Stolaroid Stories

In this episode, I tell a personal story that might make you reflect on how you try to avoid uncomfortable situations. Listen to what happened to me in August 2022 while I was camping in Portugal. It might give you something to think about.  Episode Links Join my private email list at https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/ for:  announcements about my bookclubs and programs special discounts language learning tips nonfiction book recommendations inspiring true stories free events I organize content updates (new blog posts, podcast episodes and more)

Watch the episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/xNaqmeugIzc How do you find the time to read and write? Fiction or nonfiction? How do you come up with ideas for your stories? Do English language exam preparation courses really teach writing? English teacher, writer, and editor (of the International House Journal) Chris Walker joins me in one of the most insightful conversations about writing I've ever had. Enjoy! Links Get Chris' books -- https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Christopher-Walker/author/B01N80YT77 The blog post I mentioned -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/read-like-a-writer/ The blog post I read out -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/exams/ Any Language You Want (my book) -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/ My group for non-native English writers (opening soon) -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/rga/ Other books we mentioned: The Penguin History of The Second World War 2666 by Roberto Bolano The Pillars of Hercules by Paul Theroux Someday Is Today by Matthew Dicks The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham by Selina Hastings Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace The English Verb by Michael Lewis 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:00 Why Writing 06:11 Fiction vs Nonfiction (Pt.1) 09:56 Finding Writing Ideas 16:07 Chris' Writing Approach 25:29 Reviews & Amazon 30:42 Finding the Time to Write 39:23 Being an Editor 42.52 Fiction vs Nonfiction (Pt.2) 50:54 Useful Writing Strategies 54:30 English Is a Simple Language 59:32 English Exams vs Writing 01:09:12 Tips for Non-Native English Writers 01:15:24 Bye Bye *** Visit my website: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Learn more about the group here (add your questions) -- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mChD0pZ3O4FI74JRyxX9DZTWi6_b9pu4VTXXDJEIP4s/edit?usp=sharing My private email list - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/ Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/SOulZKM5DR8

I hope this episode will help you find more ideas for writing, so you'll never say "I don't know what to write about" ever again. Links My blog - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/blog/ My Medium blog - https://medium.com/@fabiocerpelloni Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/29p2i9fGWX8

Seth Godin is one of the most generous people I've ever met. He's an American entrepreneur, speaker, and the author of 21 bestsellers that have been translated into 39 languages. Seth Godin, most of all, is a teacher. A few years ago, he wrote a manifesto on education titled "Stop Stealing Dreams: What Is School For?" This free e-book has been downloaded over 4 million times. Because I'm a teacher too and because, without exaggeration, Seth Godin is one of my heroes, I invited him to have a chat with me about some of the ideas in his manifesto. I'm so grateful I had the chance to talk to Seth for 40 minutes and I hope you'll enjoy listening to him. I always do. (You can watch the episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/DivRzYrs8BY) Links Download and read "Stop Stealing Dreams" (illustrated version) - https://static.altmba.com/share/Stop_Stealing_Dreams_altMBA_200506.pdf "Stop Stealing Dreams" (text-only version) - https://seths.blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/stop-stealing-dreams6print.pdf Read "Stop Stealing Dreams" on Medium - https://medium.com/@sethgodinwrites/stop-stealing-dreams-4116c7dbff7b Watch Seth Godin's "Stop Stealing Dreams" TED talk - https://youtu.be/sXpbONjV1Jc?si=iknhlQMf7tSePJmX Seth Godin's website - https://www.sethgodin.com/ Seth Godin's blog - https://seths.blog/ My website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:26 Stop Stealing Dreams 06:15 Solving interesting problems 07:40 What to teach 13:00 The Drinking Bird 15:24 Teachers 19:30 Textbooks 25:40 Choosing what to study 28:50 Conforming 32:05 Passion 35:23 Creating 38:48 What is school for?

