Sasha Presents Writing Lessons & Tips

 

Credit: Sasha Talks; Author Sasha Laghonh, Writing

#ComingSoon

Sasha Talks Presents ... 

Writing Lessons & Tips 

Talk and Commentary Coming Soon

Complete the form here to learn more about the event.

Interested in sharing your love for writing and the arts?

Submit your pitch here.

You with the Sad Eyes By Christina Applegate

 

Credit: You with the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate

Overview

Actor-producer Christina Applegate has been onscreen since she was 1 year old (in Days of Our Lives, of course). The Emmy winner’s most recent role as co-star in the exceptional tragicomedy Dead to Me showed her astonishing range, but by the series finale, Applegate had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Applegate has always kept it real, and her memoir will “dive into the darker moments underpinning her outward success.” Credit: You with the Sad Eyes; BookPage.

Mind Your Mindset

Credit: Mind Your Mindset

Overview

In your mind lives a narrator that's constantly creating stories to help you understand your experiences. But what if those stories aren't true? What if the tales we tell ourselves keep us from enjoying the level of success we know is possible? Mind Your Mindset contains the instruction manual to challenge your narrator, rewrite your stories, and succeed beyond what you thought possible. Credit: Full Focus Store; Michael Hyatt.

Writers Series Welcomes Author Helen Glanville

 

Credit: Writers Series | Guest, Helen Glanville

Meet Helen Glanville

Helen Glanville is an Australian author whose debut memoir, A Second Chance, tells the remarkable true story of love, forgiveness and rebuilding after life’s most difficult chapters. When Helen met her husband, Richard “Geoff” Glanville, he was serving time for one of Australia’s most notorious white-collar crimes. Against the odds, they fell in love, married, and went on to build a life centred on honesty, redemption and service to others.

​She writes with warmth and honesty about resilience, morality and the courage to begin again. Helen's experiences include losing everything in the 2019 bushfires and then finding faith and meaning through each new beginning. Today she speaks about transformation, second chances and the process of turning pain into purpose. Based in Adelaide, Helen continues to share her message that no story is beyond redemption, and that writing can be both a personal and spiritual act of renewal. Credit: Helen Glanville.  

Helen's appearance is also available @ ❤️iHeartRadio.

​

Writing with Purpose - Join the Fun!

 

Credit: Style My Soul, www.stylemysoul.com | Write for Us

Calling All Writers, Authors and Literary Creators!

Do you love writing about topics that educate readers?

Well ... 

Style My Soul welcomes writers of all levels to share their expertise.

Visit www.stylemysoul.com to learn more.

Write for Us  

 

We Can Do Hard Things

 

Credit: We Can Do Hard Things

Every day, Glennon Doyle spirals around the same questions: Why am I like this? How do I figure out what I want? How do I know what to do? Why can’t I be happy? Am I doing this right? The harder life gets, the less likely she is to remember the answers she’s spent her life learning. She wonders: I’m almost fifty years old. I’ve overcome a hell of a lot. Why do I wake up every day having forgotten everything I know?

Glennon’s compasses are her sister, Amanda, and her wife, Abby. Recently, in the span of a single year, Glennon was diagnosed with anorexia, Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Abby’s beloved brother died. For the first time, they were all lost at the same time. So they turned toward the only thing that’s ever helped them find their way: deep, honest conversations with other brave, kind, wise people. They asked each other, their dearest friends, and 118 of the world’s most brilliant wayfinders: As you’ve traveled these roads—marriage, parenting, work, recovery, heartbreak, aging, new beginnings—have you collected any wisdom that might help us find our way? Read more here. Credit: Penguin Random House.

