Ask the Author: Isabelle Gecils
Answered Questions (6)
Isabelle Gecils
When I moved to the United States as teenager, I left my previous life behind. From that moment on, I became a new person. I did not think about my past, did not talk about it, and did not think that I would ever feel compelled to.
But in 2004, my son was born. By then, I had surrounded myself with friends and love, when earlier in my life I felt mostly alone and abandoned.
I found myself relatively successful professionally, using the financial security that it provided to mask that I grew up without means, often wearing tattered, stained clothing. My travels around the world hid the fact that I had not been anywhere beyond the walls of a round house in the middle of a jungle in Brazil and its nearby town of Petropolis, until I first set foot in America. Most importantly, I was the owner of my destiny, free to make choices that would keep both me, and now my newborn son, safe. A privilege that eluded me throughout my childhood.
It was hovering over my son’s crib that I felt the need to tell my story. I felt the calling to share with my son the story of the immense struggle to free myself from the circumstances where fate had placed me, that enable me to offer him a life free - to the extent that I could provide it - of fear, of lies and of loneliness. A gift that I had not been able to enjoy.
And I started writing Leaving Shangrila was born. I wrote this book in fits and spurts, when I found a moment among raising my family, building a business and having a life.
By then, I had a built an entire business focused on numbers and economic and business models. I can make spreadsheets sing! Writing? I had written various technical papers with the findings of my analysis, but that would not translate well into a book. So I applied to the Stanford Creative Nonfiction Certificate program, with the purpose of obtaining guidance on how to write a book I am proud of.
It would have been easy to give up on this project and on this journey. My life was so hectic with various responsibilities and little time. But the more I wrote, the more I wanted to write. The more of Leaving Shangrila I shared with my classmates at Stanford over the ensuing 2.5 years, the more excited I felt about the universal appeal of my story and the power behind its message: that irrespective of where comes from and the adversities they face, we can end up with a different, better life, by rejecting lies and dysfunction.
I learned that we climb mountains one step at a time. So, It took me years to publish Leaving Shangrila. Along the way, I learned that this story was meant not only meant for my son (who has read it multiple times now), but for anyone who ever felt compelled to live a life of their choosing, not the one others create for them.
But in 2004, my son was born. By then, I had surrounded myself with friends and love, when earlier in my life I felt mostly alone and abandoned.
I found myself relatively successful professionally, using the financial security that it provided to mask that I grew up without means, often wearing tattered, stained clothing. My travels around the world hid the fact that I had not been anywhere beyond the walls of a round house in the middle of a jungle in Brazil and its nearby town of Petropolis, until I first set foot in America. Most importantly, I was the owner of my destiny, free to make choices that would keep both me, and now my newborn son, safe. A privilege that eluded me throughout my childhood.
It was hovering over my son’s crib that I felt the need to tell my story. I felt the calling to share with my son the story of the immense struggle to free myself from the circumstances where fate had placed me, that enable me to offer him a life free - to the extent that I could provide it - of fear, of lies and of loneliness. A gift that I had not been able to enjoy.
And I started writing Leaving Shangrila was born. I wrote this book in fits and spurts, when I found a moment among raising my family, building a business and having a life.
By then, I had a built an entire business focused on numbers and economic and business models. I can make spreadsheets sing! Writing? I had written various technical papers with the findings of my analysis, but that would not translate well into a book. So I applied to the Stanford Creative Nonfiction Certificate program, with the purpose of obtaining guidance on how to write a book I am proud of.
It would have been easy to give up on this project and on this journey. My life was so hectic with various responsibilities and little time. But the more I wrote, the more I wanted to write. The more of Leaving Shangrila I shared with my classmates at Stanford over the ensuing 2.5 years, the more excited I felt about the universal appeal of my story and the power behind its message: that irrespective of where comes from and the adversities they face, we can end up with a different, better life, by rejecting lies and dysfunction.
I learned that we climb mountains one step at a time. So, It took me years to publish Leaving Shangrila. Along the way, I learned that this story was meant not only meant for my son (who has read it multiple times now), but for anyone who ever felt compelled to live a life of their choosing, not the one others create for them.
Isabelle Gecils
When you have a story within you that is bursting to be told, that is the inspiration. I just felt so strongly it was a calling of sorts to write Leaving Shangrila. But what has originally prompted me to write Leaving Shangrila was realizing that my children would never really know who I was without it. In the process of overcoming to much adversity, I have been able to build a life I am proud of. Looking at my life now, one would not have expected the hardships I endured growing up in Brazil, in a restrictive household, with so much dysfunction. I want to help others realize that we don't choose our families or the circumstances of where we are born/grow up. But that we can make choices to make a life of our choosing, over time.
Isabelle Gecils
I have heard that promoting a book is almost more work than writing it. And it is true. Primarily because there is no end to the number of places and people to whom you can talk about your book. So I am working on figuring out where to find my readers and how to best share Leaving Shangrila's message of personal transformation, triumph over adversity and the fact that one does not have to be defined by the life where fate placed you.
Isabelle Gecils
The writing process is long, and there is so much uncertainty because you don't always know where your work will end up - on a bestseller list, or on the trash can... what has worked for me was just working on it a little bit at a time. I felt strongly about writing my story, but not too strongly about when, how and how long it would take. Some days I worked for hours, for many days, not at all. But at times, I would take a few minutes a day to write or edit. The most important point however is, if you have a story (or stories) within you, then don't give up.
Isabelle Gecils
It is the journey of writing the story. You don't ever know where it will take you. As a writer of a memoir, I of course know what the story is from the outset. Yet, even then, there is research to do about people, places and historical context. There is a lot of self-analysis to figure out who you are, and how to tell the story. And then there are the conversations with family, friends and writing groups about the story. You get ideas, you get community, and you get to write. It is at the end, all about the journey.
Isabelle Gecils
My philosophy is to do a little bit everyday. When I feel inspired and writing flows, that is the best. But sometimes, no matter what you do, the inspiration and flow aren't there. During those times, I work on revision and editing. I give myself the permission to do just a little, as long as I am doing something.
Forcing writing just because you found a few minutes to write backfires. In those instances then, the best thing you can do for yourself and the writing is to take a break, a guilt-free one, and go do something else.
Forcing writing just because you found a few minutes to write backfires. In those instances then, the best thing you can do for yourself and the writing is to take a break, a guilt-free one, and go do something else.
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