Fictionalizing

People generally like stories, so some business books take the form of a fable or contain anecdotes that illustrate their points. In a way, the authors are fictionalizing non-fiction in order to make the books more appealing. If the situation were that fiction and non-fiction are competing for the favor of the masses, then is fiction winning, because non-fiction is taking on a partial mask of fiction? I would like to say so, but I am completely biased, because I love fiction.

Non-fiction lovers will probably disagree with me, because even if the book is in the form of a story, it is fundamentally non-fiction that contains facts or a purpose or message that is applicable to real life. In other words, it is not just an imagination of another life lived by imagined characters. But, if non-fiction must sometimes borrow a form of fiction to boost its appeal, then it is clear that fiction is not dead and cannot die. Even if publishing might be a stagnant industry right now, people just can't get enough of stories. Sure, people can self-publish, but that's still publishing, right? That means, publishing is alive and well, and will probably live on as long as stories exist. Both fiction and non-fiction stories, that is.

Good Books are Not Jealous

As I was resting my poor nail-less toe, I started reading Affluenza, 2nd Ed., because I remembered watching a part of the documentary in my environmental science class in high school. I also think the topic is absolutely fascinating and I myself am trying to live more simply without getting caught up in the world's consumer culture. In one of the sections, the authors refer to Henry David Thoreau, who's famous for his own quest for simplicity in his book Walden. Probably because I agree so strongly with living simply as possible, I got the sudden urge to read Walden, which I have never had the chance to read before.

And this happened when I wasn't even finished with Affluenza. But, not because the book was so boring that I wanted to read something else. If a book inspires you to read another book, then that book is definitely worthwhile. It makes you become interested in a topic that the book is pursuing, instead of limiting your interest to itself, a book that you will eventually finish and never read again. Instead of being jealous of other books, it directs you to them, helping you widen your horizons or learn more deeply about a certain topic. Now, that's some nice book.

The pun is intended :)

Marketing Workshop Day 1

Let me tell you...those cookie plates are dangerous.

Now, as for the more substantial aspect of the marketing workshop...overall, it was pretty awesome. A ton of information that I can't use right now, but I feel like I can apply to them to other aspects of my life that do not necessarily have anything to do with marketing your books. I think that ultimately, you're always marketing yourself, whether it's for a job, networking, or even if just wanting to form a good connection with someone else.

I would have to say that my favorite speaker was Michael Soon Lee, just because he was pretty hilarious. I didn't know that sales tactics that could be seen as "manipulative" could be so lovable.

The talk that was the most relevant to me was Marcia Reynolds talk on speaking. Public speaking goes beyond just book marketing into almost every career out there. And I absolutely love watching TED clips, and have always admired really engaging and inspiring TED speakers. I feel like the key to being a great speaker is being conversational, because that really forms a connection between the speaker and the audience. The audience gets sucked into what the speaker is saying, and of course, it's always nice if the speech is poetic (Eloquent, in one sense. I think eloquence always contains poetry.)

Strangely, despite being an ultra-introvert, I have no trouble with public speaking. Maybe, it's because I love acting, so I never feel stage fright. I guess it also might sound strange that an introvert loves acting, but I actually think acting is perfect for introverts. When you are acting, you are becoming someone else, so there is no vulnerability of exposing yourself. Introverts become freer to act when they are not themselves. That is not to say that I am not free when I am myself.. I am strictly speaking about the feeling that one might get from acting. But, here I am digressing to a completely different topic from what I've started with...

Anyways, I am disappointed that I won't be able to attend tomorrow's workshop, but there really isn't a more urgent concern when you are dragging around a pussing toe. Doctor's appointment, here I come, grimly.

Jeffrey Clements Author's Day and Politics

I had to be extra alert today, because Corporations are Not People is a very politically charged book, so people were talking a lot about politics and people from different parties. And let's just say that politics and I are not the closest buddies. (Whenever I read the newspaper, I go straight to the art/culture/travel and health sections. I guess that's a great improvement from just reading the comic section and looking over the ads to see if there are any sales at Macy's. But, I know, I could do better.)

But, I am realizing that politics is really important in people's daily lives. Not in that abstract sense of politics influencing and shaping our careers, market, etc., which is all true, but in the idea that people actually talk about these things once they graduate being a student. In the world of work, politics sometimes form a part of everyday talk, instead of the usual so-and-so-did-what-last-night trivial subjects that fill most of the conversations between students.