Matriarch By Tina Knowles

 

Credit: Matriarch, A Memoir

Book Overview

Tina Knowles, the mother of iconic singer-songwriters Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Solange Knowles, and bonus daughter Kelly Rowland, is known the world over as a Matriarch with a capital M: a determined, self-possessed, self-aware, and wise woman who raised and inspired some of the great artists of our time. But this story is about so much more than that. Matriarch begins with a precocious, if unruly, little girl growing up in 1950s Galveston, the youngest of seven. She is in love with her world, with extended family on every other porch and the sounds of Motown and the lapping beach always within earshot. But as the realities of race and the limitations of girlhood set in, she begins to dream of a more grandiose world. Her instincts and impulsive nature drive her far beyond the shores of Texas to discover the life awaiting her on the other side of childhood. Credit: Read more at Matriarch.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

 

Credit: Stephen King, On Writing a Memoir of the Craft

Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work. “Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told. Credit: On Writing.

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

 

Credit: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

 

Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable. Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn’t, he has learned that being an artist isn’t about your specific output, it’s about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone’s life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities. The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distills the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime’s work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments—and lifetimes—of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us. Credit: The Creative Act; Rick Rubin.

"Mind Wiping" - Eliminate Destructive Emotions

Credit: Mind Wiping | www.mindwiping.com

 

Overview

What erases with Mind Wiping? 

"All negative, destructive emotions. We've yet to find a negative emotions that refuses to be erased using Mind Wiping. Many do not realize that they made a decision an instant before feeling a negative emotion. An emotion is always attached to a painful experience. First we decide, then we feel. Mind Wiping erases only the emotion. The decision will stay in the subconscious mind until it is erased. Later we'll go back and erase any negative decisions, but it takes another technique(s) to do that. Which is why we keep track of the emotions we erase."  Credit: Mind Wiping; Learn more about the authors Sarah and Jessica Meredith. 

Explore Mind Wiping and purchase the book here.

The Power of Moments

Credit: The Power of Moments

 Overview

The New York Times bestselling authors of Switch and Made to Stick explore why certain brief experiences can jolt us and elevate us and change us—and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in our life and work. Many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck—but why would we leave our most meaningful, memorable moments to chance when we can create them? This book features captivating stories of people who have created standout moments: The owners who transformed an utterly mediocre hotel into one of the best-loved properties in Los Angeles by conjuring moments of magic for guests. Relief workers who beat a deadly health practice in one village by causing the locals to “trip over the truth.” The scrappy team that turned around one of the worst elementary schools in the country by embracing an intervention that lasts less than an hour. Excerpt Credit: The Power of Moments; Chip Heath; Dan Heath (HeathBrothers.com).

Unreasonable Hospitality

Credit: Unreasonable Hospitality

Will Guidara was twenty-six when he took the helm of Eleven Madison Park, a struggling two-star brasserie that had never quite lived up to its majestic room. Eleven years later, EMP was named the best restaurant in the world. How did Guidara pull off this unprecedented transformation? Radical reinvention, a true partnership between the kitchen and the dining room—and memorable, over-the-top, bespoke hospitality. Guidara’s team surprised a family who had never seen snow with a magical sledding trip to Central Park after their dinner; they filled a private dining room with sand, complete with mai-tais and beach chairs, to console a couple with a cancelled vacation. And his hospitality extended beyond those dining at the restaurant to his own team, who learned to deliver praise and criticism with intention; why the answer to some of the most pernicious business dilemmas is to give more—not less; and the magic that can happen when a busser starts thinking like an owner. Today, every business can choose to be a hospitality business—and we can all transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences. Featuring sparkling stories of his journey through restaurants, with the industry’s most famous players like Daniel Boulud and Danny Meyer, Guidara urges us all to find the magic in what we do—for ourselves, the people we work with, and the people we serve. Credits: Unreasonable Hospitality; Will Guidara.

Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

Credit: Daniel Goleman

Overview

Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman's brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our “two minds”—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny. Drawing on groundbreaking brain and behavioral research, Goleman shows the factors at work when people of high IQ flounder and those of modest IQ do surprisingly well. These factors, which include self-awareness, self-discipline, and empathy, add up to a different way of being smart—and they aren’t fixed at birth. Although shaped by childhood experiences, emotional intelligence can be nurtured and strengthened throughout our adulthood—with immediate benefits to our health, our relationships, and our work. Read more here. Credit: Daniel Goleman; DG Books.

