
10. The Animals In That Country
11. Surfacing
12. Survival
13. Lady Oracle
14. Days Of The Rebels
15. Life Before Man
16. Bodily Harm
17. The Robber Bride
18. The Blind Assassin
19. The Testament
20. Dearly
21. Old Babes In The Wood
22. Paper Boat

How Margaret Atwood wrote Cat’s Eye

Cat’s Eye is about four girls in Grade 4. It is based on Atwood’s experiences growing up in the shadow of mean girls in school. She named Sandra as one of her torturers who was imaginative in creating torture games.

Sandra was the leader of her pack of three other girls comprising of Cathy, Muriel and Cordelia. Cathy and Muriel spied on Peggy and reported back to Sandra, who then devised tortures on Peggy. Sandra made excuses that she was helping her improve. As with almost all abusers, Sandra was a victim of abuse and she learned how to inflict abuse on others.

Atwood was anxious and depressed for a year, before she finally grew smart and decided to ignore Sandra, Cathy, Muriel and Cordelia.

Atwood wrote that her elder brother Harold was not spared. He was bullied on his first day in school, until their mom told him he was allowed to defend himself. He did and no boys assaulted him after that.

If you’re a writer, you would be interested to read all of the above. Get a copy of

Book Of Lives: A Memoir Of Sorts by Margaret Atwood. If you buy something from this link, I may earn a small commission.

Related posts:

For the main book review on Book Of Lives: A Memoir Of Sorts, please visit the link. There are at least 15 other posts on different subjects/ topics in her memoir.