Author Interview: Greg Bell

Greg Bell wrote the popular and powerfully motivating book, Water the Bamboo. In his new book, What's Going Well? The Question that Changes Everything he teaches how to build a habit of optimism.

Greg recently talked with Rose City Reader about his new book and optimistic living.  

How did you start paying attention to optimism as a mindset?

I would say I’ve always been interested in optimism. From struggles as a kid to struggles in business. I also have a curiosity around why some people have an optimistic mindset in a tough situation and the next person in that same situation doesn’t. I ask myself, what’s the difference?

I see optimism almost connected to some form of resilience. If you think about it, everyone is going to have dips in their lives, whether they are personal, career, money, or anything else. But some people fold and some don’t and I’ve always been curious why.

When I think of optimism, I think back to when I asked my friend the question “What’s Going Well?”—which ended up being the title of my new book—and how it changed him in the conversation that we had after that. He continued to talk for 30 minutes about all these great things in his life. After that, I really started paying attention to my own life.

Why did you write What’s Going Well? The Question that Changes Everything?

Being grateful is an interesting point of view. But I think if you lead with, “hey, let’s be more grateful,” people may agree it’s a good idea but won’t necessarily take action. But if you ask them “what’s going well,” they will actually talk about the things they’re grateful for. I believe this question positively impacts well-being.

The reason I wrote What’s Going Well? is I wanted people to have conversations about things going well in their lives personally, professionally, and all around. I think that conversation will help them be able to deal with their challenges and dips even better. My belief is that this book will help build resilience and overall wellbeing in people.

What is your professional background and how did it lead to teaching people to be more optimistic?

I am a reformed attorney and I was trained to spot issues and problems. A good day for me was having clients that had issues and problems. That work was miserable because all I dealt with was problems; I rarely got a chance to focus on what’s going well. But what I noticed with all of my clients, the problems they had were mostly based on relationship break downs.

I realized early in my legal career that I needed to change and that change led me to start a consultancy based on how to help business people have better relationships with a lot of work around team building and leadership development.

I recall the first time I was asked to do a keynote. I said, “Sure.” Then I asked, “What’s a keynote?” I had no idea what they wanted me to do and they said, “Oh, just talk for 45 minutes,” and I said, “Great. About what?” He said, “Anything you want.”

So there I was. I sent an email that said I would talk about ambiguity avoidance and to me that was a joke. How do you avoid ambiguity? And he said, “Yeah, it sounds great,” and I was like, “Oh, no!”

For my first keynote I actually ended up doing a talk called “Ambiguity Avoidance.” It was centered around how to avoid ambiguity in relationships, and it was really well received. I’ve done keynotes for years now, and later I wrote Water the Bamboo: Unleashing the Potential of Teams and Individuals.

Who do you hope will read your book?

What’s Going Well? is for people who are watering their bamboo and striving for more in their career, but they need a little pick-me-up.

This book is also great for leadership teams and teams in general. If an organization or team is thriving and hasn’t taken any time to stop and reflect on all they have and what they are grateful for, this book will help them realign and focus on what’s going well.

There’s another group of people that may have some dips in their lives. It’s not going so well. They really need What’s Going Well? because they need strength to overcome what they’re dealing with.

So this book is ultimately for people who are doing really well and people who are not.

What makes your book different than other leadership and motivational books?

Most appreciation programs don’t work. They don’t increase engagement. I think one of the reasons they don't is because people are looking to others for appreciation instead of it coming from within. Often times a leader or manager has too many direct reports to be able to show appreciation for everyone all the time. So the trick with this book is really about how do I individually find what’s going well in one’s own work and also share that with peers and coworkers. Keep in mind employees do want appreciation from their boss; that’s definitely true.

In terms of motivational books, I don’t know that I would call this a motivational book. I think “What’s going well?” is an inspiring question that can cause people to focus on the good in their life that already exists. It’s a question that can really inspire someone to be more grateful, which will lead to better health, better resilience, better sleep, a better immune system. I mean the brain research is fascinating on it.

So that’s how I think it’s different. It’s actually a question and not an answer. That’s actually the key. I think a lot of times people are being advised or told what to think. I think asking what’s going well allows the person to direct themselves, which in turn helps them, their teams and helps leadership.

What will readers learn from your book?

I hope that readers learn how the brain works when you focus on What’s Going Well. One of the things that is still hard for me to believe is that when good things happen, they go into your short-term memory; and if bad things happen, they go into your long-term memory. I want people to be aware of what’s happening in the brain and how focusing on what’s going well can help them make a positive brain shift.