The Man Who Tasted Words by Guy Leschziner

 

Credit: The Man Who Tasted Words

A fascinating exploration of how our senses can enrich our experience of the world around us - and how they can work against us. Our senses form an integral part of our daily experiences, memories and the way in which we view our surroundings. They can both enrich or hinder our life experiences, offering their own interpretation on what we can see, hear, smell, touch or feel. However, what we perceive to be the absolute truth of the world around us is a complex reconstruction, a virtual reality recreated by the machinations of our minds and our nervous systems. In The Man Who Tasted Words, consultant neurologist and author and presenter Guy Leschziner seeks to explore our senses and how they construct our perception of the world around us. This book features extraordinary individuals, whose senses have been altered in some way, and whose stories illustrate important insights into normal sensory function. It will also explore how our senses can work against us - wreaking havoc not only with our perceptions, but our relationship with ourselves and our families, sometimes with unexpected consequences. Featuring interviews with patients and experts in the field, this book will change the way we view the power of our senses and their role in our way of being.  Credit: Simon and Schuster UK; Blackwells UK.

Yeonmi Park, While Time Remains

 

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

 

Credit: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Overview

An escaped convict with a false passport, Lin flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of Bombay, where he can disappear. Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter the city’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere. As a hunted man without a home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums, and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals. The keys to unlock the mysteries and intrigues that bind Lin are held by two people. The first is Khader Khan: mafia godfather, criminal-philosopher-saint, and mentor to Lin in the underworld of the Golden City. The second is Karla: elusive, dangerous, and beautiful, whose passions are driven by secrets that torment her and yet give her a terrible power. Credits: Read more here. 

About the Author: Gregory David Roberts, the author of Shantaram and its sequel, The Mountain Shadow, was born in Melbourne, Australia. Sentenced to nineteen years in prison for a series of armed robberies, he escaped and spent ten of his fugitive years in Bombay―where he established a free medical clinic for slum-dwellers, and worked as a counterfeiter, smuggler, gunrunner, and street soldier for a branch of the Bombay mafia. Recaptured, he served out his sentence, and established a successful multimedia company upon his release. Roberts is a now full-time writer and lives in Bombay. Credit: Gregory David Roberts. 

When Your Partner Says #MeToo

 

Credit: When Your Partner Says #MeToo

Meet Shaun Hamilton, the author of 'When Your Partner Says #MeToo: Your Role And Responsibilities In Their Recovery Process'. He's passionate about helping partners of survivors navigate the complex journey of supporting their loved one's healing process. Drawing on his extensive research and experience, he's developed practical insights and actionable advice that can help anyone in this situation feel more informed, empowered, and equipped to support their partner. Shaun brings his unique perspective and expertise to share with audiences that can help make a positive impact in people's lives. Credit: Shaun Hamilton; When Your Partner Says #MeToo.

Shaun makes an appearance on Sasha Talks on Saturday March 11th @ 8 pm Central, US. Global listeners can check their local listings for show times.

Credit: Sasha Talks | Guest Shaun Hamilton

Cindy Di Xin Discusses Filmmaking & Emotions

 

Credit: Cindy Di Xin, Filmmaker

Cindy, can you share with us how you were introduced to the art of filmmaking?

Mine was really simple. Things that inspired me were my own experience and loneliness. I am the only one who has experienced all of the dramatic moments, then I started to feel lonely in my life. I tried to share with my friends by telling them, but I couldn’t bring them into my scenario and feelings. After I studied communication in my undergrad, I got to know about visual arts. I started to shape my and other people’s story with motion pictures and sounds, then I met the charm of filmmaking.

There are many modes of storytelling which include writing, photography, still art, etc. What makes filmmaking to be a powerful tool for communicating stories about life?

