Don't Forget The Soap
by: Marie Claire Lim Moore
Here's the last leg of the Blog Tour. And it's an interview with the author!
It's the time meet the lady wearing the red dress.
A short Question and Answer portion:
(Miss Universe lang ang peg! Chos! :D)
Tell me a bit about yourself.
(Haha. I can't think of any question to start with.)
I’m a Filipino-Canadian-American living in Singapore
with my husband, 3 year-old-son and 1-year-old daughter.
I work at Citibank as a Regional Director for Asiamanaging our Global Client business
and earlier this year I wrote my first book.
What inspired you to write this book?
I have always enjoyed writing and for a long time now I’ve been thinking about writing a book about things I’ve learned from my mother. When I was single and living in New York this book was going to be all about tips for living in the city. How, contrary to popular belief, you can have a great apartment, job and boyfriend all at the same time. Things you should have in your closet. Things you should have in your pantry. I had lots of ideas but not necessarily the focus and discipline to sit down and do it. Fast forward to a few years later. I’m married with two kids and living in Singapore. I still have a bunch of tips from my mother I want to share. But this time they’re not just about what to wear, where to go, what to eat. Now I spend more time thinking about what to teach my kids, how to make sure they appreciate all the wonderful things they have, how to balance career and family, etc. And this time I do find the motivation and discipline to sit down and do it. The timing happened to work nicely since I was on 4 maternity leave from work. Once I decided to do it, the topics and stories started flowing.
What time of the day do you write?
Early in the morning and late in the night. Because two kids and a full time job at Citibank I need to carve out time before the day starts and after everyone’s gone to bed.
What is the hardest part of writing this book?
I wrote almost the entire book with a newborn on my lap so though I did find time to write (in the middle of the night while the baby was nursing, in the middle of the day when kids were sleeping) it was a disjointed process. Even if I got into a writing flow I would have to stop if the baby started crying and pick up again whenever I could find time next. By this point I could be in a totally different state of mind so I worried about the tone of the book being inconsistent. I felt much better about things once I finished writing and moved on to the editing. During this phase, I had time to make appropriate adjustments so the book would better flow.
What part did you enjoyed most?
Taking all the trips down memory lane with family and friends, recalling all the tiny details about each of the stories and often finding photos or memorabilia that brought the anecdotes back to life.
Where did you get your ideas?
From everywhere. My family members. My favorite TV shows. Op Ed pieces from The New York Times. Clips from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Ideas come to me at any given time through any given channel so the most important thing for me is ensuring I capture the ideas. I make lots of lists and keep lots of files.
Have you experienced writers block? How did you cope up with that?
I haven’t experienced what I think would be writers block. Sometimes the stories aren’t flowing to my satisfaction but I just keep on writing so I don’t lose my ideas. Even if it’s in list or bullet point form. I find I can always build those out later.
Who, an author, do you consider as your mentor?
Sheryl Sandberg. Mindy Kaling. Tina Fey. Queen Nor. Not traditional authors, I know, but neither am I. I love how each of them entertain us and teach us something through real life experiences.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
a. Find your voice. Specifically for my genre. When people read your writing they should be able to hear you speaking.
b. Stay inspired. This includes reading (very important) but is not limited to reading. You also adopt the energy of the people who surround you. It’s important to have author friends in your social circles and networks.
c. Don’t let perfection hold you back. I know many people who have written part or most of their story but have never finished it. Sure, one factor is discipline but another is perfection. The idea that they don’t want to put something out there that can still be improved. Every piece of work can be enhanced so if you take this approach you’ll never get anything out there.
What is your greatest dream as an author?
To reach as many people out there who would connect with my stories. To continue getting inspired by hearing their experiences. To channel this energy into positive actions. For example, the book is launching in Manila at a particularly difficult time for tens of thousands of Filipinos impacted by Typhoon Haiyan so we’ll be donating all proceeds from the launch to relief efforts.
So I guess you learned something from her.
Are there aspring writers there?
Haha. Start your story now! :D
Me? Nah. Don't have talent in writing. LOL
But I got inspired with her advice.
Find your voice.
Stay inspired.
Don’t let perfection hold you back.
I think these not only apply on writing a book,
but also in our everyday lives.
Curious about the book?
Don't Forget the Soap is now available at:
Catch a glimpse of some parts of it by reading my Excerpt Reveal
and have a background of what it is about by reading my Book Review.
And here's the SURPRISE!
If you are really a Giveaway Lover, I'm sure you joined our recent giveaway.
Well, only 5 won.
Congratulations to you guys! :)
Congratulations to you guys! :)
To those who didn't,
don't worry,
coz we have another round of giveaway!
Same mechanics,
same prizes!
Again, you could win one of the following:
$100 Amazon Gift Card
(open internationally)
A paperback copy of Don't Forget the Soap
Aranaz designer bag
Human Nature Goodwill Goddess package
TWG tea package
To join, just follow this rafflecopter widget:
Goodluck, Giveaway Lovers!
Don't forget to follow me for more giveaway updates! :)
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