I have to say, I am not particularly interested in politics. (I am actually not interested in a lot of things that most people my age are interested in, but that's a whole new can of worms.) I don't have a t.v. at my Berkeley apartment, but back home, if I do decide to watch anything political, it's always Stephen Colbert Report. Only because that guy can make politics funnier than most standup comedies. (Which are supposed to be funny, but I think they are vulgar sometimes. Sorry if I sound snobby.) So, after realizing the importance of politics, will I start reading the politics section of the newspaper? Mmmm, let's just say, baby steps, okay?

For Once

For once this post is not about books or writing. It's, randomly, about ethnicity.

Not so random, I guess. I was talking to Jeevan about how I don't really consider myself Korean-American, but just Korean, probably because I came here when I was eight and am still superficially in tune with the Korean culture and language. But, I realized that I am not really...anything.

When I visit Korea, it feels like I am in a foreign country, even if I look like the people there and understand the language perfectly. I guess it's kind of like an American being in England or Australia. I am too comfortably settled in the American culture and the setting that Korean culture is like a foreign entity. But, at the same time, I don't consider myself American and probably wouldn't mind living in Korea. (Although it might be a bit difficult for me to adjust, seeing that I am more fluent in English than in Korean.) And, I just found out that I have a slight accent when I speak English, which was new to me. So, here I am, stuck in the middle, not fully anything, not able to fully decide to be anything, because I have two cultures inside my belly that both make my current self.

It's a weird feeling. It feels like I am floating inside a gigantic fish net that's hung from two lonely planets in space.

Revision: Productivity II

I need to slightly revise what I said previously about my writing process. I said that making writing into work makes me not want to write, but sometimes, discipline must be forced if I do not show self-discipline. The internal rule to write certain number of pages a day is pretty effective. As long as it's flexible, that is.

Strangely, I am re-learning a lot of things about myself by arranging my personal thoughts on this blog. As Stephen King said, "I write to find out what I think."

Productive II

Funny thing. I previously wrote about productivity and today, I read a book proposal about how to achieve maximum productivity. The society's obsession with productivity is tremendous, stemming from our dissatisfaction with just how lazy we are. So, why are we so lazy or unproductive?

Maybe, we are so unproductive because we obsess over productivity in the first place. Because there is this stress to be productive, productivity becomes an obligation, a burden, or for a lack of a better word, work. And people tend to get lazy if they think that what they are doing is work. Wouldn't we achieve maximum productivity if we don't think about productivity? If we don't think about how much work we have to get done in a certain amount of time, but just do things step by step without thinking about just how much of a workload we have? The constant pressure to be productive overwhelms us, and that might be why we get lazy. Because, we just don't want to deal with it.

This is coming from a personal experience of writing. If I make an obligation to write a certain amount, that writing becomes work, and I suddenly don't want to do it anymore. But, if I just write on and on without thinking of its end, if I just let the momentum take me, I end up writing more. (But, this is different from writing as much or little as you want. If I have that kind of mindset, I would just write one paragraph a day...). The best way to be productive is to only look at the process of work rather than the work as a whole with its beginning and its end.

Being Productive

Unlike my internship at BK, my two previous internships did not have regular 10-5 work hours at an office. My blogging internship was completely online, in the comforts of my own home (or I guess, my dorm, which wasn't THAT comfortable), whereas my internship at an art gallery was not solely a desk job. (It involved a lot of manual labor...those canvases are HEAVY.) Although my internship at BK is only two days a week, it is safe to say that it's my first so-this-is-what-it's-like experience of having an office job. Although a desk job is not as physically draining as carrying twenty pound canvases, it does pose a sneaky danger. It's really easy to doze off, especially at the wee hour after lunch, just plain space out (which I am very good at, unfortunately), or do personal yet completely unnecessary things on the computer. (But, I am pretty good at staying focused on work, so this one's not too much of a problem.) In other words, it's really easy to be unproductive.


But, there is something nice about being productive. Even at home, I feel this satisfaction of having done something worthwhile. After working on something for hours, I would realize, "Wow! I've been working for so long!" and would feel really good about myself. It's funny, we think that being lazy and not doing anything will make us happy, because we are finally free from the shackles of work. I mean, being lazy from time to time is absolutely enjoyable, but in the end, having something to do makes us happier than not doing anything. I guess the hard part about being productive is actually getting started. At least, that's the hardest part for me.