They will also learn the benefit of journaling about what’s going well. That’s why I created the What’s Going Well? 90-Day Companion Journal that is a companion to the book. Journaling can help people rewire their brain and re-set their happiness point.

How important is social media for you as an author, speaker and coach?

Accessibility and the ability to connect with a large audience is extremely helpful. I consider myself a conduit for transformative leadership and I think that social media platforms allow me to connect with my audience and deliver value to them.

What did you learn from writing your book that most surprised you?

I did have a surprise writing the book. Many of the materials were stolen when my car was broken into. I don’t know how many journals I had with handwritten notes with concepts for this book. I was pretty ticked off at first but what surprised me is how effective the question what’s going well was to get me back on track. I would say within 24 hours I was laughing about the situation because after asking myself “what’s going well?” I concluded that it will be funny when one day I’ll be speaking to an audience and will explain how “What’s Going Well?” was stolen.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given as an expert on optimistic living?

Once you set a goal the first thing that will appear will be obstacles. These obstacles will remain if you take your eyes off the goal. Something will always get in our way and we have to remember why we were there in the first place. We really have no idea what our next thought is going to be or our next emotion. There are so many distractions in our lives and negativity all around us, but remembering what you want is one way to maintain optimism.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given as an expert on leadership?

First, lead yourself. Leadership is not a title, it’s about your actions and behaviors. I really think that’s it. If I can’t lead myself, there’s no way I can lead anyone else, right? If I don’t have love for me, I can’t have love for you.

Second, when you are leading a team what you say is not nearly as important as what you do.

What authors do you enjoy reading?

I like some of the old stuff. I like Man’s Search for Meaning. It’s probably one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read by Viktor Frankl. He survived the German concentration camps and he came up with this very interesting term. He said despite the circumstances he would remain tragically optimistic. If he could remain optimistic under those circumstances, I have no excuses.

Do you have anything coming up to promote your new book?

I have a book launch celebration event on April 24th at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland that includes a short What’s Going Well? talk, book signing, and light refreshments. Sign up here at the events page of my website.

What are you working on now?

Delivering keynote addresses at conference and corporate all staff events, spreading the ideas of What’s Going Well? My hope is the What’s Going Well? message spreads around the world.

THANKS, GREG!

WHATS GOING WELL? IS AVAILABLE ONLINE OR ASK YOUR LOCAL BOOK SELLER TO ORDER IT!

Book Beginning: Know Your Style by Allyson Walsh

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

What does "know your style" even mean? Is it akin to knowing yourself, or knowing your onions -- or perhaps a bit of both?

Know Your Style: Mix It, Match It, Love It by Allyson Walsh. I'm feeling a little frumpy these days and hoping this will inspire some fresh spring looks for me. Alyson Walsh is a fashion editor and journalist at That’s Not My Age.

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING





TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

MY FRIDAY 56

Shirin Guild's skirt square always feels right in different fabrics for different occasions, dressed up or down. . . . I really like the simplicity (it is effectively like a poncho taken down to the waist) and it hangs in a style redolent of the period 1916 - 1919, which I adore. 

-- Amy de la Haye, describing her favorite wardrobe staples.

Teaser Tuesday: The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion

In the second place this American woman was eating, very slowly and methodically, first a bite of one and then a bite of the other, a chocolate parfait and bacon. The chocolate parfait and bacon had definitely bothered him.

-- The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion. I want to read more of Didion's books because I think her novel, Play it As it Lays, is a knockout. Her memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, is also excellent. I consider both to be contemporary classics.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by The Purple Booker, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Mailbox Monday: Books with Pretty Pictures

I found two adorable little illustrated books when I was doing some retail therapy at Powell's Books last week.



I'd Rather Be Reading: A Library of Art for Book Lovers by Guinevere De La Mare.



Know Your Style: Mix It, Match It, Love It by Alyson Walsh (Author) and Ayumi Takahashi (Artist)

What books came into your house last week?

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Author Interview: Mary Chomenko Hinckley

Mary Chomenko Hinckley is an American artist who works in bronze, resin, glass, and photography. She recently published a monograph showcasing her stunning work.

Mary recently talked with Rose City Reader about her work, her book, and the process of making a book about art.

Please tell us about the blue coyote on the cover of your book.