"The Carbon Almanac: It's Not Too Late" is a book of facts about a problem we should all talk about: climate change. In this video, I tell you about "The Carbon Almanac," why I decided to read it, and why I think you should read it, too. Links: The Carbon Almanac -- https://thecarbonalmanac.org/ The Story of Stuff (the other book I mentioned) -- https://www.storyofstuff.org/ Watch the episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/IffwNJp_0DI

An episode where I go through one of my most viewed articles on Medium. The full title of the article is "Words of Encouragement for Non-Native English Writers Like Me: On doubting your writing, imitating writers, English grammar, and publishing with mistakes." Watch the episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/hzfHy-AhdZ4 Comments? Questions? Reply on Spotify or email me - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/contact/ Links Read the article on Medium for free -- https://medium.com/writing-cooperative/words-of-encouragement-for-non-native-english-writers-like-me-05c2dc362f21?sk=a5d4386e54ae22e9ba73e63d12b14615 The article about using ChatGPT to learn how to write -- https://medium.com/illumination/41-useful-ai-prompts-to-help-non-native-english-writers-write-better-in-english-e96d40ea864c?sk=7e69a2b2221093a04e44cbccf9c659e8 My book -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/ Chapters 00.00 Intro 00:32 Beginning 01:54 Doubting Your Writing 07:50 Imitating Writers 12:20 Beyond Grammar 18:20 Publish Imperfect Article(s) 22:35 Let's Rock 26:45 Conclusion

Barbara Serra is an award-winning journalist, TV presenter, TEDx speaker, author, and documentary-maker. She was born in Italy but has lived in the U.K. since the 90s. English has been her dominant language since learning it as a teenager in international schools across Europe. Over 20 years ago, Barbara Serra made history as the first non-native English speaker to present a primetime news program on British TV, a remarkable achievement attained through hard work, determination, and a passion for her job. Since then, Barbara Serra has worked for some of the most renowned international news networks, including the BBC, Al Jazeera English, and Sky News, where she is currently employed as a TV presenter and news anchor. I invited her on my podcast, Stolaroid Stories, to discuss the challenges of presenting news with a foreign accent, her career as a non-native English journalist, diversity in journalism, the interplay between pronunciation and identity, and her course designed to help non-native speakers find their authentic English voice. Links Barbara Serra's newsletter. "News with a Foreign Accent" -- https://barbaraserra.substack.com/ Barbara Serra's Course: https://www.barbaraserra.info/ Barbara Serra's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-serra-73830134/ *** Find out more about me on my website: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/ My Book: Any Language You Want -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/

Journaling is super easy. In this episode, I tell you how I do it and why. I also recommend a great book to help you get started with journaling. It's titled "Journal to the Self" by Kathleen Adams. Questions or ideas? Write to me in the comments. Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/g6niItmliEY

What's anthropology? How can it change the way we perceive other cultures? And what's Lithuania like? I invited Paulius Juodis, a Lithuanian teacher with a degree in anthropology, to tell us more about these subjects. You can watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SZNe0RKcPsE Links Get in touch with Paulius: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis My interview with Paulius on his podcast: https://youtu.be/Yr4Zstn3T9w?si=rlr2QNMEnN2yAo4s Resources Mentioned Timothy Snyder's work: His book "The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569–1999" and his free lecture series on Ukrainian history are available on YouTube. Videogame: Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition *** www.fabiocerpelloni.com

Some suggestions on how to deal with grammar mistakes when you're writing in English. I hope this is helpful. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GbJsW9rKyz0 Check out my 3-week writing program -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/writing-program/ Consider joining my private email list -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

If English isn't your first language, do you get offended if someone calls you a "non-native English speaker"? Is "non-native English speaker" a derogatory term? Let me know what you think :) Watch on YT -- https://youtu.be/Rfi2kMBBrgc www.fabiocerpelloni.com

Watch this episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/fua7ian-Qgk "English punctuation is a nightmare for me. I can't understand the logic of it," said a writer I interviewed last week. Many non-native English writers struggle with punctuation. It also used to be a problem for me. So here are my 3 tips. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:32 Book 03:20 Exercise 05:15 Writer Brain 7:40 Conclusion I mentioned: "The Best Punctuation Book, Period" by June Casagrande My 3-week writing program https://fabiocerpelloni.com/writing-program/

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/qndgsE7k2Zo Here's a book that could help you develop critical and clear thinking skills. It's called "The Art of Thinking Clearly" by Rolf Dobelli. In this episode, I'll share what I learned from it. www.fabiocerpelloni.com

