Vicky and Joe are a bit bewildered by the early recording session, but rally magnificently to talk about their holiday, in which Vicky rediscovered the importance of breathing. In this episode, our intrepid hosts invite you to think about life, the universe, and everything - and what you really, really want. Plus a little side-trip on the nature of time. Enjoy!
Key Takeaways:
[4:50] Sometimes we just don’t take the time to breathe.
[8:40] We should reframe our definition of time.
[10:20] No matter what happens in our daily lives, the natural rhythms of life will still keep going.
[11:25] It’s so easy to get caught up in life, but we do need downtime to figure out what we really want.
[13:55] Don’t sleepwalk through life.
[18:00] Listened to every episode? Email Vicky!
Mentioned in This Episode:
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Stranger in a Strange Land Novel by Robert A. Heinlein
Jingo Novel by Terry Pratchett
Don't Touch My Hair Book, by Emma Dabiri
Vicky sits down with author Camila Arguello and asks her all sorts of pointy questions about courage, shitty first drafts, and writing her book. Tune in to find out how this supercool business woman came up with her idea – and why it's important to do what YOU want, not conform to everyone else's expectations. There's also a brief discussion about Brooklyn 99, because it wouldn't be a 1,000 Authors Show episode without a random ramble.
Key Takeaways:
[0:50] A little bit about Camila and what she does.
[5:35] Camila hears two sides of the story: That now is the perfect time to work more, and at the same time, that you should be resting and take it easy. Who should you listen to?
[8:00] You don’t have to justify every decision you make to other people.
[9:10] What do you want for YOU?
[12:45] Why did Camila decide it was time to write a book?
[15:35] Camila used to write men’s dating profiles and thought this would be an excellent book opportunity.
[18:35] It was very hard for Camila to not use the backspace key when she was in ‘writing mode’.
[20:35] You can get a lot done when your brain is not overthinking things.
[22:55] What was the editing process like for Camila?
[27:30] How is Camila selling her book?
Mentioned in This Episode:
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Vicky and Joe lament Vicky's fashion choices for this episode: there's more than a hint of low-rent Axl Rose going on. Then they talk about dystopian futures and media manipulation. And finally - at last - they move onto how to tell your story. Because we all struggle to write about ourselves, right? In this episode, you'll get some interesting stats and some top tips about how to use your About page to your advantage.
Key Takeaways:
[4:45] Vicky has been reading Parable of the Talents and she had to put it down because what’s happening in the book is eerily similar to what’s happening in the world today!
[7:55] When you watch the news, think about how it is being presented to you.
[8:15] How do you write about yourself?
[11:55] Why is it so hard to write about ourselves?
[15:30] Think about why people are visiting your About page.
[20:35] Does anybody really care about your company mission?
[24:30] You don’t need to have a rags-to-riches story to succeed in business.
[30:05] Write with your ideal customer in mind. Write your bio in a way that people will feel relieved you understand them.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast
Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein
Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler
Parable of the Talents, by Octavia E. Butler
Don't Touch My Hair Book, by Emma Dabiri
n this week's episode, Vicky finds herself wildly unprepared to answer Joe's questions and crashes around Google trying to figure out where the phrase "purple prose" originated. After they get that out of the way, there's some genuinely useful information about how to write beautiful descriptions without getting in the way of the story.
Key Takeaways:
[5:30] Vicky now has a trapeze in her garden!
[6:20] What is purple prose?
[7:25] How do you write descriptions without being boring and pretentious?
[11:15] We usually pay attention to the writing and not the narrative. The writing should be invisible.
[15:45] What are some common problems when people try to write descriptively?
[21:10] How would a director film this scene that you’re writing about?
[22:25] Most of the time you don’t see characters brushing their teeth or washing their faces.
[25:00] Read everything Terry Pratchett ever wrote. He’s a master describer.
[28:10] Our brains don’t deal too well with abstract wording.
[32:45] Vicky and Joe read your podcast reviews! Thanks for leaving them!
Mentioned in This Episode:
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast
Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein
Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
False Value, by Ben Aaronovitch
I Will Teach You to Be Rich, by Ramit Sethi
Don't Touch My Hair Book by Emma Dabiri