My first coyote sculpture was a commission for an upscale urban redevelopment project in Old Town Pasadena. Wildlife in that neighborhood has largely been replaced with shops, streets and condominiums. The coyote symbolizes the struggle of wildlife to thrive in urban places. The coyote is a symbol of survival. It adapts to its environment. As the child of WWII survivors and immigrants from Ukraine, I identify with the coyote. The bronze coyote is nickel-plated to give him a beautiful, reflective surface and is then tinted blue. I want the coyote to be viewed as unique and precious.

Why did you choose the coyote as the cover picture?

In closely working with Ryan Polich, the book’s designer at Lucia|Marquand in Seattle, we tried various pieces on the cover. I wanted two different mediums on the cover. The blue coyote is a recent piece and worked well with the glass piece from my Gates of Venice series that we chose for the back.

You’ve worked in many media as an artist – bronze, resin, glass, paint, and paper – what led you to compile this monograph of your work, Material Evolution, at this point in your career?

After a solo exhibit in 2015, I wanted a permanent record of my journey as an artist. So much work goes into an exhibition, it happens, the work comes down and it’s over. The work goes out into the world and the conversation with the work on the walls is finished. I wanted a document to see where I’ve been and to share it.

How did you think of the book’s title and what meaning do you want to convey with it?

My last two exhibitions have been titled Material Evolution because I have worked in paper, bronze, paint, photography, resin, and glass and back to bronze. As I have revisited early work in one medium I find something new to say about that idea in another medium. The ideas evolve and one medium or another asserts itself as the best way forward. Thus the title; I continue to find a satisfactory process in varying materials.

There is a theme that runs through much of your work of how the natural word intersects with urban life. Can you tell us about that theme?

Living in Boston then in Silicon Valley for over 20 years I worked as a graphic artist for electronic companies. I looked at the universe of manufacturing and the proliferation of manmade goods, especially electronics. I became keenly interested in the intersection of the natural world and the built world. I question if nature will survive and thrive in the hands of the humans.

What did you learn from compiling Material Evolution – either about your work as an artist or the process of creating a book like this – that most surprised you?

I found the extreme connectedness in my work. While various bodies of work may seem random, I clearly see the natural progression in my ideas. I hope the reader sees this as well. When working,
I don’t know where the piece is going, but in retrospect, there is a clear path. It is a journey of discovery.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed a collaborative process with the writers in the book. I enjoyed conversations on philosophy and Artificial Intelligence with Paul Karlstrom, art historian, who wrote my lead essay. I enjoyed working with Ann Karlstrom who is a brilliant editor. Ann. She edited for grammar and content and drove me to clarify ideas and consider each word; exhausting, but worth it.

Who is the audience for your book?

My audience is anyone who is interested in contemporary art, Silicon Valley archaeology (I may be the first SV archaeologist), ideas of time and place, and how the natural and built world collide and coexist. Children also love the book.

Of the works featured in your book, what is your personal favorite, the one that brings you joy?

I love coyote on the cover, it makes me optimistic and I am very fond the life-sized photographs of the collection of my children’s shoes over 15 and 13 years respectively. They show a journey of two children growing up in the 90’s, their activities, gender, time, and place.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given as an artist?

Keep working even if you think no one cares. If you make work, someone will care, besides you. John Goldman, Architect and friend, San Francisco, 1986. It is easy to be uncertain and discouraged and you need to believe in yourself and your vision.

Do you have any events coming up to promote your book?

I am speaking at PSU on May 8 about my book, work and journey. In the fall, I may do talks and book signing on the East Coast. I am working with mindbuckmedia to help set those up.

What is your next project?

I have a bronze commission from the City of Beaverton, which will be completed this summer. I am working on new glass pieces that explore the element of chance. I stack glass pieces in the kiln and when fired and fused the glass moves in unexpected and beautiful ways.

THANKS MARY!

MATERIAL EVOLUTION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, OR ASK YOUR LOCAL BOOKSELLER TO ORDER IT!

Book Beginning: In the Shadow of War by Patrick M. Garry

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

No one ever though of Ricky as my older brother. But he was.

-- In the Shadow of War by Patrick M. Garry. A family story, a love story, a Vietnam War story -- all set in a small, Midwest town in 1970.

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

MY FRIDAY 56

Professor Donlin, an instructor in the English Department, held out a strange-looking pipe to her even before she took off her coat. That was when she decided, after seeing what was happening to some of the other women's clothing, to keep all of hers and head for home.

Blogiversary: 11 years! Thank you!