​In my opinion, filmmaking is a combo within writing, photography, music, and other platforms of arts. It combines all the beauties from each of the modes to one thing that can stimulate the audience all at once, which makes the audience explore and get into the motion arts journey as how they experience their own life. This kind of experience is powerful.

As an Alum from the School of Visual Arts in New York, can you please share your academic experience when working on your first degree in directing? From all the specialties to explore in film production, what made you gravitate towards directing?

It was my first time having a chance to get to know filmmaking and what a director is. It was an intense and concentrated program that let you get to know about the filmmaking industry in a professional way. Our professors were super supportive and tried to make you successful in your own artistic way.

I always think directing is the most difficult job in film production, but also it is the most exciting job. I enjoy collecting and supporting each department’s artist to create new things based on their understanding of the story. The director also has a role to make sure everything is on the same page and have good communication. I love to be a listener to my crew and help them solve all of the problems. The director is the person who gives the direction, and also is the person who tries to collect all of the outcomes from each department towards the final destination. For instance, I love working with actors and their performances always give me so many inspirations to leverage in my work and life.

What is your directorial style? How does it differ from other directors in how they approach their craft of storytelling?

I don’t know if that is my unique way or not. Hahahah! Instead of just giving my actors instructions, I always want to hear more from them. I enjoy making a connection between the actors’ real-life experiences and the characters in the movies, then letting them use that relationship to improvise or come up with something new. Together with the performers, I like constructing the character.

What is one non-negotiable element (or rule) of film making that all directors must adhere to?

Safety is first. Nothing deserves anyone’s life.

Cindy, as a transplant from China, what were your initial impressions of the United States and its people?

Nothing has a right or wrong answer. I remember when I just transferred to an American high school. I was really impressed that everyone was eager to express and share their feelings and opinions. When I was in Chinese school, it was rare to see many students raise their hands up; because we always have a mindset that there is a right answer to each question.

You’ve had the privilege of living in a few states within the United States, how have these experiences shaped your senses in how you narrate your stories before global audiences?

​I’ve lived in lower and upper states on the east and west coasts, and these experiences have made me aware of how backgrounds influence people. Background factors include family, personal experience, weather, and locale. These encounters gave me incredibly beneficial chances to get to know all types of individuals, and they also helped me develop a character for a tale. Furthermore, I discovered that nothing in the world is liked by everyone. However, if you create a story that is authentic to you and plausible, some others will identify with it.

Presently short films are trending in the markets. Why is this trend gaining momentum on different online and offline platforms?

In my opinion, the main cause of this is that people’s lives and jobs are moving much more quickly and intensely than they did in the past, and technology makes it possible for individuals to obtain information more quickly and easily. Because of this, people would rather use or spend less time enjoying or taking a break from their life or between their jobs. The condensed substance of short films is similar to that of other resources that people are using in the present. Because of this, short films are popular in today’s markets.

Cindy, you’ve mentioned “let the story determine how long it lasts”. Is there a rule of thumb you’ve established under which a story can be told in an undefined time frame? If a story runs long in film, do you believe it should be delivered to audiences in one delivery, or should the story be presented in a few movie sequels, i.e. trilogies?

​Based on my experiences, I think character driven stories should be told in an undefined time frame because a character driven film is just like a journey you want to bring your audience on and feel. I do believe some of the stories can be presented in a different chapter or a few sequels. Everything has its own stages. If putting the story into several movie sequels can make the audience have a better understanding or tighter connection, I think we should break the story into pieces. In a movie, telling a story is not only about starting a plot; it’s about using a story’s elements to engage the audience’s hearts and minds.

What type of stories are best told in a short film? Which stories are better aligned to be presented in a long filmmaking format?

A short film should, in my opinion, have a straightforward, simple plot or setup with dramatic twists so that the audience may be hooked quickly.

