Rebuilding Identity Later in Life- Laurie Kirk's Story

After raising five kids, Laurie Kirk found herself asking a question a lot of parents eventually face: who am I now? Her answer came through acting first, then writing, and eventually her first novel, a psychological horror-thriller called Baby Marvin. In this conversation, Laurie and James talk about what it looks like to build a creative life in your fifties, the family history that shaped her writing, and the forgiveness work she's done with a father who left when she was young. She also shares how she turns ideas into finished books and scripts without outlines, deadlines, or waiting for the "right" time to start. 

Whether you're sitting on a story you've never told or wondering what your next chapter looks like once the kids are grown, this episode is a reminder that it's never too late to become someone new, and that everyone's story is worth telling, even if someone else has to help you write it down.

Shownotes with Chapters:
00:49 — Guest introduction.
01:44 — Welcome, and James introduces the idea of a "third act."
03:07 — Laurie pushes back on three-act structure and explains the seven-act framework she was taught.
04:36 — What prompted Laurie to start acting, then writing, after her kids left home.

05:28 — The guided meditation that led to a life-changing discovery.
07:00 — Laurie describes the lifelong loneliness that disappeared once she understood its source.
09:34 — How the discovery shaped her drive and her approach to parenting.
11:03 — Laurie talks about her father leaving when she was a child, and the forgiveness work that followed.
15:45 — Learning she's a medium, and what that ability looks like in daily life.
19:11 — Writing Baby Marvin and realizing how much of her own story was in it.
24:02 — What Laurie has learned from staying in touch with family members who have passed.
31:54 — Her writing process: no outlines, no notes, just starting.
35:46 — Reviews of Baby Marvin, the book's 1960s setting, and what's next for Laurie.
39:27 — Where to find Laurie and the book online.
40:08 — Laurie's closing message to anyone who has felt more alone than they think they should.

Resources Mentioned:

Website:  https://www.thelauriekirk.com/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thelauriekirk/ 

TitTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@thelauriekirk