Wow! Eleven years of blogging makes me feel like a dinosaur. Did I start when computer screens were still black with green glowing letters? It feels like it!

When I started Rose City Reader in 2008, I was still transitioning from a pretty laid back, part time law practice, handling mostly real estate cases. I had lots of time to read, write book reviews, and spend time getting to know my fellow book bloggers. It was book blogger bliss.

But about the same time, my new law practice also took off, representing adults who were sexually abused as kids. I became a partner at a small firm specializing in cases against trusted institutions that allowed children to be abused. When my law partner died, I started my own firm in 2014 with one associate attorney. She became my law partner this year and we will have a great party to celebrate our firm's 5th anniversary and name change, just as soon as we finish a big trial against the Boy Scouts in Idaho in May.

Although my work keeps me incredibly busy, I still love book blogging and the blogging community. I blog when I can. I hardly write any book reviews these days. And I hate that I don't have time to leave comments on the blogs of my blogger friends. But I enjoy seeing book blogs continue to thrive, new ones pop up, book blogging on Instagram and other changes, all of it.

One of these days, when I can slow down a bit at work, I plan to spend more "quality time" with my blog. In the meantime, I'm happy to post what I can and to have the readers I do. Thank you! 

Teaser Tuesday: Zuckerman Unbound by Philip Roth

You see, not everybody was delighted with this book that was making Zuckerman a fortune. Plenty of people had already written to tell him off.

-- Zuckerman Unbound by Philip Roth. This is the second of Roth's Zuckerman books, featuring his alter ego, Nate Zuckerman. In Unbound, Zuckerman deals with the fame and fortune of his first best seller, the parallel to Roth's Portnoy's Complaint. 

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by The Purple Booker, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Mailbox Monday: In the Shadow of War by Patrick M. Garry

One new book came my way last week. What books came into your house last week?



In the Shadow of War by Patrick M. Garry. In the summer of 1970, in a scraggly Midwestern town, a group of Vietnam war wives move in to help renovate an old ballroom. But when a disgraced war vet arrives with a secret about one of the husbands, the the town is thrust into the center of political controversy.

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Martha of Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf.

Book Beginning: The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING



The woods of Arcady are dead,
And over is their antique joy
Of old the world on dreaming fed;
Grey Truth is now her Painted toy;

-- from "The Song of the Happy Shepherd," the first poem in The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats. Since we are heading into St. Patrick's Day weekend, it seems a good day to feature an Irish poet. I've been working my way through this book for a couple of years. I keep it on my table at work and try to read one poem every day. I can't say the first poem in the book is my favorite!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING




TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

MY FRIDAY 56

I heard an old religious man
But yesternight declare
That he had found a text to prove
That only God, my dear,
Could love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair.

-- from "For Anne Gregory." This is my favorite Yeats poem, so I cheated a bit to include it here because it is not on page 56. I've always kept this last stanza taped to my desk. I think of it as a reminder of the fickleness of the human heart and a warning against vanity. Or something like that.

Mailbox Monday: 36 Bottles of Wine by Paul Zitarelli

What books came into your house last week? I ended up with one new book, a gift from Memaloose Wine in appreciation for being a Wine Club member for so long. What a nice surprise!



36 Bottles of Wine: Less Is More with 3 Recommended Wines per Month Plus Seasonal Recipe Pairings by Paul Zitarelli

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Martha of Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf.

Author Interview: Dr. Jody Fleming

Psychologist Jodie Fleming specialized in "psycho-oncology" counseling cancer patients before her own breast cancer diagnosis. Her new memoir, A Hole in My Genes, tells how Jodie went from doctor to patient and worked through grief and loss, surgeries, and infertility to cancer survival.

Jodie recently talked with Rose City Reader about her memoir, becoming a writer, and the Psychology of It:

How did you come to write A Hole in My Genes?

A Hole in My Genes came about incidentally really. In 2010, I received a breast cancer diagnosis which came exactly one month after my marriage had ended. I’ve always used writing as a coping strategy and so, began journaling in the form of letters to my Nana who had died four years earlier. She would’ve been one of my greatest supports and so, through the letters, I felt connected to her and comforted in a way. Once treatment ended and I stopped writing to her, I found I really missed the writing process. I stumbled across an online writing class, the Literary Kitchen with Ariel Gore, around the same time and used our weekly class assignments as a cathartic way in which to continue to process all of the changes that had just occurred in my life. Whilst it was therapeutic for me, I also started receiving feedback from my classmates that they too were benefiting in a variety of ways from my story. I think that as a part of coping with any of life’s traumatic events, we tend to go seeking meaning from them. The positive feedback allowed me to dream that perhaps there was a book in there somewhere that might be able to help at least one other person going through a trauma in their own lives and the idea for A Hole in My Genes was born!