It would be more of a character-driven or character’s journey film for a long film format. Additionally, a story that is based on the creation of a new universe or a new society should be presented in the form of a lengthy film.

As the recipient of the International Independent Film Awards and Tokyo Film Awards, what was your reaction when learning that your work is raising awareness on the global stage?

​First, I am so grateful and happy that my work has been seen and connected with other people. Second, these awards encourage me to believe in my own works and give me more confidence in my creations. Additionally, they demonstrate to me that a well-developed story may be tied to and connected to a larger world than just the close surroundings.

The movie VOICELESS is a true story which explores complicated emotions involving a student who is sexually assaulted by her mentor. The film sheds light on voiceless victims that are granted an opportunity to be seen and heard through this powerful presentation. What was the process like from articulating this true story to recreating the story for an on-screen presentation?

I have talked to people who may or may not have the similar experiences and tried to understand their feelings and their actions. Most of the answers I got are isolation and silence with different kinds of trauma nightmares. In order to make my audience feel all of those feelings in a dramatic way, I created this intense and dramatic action for the character at the end of the film.

When casting characters for your film, how involved are you in the process? Is there a team of professionals conducting auditions for these roles? What type of attributes do you seek when casting actors and actresses in your films?

As all of my films are independent and low-budget filmmaking set up. I am in charge of most of the casting and audition process. I usually look for actors who have a related feeling or story to the story first, then I will try to see what the chemistry between me and the actors is. Lastly, I would love to see how they take my directions to their performances.

As a filmmaker, do you have any auditioning tips for any prospective actors and actresses reading this interview?

Try to dig into your own experiences first before acting, then try to have your own understanding of the story before hearing from the director.

Credit: A day, at the Beach

The movie The day, at the Beach paints a story highlighting the main character’s experience with family separations and reunions. If family is a root for everyone’s life, how has your family influenced your relationship with the world today?

​Based on my own family story and background, I have seen different layers or stages in me and my family relationships. I am always wanting to set myself as an observer of the world. I don’t think everything should have a conclusion, but everything should have attitudes and causes. I try to be open minded to the world and be a listener to the world.

What type of hobbies do you enjoy practicing in your leisure?

I love watching movies for sure, to see how other filmmakers’ job and how they use their ways to shape stories. Other than film, I enjoy both traveling and taking still pictures. I am able to get close to real life, real people, and real stories through travel. Being a still photographer allows me to establish truly undercover intimacy with strangers.

Do you have a favorite filmmaker whose work you admire? How has their personality and portfolio of work influenced your outlook on work?

​Chloe Zhao. She is a delicate and talented filmmaker. I really like how she shapes the story. Her films not only provide us with entertainment, but also take us on a journey with her character.

Cindy, what are the top two qualities that make a good filmmaker?

​Being open minded, and to be a good listener.

Emotions serve as a potent theme in your films. What emotion do you identify the most with and why?

Loneliness. I think it is the most common and the first emotion that people would feel in their life. People also have different reactions and actions to this emotion. Moreover, loneliness is the emotion that is easiest and the most difficult to connect. That is why I am obsessed with loneliness.

Can you share a favorite quote on filmmaking?

“No matter how many WEAPONS you have, no matter how great your TECHNOLOGY might be, the world cannot live without LOVE.” — ‘Castle in the Sky’ 1986 by Miyazaki

I always wanted to talk with other people and get advice when I was first deciding what I wanted to be. I realize that what other people always tell me is that you need this and that kind of skill and equipment to be successful. At first, I tried to implement all of the suggestions made by others, and I realized that I was losing myself and becoming confused about my life and goals. My life revolves around passion and love. I always give my best effort and a kind heart to work and work with people because I enjoy what I do and am grateful to those who are willing to work with me. I believe that love gives meaning to everything.

Please share with audiences how they can support your work.

​People can follow my personal IG account: Cindyxxindi

My film accounts: TDATB_shorfilm, and Voiceless_shortfilm. Thanks!