Saturday, February 18, 2012

Writing Video: Inspiring Books


On three of the books that have inspired me throughout my writing journey. I want to have the personable openness of Elizabeth Gilbert, the humility and thoughtfulness of Peter Hessler, and the page-turning storytelling of Susan Jane Gilman.

3 comments:

  1. I LOVE seeing you on your video, Shannon! I just got a MacBook so it's easy to make videos though I've been shy about doing it on my blog so far. It would involve having to put on make-up, too, and it's so much easier to skip all that and just start writing in the morning! I also started a memoir this year about my expat years working in Warsaw, Poland. I have struggled with revealing myself, too. It's very hard and terrifying to think what people will find out about me when they read it. I'm a guarded person normally, off the page. Anyway, I'm trying to put everything down as honestly as I can and just keep telling myself I won't do anything with it (not true) so it's OK! You might get some help from reading The Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes. I just finished it and it did help me understand how to push out of my safe zones and write honestly. Thanks for this and post more videos!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your encouraging comment Melissa! I'm glad these videos are working out. You should definitely give it a try!

      That's great to hear that you are working on an expat memoir. My time abroad has been personally defining, and I've found that a lot of people can connect to that experience. I have no doubt you'll have fascinating things to share. It does take a lot of effort to give things about yourself away, but you can always tell yourself you'll delete it later :).

      Thank you for the book recommendation. I have read The Courage to Write, but I will definitely check it out!

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  2. I like your first observation, Shannon, that you can't be a reserved author and that you have to open up and tell personal feelings and thoughts. That is the way to draw readers into your memoir. Readers can relate to embarrasing stories about love, work ect. that happened to you in HK. That makes your book alive and connects your emotionally with the readers. View it as a personal diary that you write for your eyes only, sharing everything ... and then let it be published.

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