You are a psychologist and, prior to your own cancer diagnosis, specialized in psycho-oncology. What is psycho-oncology and how does your professional background add to your memoir?

Psycho-oncology focuses on the psychological, emotional, social and ethical issues related to all aspects of cancer for not only patients, but also their families and carers. My work as a psycho-oncologist provided me with the privileged insight into my patients’ experiences. I’d also cared for my husband with testicular cancer eight years earlier and so felt very prepared for my own treatment, but that wasn’t to be the case initially.

It probably took me until mid-way through chemotherapy to realize that I probably had a set of skills that could alleviate some of the distress and discomfort I felt. I’m sometimes slow on the uptake! Luckily though, once I realized, I was able to rely on several helpful tools from my toolkit including accessing my social supports, mindful grounding techniques, and managing my catastrophic worries with some thinking tools. My prior knowledge and then lived experiences using those tools adds to my memoir which I’ve started describing as a hybrid book – half memoir, half educational instruction manual for the cognitive and behavioral strategies I engaged in my own treatment.

Your book is intensely personal – did you have any qualms about sharing so much?

This is a question I’m asked very often, closely followed by a comment about how brave I am, which I assume means that no one else on the planet would include some of the personal details I have! For me, it was a no-brainer to include everything that I did because those were the topics that everyone in my treatment team and surrounds avoided. I struggled with things like sexual dysfunction and menopause because no one had been brave enough to have those conversations with me and for years my quality of life suffered because of that.

I’m a massive believer that if we were all just a little more honest with our inner worlds then it would go a long way to stopping people from feeling isolated and alone with some really common, normal reactions to some abnormal life events. One of the main reasons I wrote this book was to hopefully give someone, somewhere the benefits of the knowledge I gained along the way so that they wouldn’t have to turn to Kathy Bates for sex education! (For those who have read the book, this will make a lot of sense). There was no way in good conscience that I couldn’t go all the way in telling my story, even though that has meant having to speak in public about my vagina way more than possibly imaginable!

Who is your intended audience and what do you hope your readers will gain from your book?

This is a book for healthcare professionals. It is a book for the families and friends of loved ones going through cancer. And it may even be for patients. More than the cancer world though, this is a story of facing and overcoming adversity, about human resilience, hope, and imperfect life. Having said that, maybe there’s something in there for anyone going through a really hard time.

Can you recommend any other memoirs that deal with going through cancer with the kind of heart and honesty you put into yours?

Cancer memoirs are books that I read before having cancer. They aren’t books that I’ve chosen to read since. In fact, I did read Susan Duncan’s Salvation Creek after treatment not realizing she had breast cancer and had the strongest visceral reaction when I arrived at the page that described in detail one of her chemotherapy treatments. One book that I read afterward, gifted by a friend was Pretty is What Changes by Jessica Queller about her family’s quest navigating their way through having one of the breast cancer genetic mutations. Jessica herself had to decide about prophylactic surgeries before marriage and before having children and her writing style was incredibly engaging which we’d expect given she is a television writer. I truly loved her book as it gave me some insight into my family’s fears and decision making around the same issues.

What did you learn from writing your book – either about the subject of the book or the writing process – that most surprised you?

Mostly I’ve learnt how much I value and rely upon the writing process to cope in life. I still don’t see myself as a writer but having spent all of those years in and out of the Literary Kitchen, I feel as though I learnt to write, to express myself with an authentic voice and to paint a picture with words. The whole way along the biggest surprise to me has been the large amount of positive feedback I receive about my writing style, especially from the people closest to me who appear equally as surprised as me that I created this book that tells such an honest story that people seem to be gravitating towards. Reading my book on the other hand, which I’ve only done once from cover to cover, surprised me by highlighting to myself just how resilient I must be. That’s kind of nice.

What is The Psychology of It? 

Well, once active treatment ended and I stopped writing the letters to my Nan, I really missed writing. So, I began writing the book. Once the book was finished, I really missed writing and so I had to find another place to motivate and inspire me to write. I’d really enjoyed writing about the therapeutic strategies in the memoir and I also had a greater urge to normalize common human experiences to enhance a sense of connection and similarity between us all because I see the complete opposite when people walk through my clinic door. My website, The Psychology of It, became the place that I could do that.

