Episode 06 《美食、祈祷和恋爱》作者的最新小说题材相当大胆！

Hey, what's up? Liu Yan here. Welcome to a new episode of They Said.

In case this is your first time listening, let me do a quick self-plug. They Said is a new program I launched recently. In each episode, I'll share a few clips from some of the most fascinating interviews I have come across. The interviewees are all prominent figures who have taught me great lessons in one way or another. Since I believe in lifelong learning, I hope these lessons will also help you in some capacity.

All right, let's get down to business.

The first clip I'm gonna share today is from Elizabeth Gilbert. She is a mega-successful author whose memoir Eat Pray Love took the entire world by storm back in 2006. 

Granted, that book wasn't really my cup of tea, but I have to admit that she is a fantastic writer.

She has a new book out this year called City of Girls. It's set in New York City, and is essentially a novel about female sexuality in the 1940s. 

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Whoa. Whoever this Norma is, I wanna know her. She sounds like such a hoot. Also, regardless of your gender, if you happen to be of a certain age and have had enough of people asking you why you are still single or why you are not interested in marriage, you should just forward this clip to them and ask them to listen. That could be highly effective, don't you think?

BTW, City of Girls took a few years to write. When Elizabeth started the writing process, it was before the #MeToo #TimesUp era. She could have incorporated some woke elements into the book, but she made a concious decision not to. 

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I think that's priceless advice. If you try writing stories or novels someday, you should always make sure your characters fit with the particular environment, background or time period they are in. Otherwise, your writing simply won't make sense. Even if you don't see yourself becoming a writer, I'm sure you'll have plenty of chances to write study or work reports. The same lesson still applies. Use basic logic, period.

And from one writer to another. This next guest is Susan Cain. She is best-known for her nonfiction book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. If you are an introvert, or if you are an extrovert who wants to understand introverts better, this book is a must-read. 

What's especially interesting is that although Susan Cain is an introvert through and through, she married an extrovert.

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What a heartwarming story! If somebody praised me in such an enthusiastic and effervescent way, I would probably marry them too.

Joking aside, I do recommend that you give sincere compliments whenever you can. It's a special form of kindness, and you'd be surprised how they can make someone's day, or even change someone's life. 

The last clip I'm gonna share today is from James Kim, creator of the podcast Moonface. Podcast is no longer a novelty nowadays, but Moonface is still a rare breed, because it's a scripted fiction show. 

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"I just wanna tell this personal story and hopefully inspire other people to step into fiction and tell their stories." Aww, that really makes my heart swell. I love getting inspired, and I love inspiring others. That's exactly why I'm doing this show, "They Said".

If this is your first time listening to They Said, I hope you go back and listen to the previous episode or episodes. I also hope you can share it with whomever you deem appropriate. It's truly a labor of love. I'm Liu Yan. Let's learn and grow together. See you next time!