Used vs. New: The Monetary Value of Books

It is painful for a college kid to buy new books. That is, spend $14.95 on a fiction that I could probably buy for $6 used. Ever since I was introduced into the wonderful world of used books at Berkeley, I just couldn't bear to spend more than twice the amount of money to buy the same book, simply with a newer cover and whiter paper. The only problem is that when there is a book that I really want to buy or have always wanted to buy, but can never seem to find it as used. Then, I arrive at the point of dilemma: To spend $14.95 or to not spend $14.95. I have succumbed to buying new books before, especially for the books that I felt as if I just had to read at that moment, or else I would go into book-withdrawals, or a massive depression (Small things do make me moody, such as the overcast weather, not reading when I want to read, etc.) Even if I cringe as I hand my crisp twenty dollar bill at the cash register, I am still happy enough once I get that book in my hands. So, if it's not so devastating to buy new books and I can indeed buy new books without bashing myself over it, then buying used books is not the only choice for my conscience. In other words, I am ultimately okay buying either used or new books.

Which brings me to the question of what is the monetary value of books? Economically, buying used books is more prudent, because you get the same content for half the price. But, what is considered "expensive" for books? $14.95 is only too expensive, because I know that there is a $6 option somewhere in the world, but in the end, the joy of getting that book trumps all that pain of extra dollars. Poohh, call me a spendthrift, I can't help it with books sometimes.

Literary Ego

My literary ego made me read Proust as my leisurely reading.

As an English major, I have this smug obligation to read famous works of literature just so that I can say that I've read them. Hence, why I forced myself to finish Herman Melville's Moby-Dick even if I think that it's the most boring work of fiction ever written. (Even worse than Steinbeck's East of Eden; although, I think that one has potential, so I should go back to it.) So, when I heard about Proust's epic seven-volume attempt to grasp the passage of time, there was a little blip in my English major brain, and I thought, 'That's it! Time for me to read Proust!' I had heard that it was hard to understand, but oh dear, I really underestimated that French author.

To business books, we are usually "Simplify! Simplify!" Yes, Proust, simplify. No, just kidding. Simplifying In Search of Lost Time would be taking away the major artistic merit of the work. And his writing is absolutely gorgeous, and scarily precise. What a brain to be able to express, in words, a single train of thought that takes less than a second.

Because I admire such literature, I think it's good that I am interning at BK. I am exposed to books that I would probably never think of picking up in the bookstore, and I am learning that not all books are published in the same way.

Okay, I got to get back to the mind-wringing world of Proust. (And no, I will not quit midway through the book. I am going to finish it and feed my ego.)

Editing is not empathetic

My first author's day yesterday was awesome! It felt pretty exhilarating to come out of the narrow shell of academia and meet people working in the real world. My favorite meetings were the editorial meetings (good thing that I am an editorial intern), just because I actually love editing. (Yes, I actually get pleasure from editing. Hmmm, something tell me that I'll feel just fine with this internship). Well, more specifically, I like editing other people's works. Maybe, this is that cruel, hidden streak in me, because I feel no remorse in telling people they could fix this and that in their manuscript that they've poured their sweat and blood into for a long time. As for my own writing, I love watching it improve as I edit, but I have to admit that it's one of the most mentally painful experiences of my life. It's quite difficult to be objective with self-editing, because you are so personally invested in your own writing. But, I think we always forget that when we are simply editors. I think it's crucial to bring an objective perspective to editing a piece of writing, but we also easily forget that the piece is like the author's baby. If we criticize it ruthlessly, it's like insulting their child.

Constructive criticism is a way to not only make the editing process productive but also to take into consideration that it is decent etiquette to be respectful to other people's writing. It is just plain rude to say that something is crap without giving sufficient reason or ways to improve it. In a way, it's a tool for empathy, to connect with the authors in striving for the same goal of improving the piece of writing. But, the fact that I get pleasure from editing other people's works, because I have the opportunity to be objective and be productive with criticism, seems to distance me from the author's feelings. This is necessary for editing well, but it does show me that editing is not the emotionally kindest or most sympathetic act that one could do. But, I guess the karma comes when we have to edit our own works and pull our hair out.