I specifically added five different components which supported five different writing styles. Analyse interprets the science into easy to understand concepts; The Coping Toolkit is full of easy to implement coping strategies; Conversations on the Couch are interviews with everyday people about life; Up Close & Personal are more personal reflections on global topics; and New Things sort of gave me a place to post articles that didn’t fit anywhere else. The Psychology of It Facebook page took on a life of its own though, with over 3,500 Villagers which provides a real sense of community. I share loads of things I find useful as well as original articles from time to time on the Facebook page and I have a very strong hunch that it’s due to Village that 550+ people filled our local theatre for the launch of A Hole in My Genes. The positive power of social media!

You have a great website and are also active on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even YouTube. From an author’s perspective, how important are social media to engage with your readers?

Authors need a platform from which to launch their books and creating that platform begins to happen perhaps even before a book exists and is crucial for promoting and selling books. Social media engagement provides reach far greater than my website could as a standalone method for communication and I rely on it heavily for engaging with my Village. It’s instant. It’s an excellent source of information and it tells me exactly what my followers are into and what they’re looking for. I am still experimenting with all of it to be honest, but I’m learning as I go and am enjoying the process. In direct relation to A Hole in My Genes, social media has introduced me to so many amazing people and already has provided me with opportunities that never would’ve existed without it. This interview is one example of that. You would never have found me in my little pocket of Australia had social media not connected us.

I will soon have a new author website in addition to The Psychology of It website.

What is the most valuable advice you were given when writing your memoir?

Diana Kirk, who introduced us, actually was so instrumental in advising me to write with my own voice and to write for myself, as if no one else would ever read it. In the beginning, I got too caught up in what other people would think and it created too much self-doubt, not to mention painting a completely inauthentic version of myself. Once I had that all worked out, writing became easier.

Any tips or hints for authors considering writing a memoir?

Do it. Get started. It’s easier to edit something that exists than trying to find the perfect first sentence and staring at a blank page. Consider the other people in your story and how you might seek their permission to include them, or how you might protect them if need be. But really, it’s the Nike principle. Just do it.

What’s next for you? What are you working on now?

Well, I’d love to say I have a solid idea for book number two but I don’t really. I’m busy working full time and promoting this book which I’m trying to mindfully enjoy as a process. In one of life’s great ironies, with all of the time that social media and book promotion takes, I’m simply not getting the chance to write! So in all honesty, what’s next for me is to join a local writer’s group that meet only monthly, but that’s better than nothing.

THANKS JODIE!

A HOLE IN MY GENES IS AVAILABLE ON LINE, OR ASK YOUR LOCAL BOOK SELLER TO ORDER IT!

Book Beginning: Staying On by Paul Scott

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

When Tusker Smalley died of a massive coronary at approximately 9:30 am on the last Monday in April, 1972, his wife Lucy was out, having her white hair blue-rinsed and set at the Seraglio Room on the ground floor of Pankot's new five-storey glass and concrete hotel, the Shiraz.

UPDATE, Saturday, March 9, 2019: 

Apparently I was so distracted when I put this post up that I didn't realize I left out the name of my book and any description. It's been that kind of week.

-- Staying On by Paul Scott is a sequel to Scott's Raj Quartet about the wind up of British rule in India during WWII. He won the 1977 Booker Prize for Staying On.

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING





TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

MY FRIDAY 56

My Friday 56 is missing this week. I don't have the book with me and I am still at the office after 8:00 pm -- something I almost never do. I have a brief to file in a case in Idaho tomorrow and a court hearing here in Portland, so I barely got my opening sentence up. Next week!

Favorite Author: Tana French

Tana French is an American-born author who lives and writes in Ireland. Her popular Dublin Murder Squad series switches protagonists from book to book, with one of the side characters in an earlier book moving forward into the leading role in a later book. Her latest is a stand alone.

In the books, the Murder Squad office is in the Dublin Castle. In real life, homicide detectives in Dublin worked in Harcourt Square until the Garda headquarters moved to Kevin Street in 2018. Look who's a detective!

I'm late to start the series, but looking forward to reading them all. Those I have read are in red; those on my TBR shelf are in blue.

In the Woods (2007)
The Likeness (2008)
Faithful Place (2010)
Broken Harbor (2012)
The Secret Place (2014)
The Trespasser (2016)
The Wych Elm (2018) (stand alone)