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/ZbO7WegbCnE I discovered Alberto on Medium.com and was impressed by the quality of his writing. Alberto is an Italian writer and blogger who helps aspiring content creators become prolific by building custom systems that fit their busy lives. He started blogging in Italian in 2010 but then boldly stepped into the world of English writing to reach a wider audience. In this conversation, you'll hear him talk about: His early beginnings in digital content creation His transition from writing in Italian to writing in English Recommended resources for non-native English writers Writing on Medium.com His writing process and approach Using ChatGPT ...and other things related to writing, content creation, learning English, and digital entrepreneurship. If you find this useful, please email me to let me know. All my contacts are on my website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/ Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:38 - Switching to English 13:08 - Gaining Confidence 16:30 - Loving English 24:38 - Writing on Medium 35: 26 - Getting Better at Writing 43:30 - Writing & ChatGPT 52:08 - Books for writers 55:10 - Alberto's course 01:01:44 - Conclusion Links & Resources: - Medium: read Alberto's articles on Medium.com -- https://albertocabasvidani.medium.com/ - The Unstoppable Creator (Alberto's newsletter + free email course) -- https://albertocabasvidani.ck.page/052d7c645d - The Tilt for content strategies and business insights -- https://www.thetilt.com/ - Ali Abdaal and Nicolas Cole -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIfEgvpEufU Books we mentioned: - "Storyworthy" by Matthew Dicks - "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield - "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser - "The Art and Business of Online Writing" by Nicolas Cole - "The 4 Hour Work Week" by Tim Ferris Find out more about me and my work on my website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/his4qaunSmA You don't need 127 teachers, YouTubers, or creators. One or two are enough. Choose one you trust and then get on with your learning without getting lost in a sea of contradicting voices. Links The only YouTube channel I used to learn English -- It was great in 2011. Imagine how great it is in 2024 -- https://www.youtube.com/user/engvidenglish My book: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4kfYRqxYtqA What's the best way to learn a language? My first language is Italian but I've spent the past decade teaching English, a language I started learning in my 20s. I've also studied and researched second language acquisition as part of my MA in Language Education. Without bragging, I know the answer to "What's the best way to learn a language?" But I can't reveal the secret without first addressing a bigger question. I hope what I say in this episode is helpful. *** My book: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/

Do you use English idioms in speaking or writing to sound advanced? To impress someone? To look cool? Don't. Episode links Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/zW1x9ydBwHA Book: 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost My book -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/ The video I mentioned -- https://youtu.be/P_AZvuGjS0w?si=kqiGQneeDh-8zcm8 My website -- https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/WkYpKVokW4c A fascinating interview with David Loewen from Canada. David is a writer, thinker and Doctor of Education. He's also the co-founder of Humanity Academy, a social enterprise committed to empowering individuals by unlocking the doors of knowledge, wisdom, and self-awareness. David and I talked about: The Humanity Academy The shortcomings of traditional education systems The importance of thinking about thinking Learning journals Bears, Australia, and Creativity I'm fascinated by David's work. I hope you'll find this interesting too. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:50 Humanity Academy 06:36 Problems with Traditional Education 13:05 Solutions 23:55 Learning Journals 36:35 Keeping a Learning Journal 49:31 Individualism 58:37 Talking to Ourselves 1:09:00 Consistency? 1:22:30 5-Day Crash Course 1:26:00 Conclusion *Books we mentioned (hope I haven't missed any!)* The Secret Life of You by Kerri Sackville Show Your Work by Austin Kleon Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg Links to David's Work: - Personal website: https://www.davidloewen.org/ - Newsletter (2 free weekly issues): https://www.boxcutter.co/ - Humanity Academy: https://www.humanityacademy.life/ - The Learning Journal Crash Course: https://www.learningjournal.life/ David's Medium: - https://medium.com/@thelearningjournals - https://medium.com/@thedavidloewen For more about Fabio (me) go to https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/gjDkyfaW-40 Keeping a journal or a diary has never scared anyone. But putting your words in front of other people’s eyes, well, yes, that might be intimidating, especially if you’re writing in a second language. I never had an audience when I was learning to write in English. I would use pen and paper, and I never published a single word except for some status updates on Facebook. I missed out. Knowing that someone will read you may be scary, but it'll naturally force you to revise, improve, and polish your text. You’ll be checking the language you use, asking yourself whether your ideas are clear or not and, most importantly, you’ll be writing to and for real human beings who may even give you some feedback. That's why I encourage you to publish your writing. No special tools are required. You don’t need any expensive subscriptions. You don’t need to learn how to build a website or create a personal blog. You just need to open an account on Medium.com – a free blogging platform. I’ve been there for a while too, so if you need any help or have any questions about it, let me know in the comments. *Links* Medium - https://medium.com/ My medium profile - https://medium.com/@fabiocerpelloni The Short Form - https://medium.com/the-shortform